THEOLOGY; 

EXPLAINED  AND  DEFENDED, 

IN  A  , 

SERIES  OF  SERMONS; 

BY 

TIMOTHY  DWIGHT,  S.  T.  D.  L.L.  D. 

LATE  PRESIDENT  OF  YALE  COLLEGE. 

WITH  A 

MEMOIR 

OF 

THE  LIFE  OF  THE  AUTHOR. 

IN  FOUR  VOLUMES. 
SECOND  EDITION. 


VOL.  11. 


NEW-HAVEN  j 

PRINTED  AND  PUBLISHED  BY  S.  CONVERSE. 


STEREOTVPED  BY  A.  CHANDLER 
1823. 


CONTENTS  OF  THE  SECOND  VOLUME. 


Page 
SERMON  XXXIX.  Divinity  of  Christ.    Objections  answered.— 1  Cor.  iii.  20.         6 
SERMON  XL.  Divinity  of  Christ.     Objections  to  the  Doctrine  of  the  Uni- 
tarians.—! Cor.  iii.  20.  ...---       20 
SERMON  XLI.  Divinity  of  Christ.     Objections  to  the  Mode  in  which  the 

Unitarians  conduct  tiie  controversy. — 1  Cor.  iii.  20.         -  -  -       35 

SERMON  XLII.  Incarnation  of  Christ.— i?ow.  viii.  3.  -  -  -      50 

SERMON  XLIII.  Covenant  of  Redemption.— /«.  liii.  10— 12.  -  -      63 

SERMON  XLIV.  Christ  a  Prophet.  His  Personal  Preaching.— LwAie  xxiv.  19.      74 
SERMON  XLV.  Christ  a  Prophet.     The  Things  which   He  taught.— JoAn 

vii.  46. 87 

SERMON  XLVI.  Christ  a  Prophet.     The  Manner  of  His  Preaching. — John 

vii.  46.         -  - 99 

SERMON  XLVII.   Christ  a  Prophet.     Consequences  of  His  Preaching. — 

John  vii.  46.  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -     1 10 

SERMON  XLVIII.  Christ  a  Prophet.     Preaching  of  the  Apostles.     Mark 

xvi.  15,  16,  20        -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -     120 

SERMON  XLIX.  Christ  a  Prophet.   Preaching  of  the  Apostles. — Mark  xvi. 

15,  16,  20.  ...----.     131 

SERMON  L.  Priesthood  of  Christ.     Origin,  Office,  and  Character  of  the 

Priesthood.— iP.sa/m  ex.  4.  -  -  -  -  -  -     143 

SERMON  LI.  Priesthood  of  Christ.    His  Holiness  of  Character. — ijeft.vii.  26.    153 
SERMON  LII.  Priesthood  of  Christ.     His  Self-Government.— i/e6.  vii.  26.      162 
SERMON  LIII.  Priesthood  of  Christ.     His  Holiness.     Importance  of  this 

Attribute.— He6.  vii.  26.  -.-...     17<2 

SERMON  LIV.  Priesthood  of  Christ.      His  Example— 1  John  ii.  5.  -     183 

SERMON  LV.  Priesthood  of  Christ.     His  Atonement.    Its  Nature,  Neces- 
sity, and  Reality.— i?OHi    iii.  24—26.  -  -  -  -     194 

SERMON  LVI.  Priesthood  of  Christ.     His  Atonement.     The  Manner  in 

which  it  was  performed.     Its  Extent. — Rom.  m.  24 — 26.  -  -     206 

SERMON  LVII.  Priesthood  of  Christ.     His  Atonement.     Objections  an- 
swered.—J?oj?i.  iii.  24—26.  -  -  -  -  -  -     219 

SERMON  LVIII.  Priesthood  of  Christ      His  Intercession.— He6.  vii.  24, 25.     230 
SERMON  LIX.  Christ  a  King— £;?/(.  i.  20—22.         -  -  -  -    241 

SERMON  LX.  The  Miracles  of  Christ.— ^r/s  ii.  22.  ...    253 

SERMON  LXI.  The  Resurrection  of  Christ.— ^c/«  iii.  15.  -  -    264 

SERMON  LXII.  The  Resurrection  of  Chv\s\..—Acts  iii.  15.  -  -     274 

SERMON  LXIII.  The  Amiableness  of  Christ  in  Publishing  the  Gospel  to 

Mankind.—/*.  Iii.  7. 287 

SERMON  LXIV.  Justification.     The  Nature  :  or  in  what  it  consists.     The 

Source  :  the  Free  Grace  of  God. — Kow.  iii.  24.  -  -  -     300 

SERMON  LXV.  .Tustification.     The   Means.     Faith  in  Christ.     The  Duty 

of  Believing— /ZoOT.  iii.  28.  -  -  -  -  -  -    312 


4  CONTENJS 

Page 

SERMON  LXVF.  Justification.     The  Nature  of  Faith— fiom.  iii.  28.  -     324 

SERMON  LXVII.  The  Influence  of  Faith  in  our  Justification. — Kom.  iii.  28.     338 

SERMON  LWIH.  Reconciliiition  of  Paul  and  Jumrs     Influence  of  Works 

in  our  Jii.-itification. — James  ii.  24.  .....     348 

SERMON  LXIX.  Ju«liticatii)n  by  Faith  does  not  lessen  the  Obligations,  or 

the  Motives,  to  Obedience. — Rom    iii.  31.  -  -  -  -     368 

SERMON  LXX.  Uegenenition.     The   Agent   in   ettecting  it  :     The    Holy 

Ghost  .     Hi.'*  Character. —  Tit.  iii.  5.         -  -  ■  -  -     370 

SERMON  LXXI.  Regeneration.     Testimonies  to  the  Doctrine  of  the  Trin- 
ity from  the  ancient  Christians,  Jews,  and  Heathen. — Is.  xlviii.  16.  381 

SERMON  LXXII.  Regeneration.     Agency  of  tiie  Holv  Ghost.— TiV.  iii.  5.      395 

SERMON  LXXllI.  Regeneration.     Its  Necessity  and  Reality.— Jo/ni  iii.  3.        406 

SERMON  LXXIV.  Regeneration.     Its  Nature —Jo/i?i  iii.  3.  -  -     418 

SERMON  LXXV.  Regeneration.— Its  Antecetlents.— jJf/*  xvi.  29,  30.  -     430 

SERMON  LXXVI.   Regeneration.     Its  Attendants  generally  considered. — 

Eph.  iv.  22—24.  -  -  -  -  -  -  -     444 

SERMON  LXXVII.  Regeneration.    Its  Attendants  ;  Faith  ;  Repentance. — 

Mall,  xxvii.  3—5.  .......     455 

SERMON  LXXVIII.    Regeneration.      Its   Attendants :    Love ;    Nature   of 

Love  ;  Evidence  of  its  Existence. — Gal.  v.  22.  ...    465 

SERMON  LXXIX.  Regeneration.     Its  Attendants  ;  Consistency  of  Bene- 
volence with  providing  peculiarly  for  our  own. —  1  Tim.  v.  8.  -     477 

SERMON  LXXX.   Regeneration.     Its  Attendants  ;  Consistency  of  Benevo- 
lence with  seeking  .salvation. — Horn.  ii.  fi,  7.         -  -  -  -     487 

SERMON  LXXXI.  Regeneration.      Its    Attendants  ;      Brotiierly  Love — 

John  xiii.  34.  -  -  -  -  -  -  -     497 

SERMON  LXXXII.  Regeneration.     ItsConse(|uences  ;  Adoption. —  I  John 

iii.  2.  ---------     507 

SER.VION  LXXXIII.   Regeneration.     Us  Consequences  ;     Sanctification. — 

Tlit.1.1.  V.  23  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -     517 

SERMON  LXXXIV.  Regeneration.      Its   Consequences  ;     Peace    of   Con- 
science.    John  xiv.  27.  ---...     509 

SERMON  LXXXV.  Regeneration.     Its  Consequences:    Joy  in  the  Holy 

Ghost. —  Ham.  xiv.  17.  ----..     539 

SERMON  LXXXVI.  Regeneration.    Its  Consei|uences  :  Increase  of  Grace. 

Prov.  iv.  8.  -  -  -  -  .  .  .  -     547 


SERMON  XXXIX. 


DIVINITY  OF  CHRIST. OBJECTIONS    ANSWERED. 


I  CoBiNTHiANS  i'u.  20. —  The  Lord  knoweth  the  thoughts  of  the  wise,  that  they  are 

vain. 

IN  the  eighteenth  verse  of  this  chapter,  St.  Paul  says,  Let  no 
man  deceive  himself.  If  any  man  among  you  secmeth  to  be  wise, 
in  this  world,  let  him  become  a  fool,  that  he  may  be  wise.  For  the 
wisdom  of  this  world  is  foolishness  with  God,  for  it  is  written.  He 
takcth  the  wise  in  their  own  craftiness. 

These  words,  together  with  the  text,  are  paraphrased  by  Dod- 
dridge in  the  following  manner:  "  I  know  there  are  those  among 
you,  whose  pride  and  self-conceit  may  lead  them  to  despise  this 
admonition,  especially  as  coming  from  me  ;  but  let  no  man  deceive 
himself  with  vain  speculations  of  his  own  worth  and  abilities.  If 
any  one  of  you  seem  to  be  wise  in  this  world,  if  he  value  himself  on 
what  is  commonly  called  wisdom  among  Jews  or  Gentiles  ;  let  him 
become  a  fool,  that  he  may  be  wise  indeed.  Let  him  humbly  ac- 
knowledge his  own  natural  ignorance  and  folly ;  and  embrace  that 
Gospel,  which  the  wisdom  of  the  world  proudly  and  vainly  derides 
as  foolishness,  if  he  desire  to  approve  himself  really  and  substan- 
tially wise,  and  to  reap  at  last  the  honours  and  rewards  of  those, 
who  are  truly  so,  in  ihe  sight  of  God.  Far  all  the  boasted  wisdom 
of  this  world  is  foolishness  with  God ;  who  with  one  glance  sees 
through  all  its  vanity  ;  as  it  is  written,  (Job  v.  13)  He  entangleth 
the  wise  in  their  own  crafty  artifice  ;  often  ruining  them  by  those 
designs,  which  they  had  formed  with  the  utmost  efforts  of  human 
policy,  and  were  most  intent  upon  executing.  And  again  it  is 
said,  elsewhere.  Psalm  xciv.  11,  The  Lord  knoweth  the  thoughts 
of  the  wise  that  they  arc  vain.  He  sees  how  they  ensnare  them- 
selves in  their  own  subtleties  ;  and,  when  they  think  themselves 
most  sagacious,  are  only  amused  with  their  own  sophistry  and 
deceit." 

This  paraphrase  expresses,  exactly,  my  own  views  concerning 
these  declarations  of  St.  Paul :  declarations,  which  appear  to  me 
to  be  continually,  and  abundantly,  verified  by  experience.  No 
man  is  in  the  way  to  true  wisdom,  who  does  not  first  become,  in  the 
Aposde's  sense,  a  fool ;  that  is,  who  has  not  a  just  and  affecting 
consciousness  of  his  own  ignorance  and  weakness,  his  utter  inabili- 
ty to  devise  a  system  of  Religion,  or  to  amend  that,  which  God 


C  J>iVlMTV  OF  CHKIST.  [SER.  XXXIX. 

has  taught;  and  who  is  not  oUogclhor  willing  to  submit  his  own 
opinions  to  the  dictates  ot"  Inspimtion. 

Concerning  the  text  it  will  be  only  necessary  to  observe,  that  the 
word  ^lotXoyio'iu.sg,  tmnslated  thoughts,  is  proj.ei'ly  rendered  reaso7i- 
ings  ;  and  ttiat  the  word,  translated  the  7oise,  is  tfo^wv ;  denoting  the 
learned  men  of  (trcccc,  and  ultimately  ol  other  countries,  most  usu- 
ally called  Philosophers.  The  reasonivgs  of  these  men,  as  the 
Apostle  proves  from  the  Scriptures  of  the  Old  Testament,  are  in 
the  sight  of  God  vain;  or  utterly  incapable  of  accomplishing  the 
end,  to  which  they  were  then  chiefly  directed;  viz.  the  formation 
and  establishment  of  a  sound  Theological  system. 

What  was  true  of  these  men  in  ancient  times  is  equally  true  ol 
men  of  the  same  soi-t  in  every  age.  Modern  wise  men  are  no 
more  able  to  perform  this  work  than  ancient  ones.  Hence,  the 
proposition  in  the  text  is  written  in  the  absolute,  or  universal  form; 
and  extends  this  character  to  the  reasonings  of  all  men,  employed 
either  in  making  systems  of  Theology,  or  in  amending  that,  which 
is  revealed  by  God. 

Ot  the  truth  of  this  declaration  experience  has  furnished  the 
most  abundant  evidf^nce.  The  great  body  of  such  systems,  includ- 
ing all,  which  have  been  originally  devised  by  man,  and  which  have 
ex'sted  long  enough  to  be  thoroughly  examined,  have  been  suc- 
cessively exploded  ;  and,  as  objects  of  belief,  forgotten.  Those, 
which  have  been  devised  for  the  purpose  of  amending  the  Scrip- 
tural system,  have  been  generally  of  the  same  frail  and  perishing 
character.  Some  of  them,  however,  under  the  wing  of  that  divine 
authority,  which  by  their  abetters  was  supj)Osed  to  shelter  them  ; 
and  under  the  earl)  of  sacredness  which  was  lent  them  by  their  in- 
ventei">  ;  have  lasted  longer,  and  })een  more  frequently  revived. 
New  forms  have  in  the  latter  case  been  given  to  them  ;  new  argu- 
ments suggested  in  their  behalf;  and  the  sjilendour  of  new^  and  re- 
spectable names  has  been  employed  to  recommend  them  to  man- 
kind. After  all,  their  existence  and  their  influence,  have  been  gen- 
erally limited  by  bounds  comparatively  narrow^ 

From  the  nature  of  the  subject  the  same  truth  is  completely  evi- 
dent. Theology  is  the  science  of  the  ivill  of  God  concerning  the 
dtity,  and  destination,  of  man.  What  the  will  of  God  is  concern- 
ing these  subjects  cannot  possibly  be  known,  unless  he  is  pleased 
to  disclose  it.  That  it  is  disclosed  by  him  in  the  works  of  Creation 
and  l*rovidenc(  in  a  very  imperfect  degree,  and  that  it  cannot  be 
discovered  by  man  beyond  that  degree,  must  be  admitted  by  every 
one,  who  would  make  even  a  j)lausible  pretension  to  good  sense, 
or  candour.  All  that  remains  undiscovered  in  this  way,  must  be 
unkiRiwn,  uidess  revealed  by  the  good  pleasure  of  God.  When 
ihiis  i-evealed,  it  can  never  be  safely  added  to.  diminished,  nor 
otherwise  in  any  maner  altered,  by  man.  To  him,  whatever  God 
is  pleased  to  withhold  must  he  unknown.  By  him,  whatever  God 
is  pleased  to  reveal  must  be  unalterable,  either  as  to  form  or  sub- 


SER.  XXXIX.]  DIVINITY  OF  CHRIST.  7 

stance ;  for  no  authority,  les.s  than  infinite,  can  change  that,  which 
infinite  authority  has  been  pleased  to  estabhsh.  As,  therefore, 
the  Scriptural  System  of  Theology  could  not  have  been  in- 
vented by  man  ;  so  neither  can  it  possibly  be  amended  by  man. 
In  the  strong,  but  accurately  just,  language  of  St.  Paul  on  this 
subject.  Let  God  be  ackno'wledged  to  be  true;  but  let  every  marij 
who  denies,  or  opposes,  what  he  has  revealed,  be  accounted  a  liar. 
Or  in  the  still  stronger  langu^ige  of  the  same  Aposde,  Though  an 
angel  from  heaven  preach  any  other  Gospel,  let  him  be  anathema. 

Among  the  various  denominations  of  men,  denoted  in  the  text 
by  the  wise,  whose  reasonings  are  vain,  are  included,  so  far  as  I  can 
discern,  the  Arians  and  Socinians  ,•  or,  as  both  sometimes  choose  to 
term  themselves.  Unitarians.  I  feel  myself  obliged  to  warn  my 
audience,  that  this  name  however,  contains  in  itself  an  error ;  and 
appears  to  have  been  formed  with  a  design  to  deceive.  It  was 
professedly  assumed  for  the  purpose  of  challenging  to  those,  who 
assumed  it,  the  exclusive  character,  among  Christians,  of  believing 
in  the  Unity  of  God ;  and  of  denying  particularly,  that  Trinitari- 
ans entertain  this  belief:  whereas  Trinitarians  believe  in  the  Unity 
of  God  as  entirely,  and  absolutely,  as  their  opposers.  That  every 
Trinitarian  asserts  this  of  himself,  every  Unitarian,  possessing  a 
very  moderate  share  of  information,  knows ;  and  he  knows  also, 
that  the  charge  of  admitting  more  Gods  than  one  cannot  be  fasten- 
ed upon  the  Trinitarian  ;  except  by  consequences,  professedly  de- 
rived from  his  doctrine,  which  he  utterly  disclaims.  To  prove, 
that  such  consequences  do  indeed  follow  from  it,  is,  if  it  can  be 
done,  altogether  fair,  and  unobjectionable  •,  but  to  charge  him  with 
admitting  them,  while  he  utterly  disclaims  them,  is  unworthy  of  a 
disputant,  assuming  the  character  of  a  Christian. 

For  the  assertion,  which  I  have  made  above,  concerning  the  Uni- 
tarians, generally,  I  am  bound  to  give  my  reasons.  This  I  intend 
to  do  without  disguise,  or  softening;  but  at  the  same  time  with 
moderation  and  candour.  My  observations  I  shall  distribute  un- 
der two  heads :  Answers  to  the  Objections  of  the  Unitarians  against 
the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity  ;  and  Objections  to  the  Doctrine  of  Uni- 
tarians, and  to  their  Conduct  in  managing  the  controversy.  It  will 
not  be  supposed,  that  under  either  of  these  heads  very  numerous, 
or  very  minute,  articles  can  find  a  place  in  such  a  system  of  dis- 
courses. All,  that  can  be  attempted,  is  to  exhibit  a  summary  view 
of  such  particulars,  as  are  plainly  of  serious  importance. 

In  the  present  discourse,  it  is  my  design  to  answer  the  principal 
objections  of  Unitarians  against  the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity,  Of  these 
the 

1st.  And  as  I  conceive,  the  fundamental  one,  on  which  their  chiej 
reliance  is  placed,  is.  That  the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity,  or  of  Three 
Persons  in  One  God,  is  self -contradictory. 

This  objection,  therefore,  merits  a  particular  answer. 

Those,  who  make  this  objection  to  the  public,  express  them- 


3  UIVINITY  OF  CHRIST  [SE.R.  XXXIX. 

Hclves  ill  such  language  as  the  following  :  The  Father,  according 
to  the  Trinitarian  doctrine,  is  God;  The  Son  is  God  ;  and  the  Holy 
Ghost  is  God.  Here  are  three,  each  of  whom  is  God.  Three  can- 
not be  One,  three  units  cannot  be  one  unit.  Were  this  objection 
made  professedly,  as  it  is  actually,  against  the  inconsistency  of 
Tritheism  with  the  unity  of  God,  it  would  be  valid  and  unanswer- 
able. Equally  valitl  would  it  be  against  the  Trinitarians,  if  they 
admitted  the  existence  of  three  Gods  ;  or  if  their  doctrine  involved 
this  as  a  consequence.  But  the  former  of  these  is  not  true ;  and 
the  latter  has  not  been,  and,  it  is  presumed,  cannot  be,  shown. 
Until  it  shall  be  shown,  every  Trinitarian  must  necessarily  feel, 
that  this  objection  is  altogether  inapplicable  to  his  own  case  ;  and, 
although  intended  against  his  faith  is  really  aimed  against  another, 
and  very  distant  object.  Until  this  be  shown,  this  objection  will, 
i  apprehend,  be  completely  avoided  in  the  following  manner. 

1st.  The  admission  of  three  infinitely  perfect  Beings  does  not  at  all 
imply  the  existence  of  more  Gods  than  one. 

This  proposition  may,  perhaps,  startle  such  persons,  on  both 
sides  of  the  question,  as  have  not  turned  their  attention  to  the  sub- 
ject ;  but  can,  I  apprehend,  be  nevertheless,  shown  to  be  true.  It 
is  clearly  certain  that  the  nature,  the  attributes,  the  views,  the  vo- 
litions, and  the  agency  of  three  Beings,  infinitely  perfect,  must  be 
exactly  the  same.  They  would,  alike,  be  self-existent,  eternal, 
omniscient,  omnipotent,  and  possessed  of  the  same  boundless  moral 
excellence.  Of  course,  they  would  think  exactly  the  same  things, 
choose  the  same  things,  and  do  the  same  things.  There  would, 
therefore,  be  a  perfect  oneness  of  character  and  conduct  in  the 
three  ;  and  to  the  universe  of  creatures  they  would  sustain  but  one 
and  the  same  Relation ;  and  be  absolutely  but  one  Creator,  Pre- 
server, Benefactor,  Ruler,  and  Final  Cause.  In  other  words  they 
would  be  absolutely  One  God.  This  radical  objection,  therefore, 
is,  even  in  this  sense,  of  no  validity. 

2dly.  The  Doctrine  of  the  Trinity  does  not  involve  the  existence 
of  Three  Infinite  Beings ;  and  therefore  this  objection  does  not  af- 
fect it. 

The  Scriptural  account  of  Jehovah,  as  received  by  every  Trin- 
itarian, is,  that  He  is  one  perfect  Existence,  underived  and  unlim- 
ited ;  and  that  this  one  perfect  Existence  is  in  the  Scriptures  de- 
clared to  be,  the  Father,  the  Son,  and  the  Holy  Ghost.  These,  in  the 
usual  language  of  Trinitarians,  are  styled  Persons,  because,  in  the 
Scriptures,  the  three  personal  pronouns,  /,  Thou,  and  He,  are  on 
every  proper  occasion  applied  to  them.  As  this  is  done  by  the 
Father  and  the  Son,  speaking  to  each  other,  and  o/the  Holy  Ghost; 
and  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  speaking  of  the  Father  and  of  the  Son ; 
we  are  perfectly  assured,  that  this  language  is  in  the  strictest  sense 
proper.  Still,  no  Trinitarian  supposes,  that  the  word.  Person, 
conveys  an  ade(|uate  idea  of  the  thing  here  intended:  much  less 
that,  when  it  is  applied  to  God,  it  denotes  the  same  thing,  as  when 


SER.  XXXIX]  DiVINItV  OF  CHRIST.  S 

applied  to  created  beings.  As  the  Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Ghost 
are  distinguished ;  some  term,  generally  expressing  this  distinction, 
seems  necessary,  to  those,  who  would  mark  it,  when  speaking  of 
the  Three  together.  This  term,  therefore,  warranted  in  the  man- 
ner above  mentioned,  has  been  chosen  by  Trinitarians,  as  answer- 
ing this  purpose,  so  far  as  it  can  be  answered  by  human  language. 

If  I  am  asked,  as  I  probably  shall  be,  what  is  the  exact  meaning 
of  the  word  Person  in  this  case ;  I  answer,  that  I  do  not  know. 
Here  the  Unitarian  usually  triumphs  over  his  antagonist.  But  the 
triumph  is  without  foundation,  or  reason.  If  I  ask  in  return, "  What 
is  the  human  Soul  ?"  or  "  the  human  Body  ?"  He  is  obliged  to 
answer,  that  he  does  not  know.  If  he  says,  that  the  soul  is  Organ- 
ized Matter,  endowed  with  the  powers  of  thinking  and  acting :  I 
ask  again,  what  is  that  Organization?  and,  What  is  that  Matter? 
To  these  questions  he  is  utterly  unable  to  furnish  any  answer. 

Should  he  ask  again,  to  what  purpose  is  the  admission  of  the 
term,  if  its  signification  is  unknown?  I  answer:  To  what  purpose 
is  the  admission  of  the  word  Matter,  if  its  signification  is  unknown  ? 
I  further  answer,  that  the  term  in  dispute  serves  to  convey,  briefly 
and  conveniently,  the  things  intended  by  the  doctrine  ;  viz.  that  the 
Father  is  God,  the  Son  is  God,  and  the  Holy  Ghost  is  God;  that 
these  are  Three  in  one  sense,  and  One  in  another.  The  sense  in 
which  they  are  three,  and  yet  one,  we  do  not,  and  cannot,  under- 
stand. Still  we  understand  the  fact;  and  on  this  fact  depend  the 
truth,  and  meaning,  of  the  whole  Scriptural  system.  If  Christ  be 
God,  he  is  also  a  Saviour;  if  not,  there  is  no  intelligible  sense,  in 
which  he  can  sustain  this  title,  or  the  character  which  it  denotes. 

In  addition  to  this.  He  is  asserted  in  the  Scriptures  to  be  God,  in 
every  form  of  expression,  and  implication ;  from  the  beginning  to 
the  end ;  as  plainly  as  language  can  admit ;  and  so  fully,  and  va- 
riously, that,  if  we  deny  these  assertions  their  proper  force,  by  de- 
nying that  he  is  God,  we  must,  by  the  same  mode  of  construction, 
deny  any  thing,  and  every  thing,  which  the  Scriptures  contain.  If 
the  declarations,  In  the  beginning  was  the  Word,  and  the  Word  was 
with  God,  and  the  Word  was  God;  and  Christ,  zoho  is  over  all 
things,  God,  blessed  for  ever  ;  do  not  prove  Christ  to  be  God  ;  the 
declaration,  In  the  beginning  God  created  the  heavens  and  the  earth, 
does  not  prove,  that  there  was  a  Creation ;  or  that  the  Creator  is 
God.  The  declaration.  All  things  were  made  by  him,  and  without 
him  was  not  any  thing  made  which  is  made,  is  as  full  a  proof,  that 
Christ  is  the  Creator,  as  that,  just  quoted  from  Genesis,  that  the 
Creator  is  God.  An  admission,  or  denial,  of  the  one,  ought,  there- 
fore, if  we  would  treat  the  several  parts  of  the  Bible  alike,  and  pre- 
serve any  consistency  of  construction,  to  be  accompanied  by  a 
similar  admission,  or  denial  of  the  other.  Here,  then,  is  a  reason 
for  acknowledging  Christ  to  be  God,  of  the  highest  kind ;  viz.  that 
God  has  declared  this  truth  in  the  most  explicit  manner. 

The  Mysteriousness  of  the  truth,  thus  declared,  furnishes  not  even 

Vol.  II.  2 


jQ  DIVINITY  OF  CHRIST.  [SER.  XXXIX. 

a  shadow  of  Rpason  for  cither  denial,  or  doubt.  That  God  can  be 
One  in  one  sense,  and  Three  in  another,  is  unquestionable.  What- 
ever that  sense  is,  if  the  declaration  be  true  ;  and  one,  which  God 
has  thought  it  proper  to  make  in  the  Scriptures ;  and  one,  there- 
fore, to  which  he  has  required  our  belief;  it  is,  of  course,  a  dicla- 
ration,  incalculably  important  to  mankind,  and  worthy  of  all  ac- 
ceptation. 

The  futility  and  emptiness  of  this  fundamental  objection  of  Uni- 
tarians, as  applied  to  the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity,  is  susceptible 
of  an  absolute  and  easy  demonstration;  notwithstanding  the  objec- 
tion itself  claims  the  character  of  intuitive  certainty.  It  is  intui- 
tively certain,  or  in  other  language,  self-evident,  that  no  proposi- 
tion can  be  seen  to  be  either  true,  or  false,  unless  the  mind  possess 
the  ideas,  out  of  which  it  is  formed,  so  far  as  to  discern  whether 
they  agree,  or  disagree.  The  proposition,  asserted  by  Trinita- 
rians^ and  denied  by  Unitarians,  is  that  God  is  Tri-personal.  The 
ideas,  intended  by  the  words  God,  here  denoting  the  infinite  Exist- 
ence ;  and  Tri-personal ',  are  not,  and  cannot  be  possessed  by  any 
man.  Neither  Trinitarians  nor  Unilarians,  therefore,  can,  by  any 
possible  eftbrt  of  the  understanding,  discern  whether  this  proposi- 
tion be  true,  or  false  ;  or  whether  the  ideas,  denoted  by  the  words 
God  and  Tri-personal,  agree,  or  disagree.  Until  this  can  be  done, 
it  is  perfectly  nugatory,  either  to  assert  or  deny,  this  proposition, 
as  an  object  of  intellectual  discernment,  or  Philosophical  inquiry. 
Where  the  mind  has  not  ideas,  it  cannot  compare  them;  where  it 
cannot  compare  them,  it  cannot  discern  their  agreement  or  dis- 
agreement ;  and  of  course  it  can  form  out  of  them  no  proposition, 
whose  truth,  or  falsehood,  it  can  at  all  perceive.  Thus  this  boast- 
ed objection  is  so  far  from  being  conclusive,  or  even  formidable  ; 
that  it  is  wholly  without  force,  or  application. 

After  all  that  has  been  said,  it  may  still  be  asked  ;  "  Why,  if  this 
proposition  be  thus  unintelligible,  do  Trinitarians  adopt  it  as  an 
essential  part  of  their  creed  .'  I  answer,  "  Because  God  has  de- 
clared it."  Should  it  be  asked,  "Of  what  use  is  a  proposition, 
thus  unintelligible?"  I  answer,  " Of  inestimable  use:"  and  thi^ 
answer  I  explain  in  the  following  manner.  The  unintelligibleness 
of  this  doctrine  lies  in  the  nature  of  the  thing,  which  it  declares, 
and  not  in  the  fact  declared.  The  nature  of  (he  thing  declared  is 
absolutely  unintelligible;  but  the  fact  is,  in  a  certain  degree,  un- 
derstood without  difficulty.  What  God  is,  as  One,  or  as  Three  in 
One,  is  perfectly  undiscernible  by  us.  Of  the  existence,  thus 
described,  we  have  no  conception.  But  the  assertions,  that  He  is 
One,  and  that  He  is  Three  in  One,  arc  easily  comprehended.  The 
propositions,  that  the  Father  is  God,  that  the  Son  is  God,  that 
the  Huly  Ghost  is  God ;  and  that  these  Three  are  One  God ^  are 
equally  intelligible  with  the  proposition,  that  there  is  One  God. 
On  these  propositions,  understood  as  facts,  and  received  on  the 
credit  of  the  divine  Witness,  and  not  as  discerned  by  mental  spe- 


SER.  XXXIX]  DIVINITY  OF  CHRIST.  j  j 

culation,  is  dependent  the  whole  system  of  Christianity. — The  im- 
portance of  the  doctrine  is  therefore  supreme. 

The  utmost  amount  of  all,  that  can  be  said  against  the  doctrine 
of  the  Trinity,  is,  that  it  is  mysterious,  or  inexplicable.  A  mystery, 
and  a  mystery  as  to  its  nature  wholly  inexplicable,  it  is  cheerfully 
acknowledged  to  be  by  every  Trinitarian:  but  no  Trinitarian 
will,  on  that  account,  admit,  that  it  ought  to  be  less  an  object  of 
his  belief.  Were  the  faith,  or  even  the  knowledge,  of  man  usually 
conversant  about  objects,  which  arc  not  mysterious ;  mysterious- 
ness  might,  with  a  better  face,  be  objected  against  the  doctrine  of 
the  Trinity.  But  mystery  envelopes  almost  all  the  objects  of  both. 
We  believe,  nay,  we  know,  the  existence  of  one  God  ;  and  are 
able  to  prove  him  self-existent,  omnipresent,  omniscient,  almighty, 
unchangeable,  and  eternal.  But  no  more  absolute  mysteries  exist, 
than  in  the  being,  nature,  and  attributes,  of  God.  The  Soul  of 
M^n,  the  Body  of  Man,  a  Vegetable,  an  Atom,  are  all  subjects 
filled  with  mysteries ;  and  about  them  all  a  Child  may  ask  ques- 
tions, which  no  Philosopher  can  answer.  That  God,  therefore, 
should  m  his  existence  involve  many  mysteries,  inexplicable  by  us, 
is  so  far  from  violating,  or  stumbling,  a  rational  faith,  that  it  ought 
to  be  presumed.  The  contrary  doctrine  would  be  still  more  mys- 
terious, and  far  more  shock  a  rational  nlind. 

"  As  to  the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity,"  says  a  Writer*  of  distin- 
guished abilities  and  eloquence,  "  it  is  even  more  amazing,  than 
that  of  the  Incarnation  :  yet,  prodigious  and  amazing  as  it  is,  such 
is  the  incomprehensible  nature  of  God,  that  I  believe  it  will  be  ex- 
tremely difficult  to  prove  from  thence,  that  it  cannot  possibly  be 
true.  The  point  seems  to  be  above  the  reach  of  Reason,  and  too 
wide  for  the  grasp  of  human  understanding.  However,  I  have 
often  observed,  in  thinking  of  the  eternity  and  immensity  of  God; 
of  his  remaining  from  eternity  to  the  production  of  the  first  crea- 
ture, without  a  world  to  govern,  or  a  single  being  to  manifest  his 
goodness  to;  of  the  motives  that  determined  him  to  call  his  crea- 
tures into  being ;  why  they  operated  when  they  did,  and  not  be- 
fore ;  of  his  raising  up  intelligent  beings,  whose  wickedness  and 
misery  he  foresaw" ;  of  the  state  in  which  his  relative  attributes, 
justice,  bounty,  and  mercy,  remained  through  an  immense  space 
of  duration,  before  he  had  produced  any  creatures,  to  exercise 
them  towards ;  in  thinking,  I  say,  of  these  unfathomable  matters, 
and  of  his  raising  so  many  myriads  of  spirits^,  and  such  prodigious 
masses  of  matter,  out  of  nothing ;  I  am  lost,  and  astonished,  as 
much  as  in  the  contemplation  of  the  Trinity.  There  is  but  a  small 
distance  in  the  scale  of  being  between  a.  mite  and  me :  although 
that  which  is  food  to  me  is  a  world  to  him,  we  mess,  notwithstand- 
ing, on  the  same  cheese,  breathe  the  same  air,  and  are  generated 
much  in  the  same  manner ;  yet  how  incomprehensible  must  my 

'  Skelton.     Deism  Revealed ;  Dial.  6. 


12  DIVINITY  OF  CHRIST.  [SER   XXXIX. 

nature  and  actions  be  to  him !  He  can  take  but  a  small  part  of  me 
with  his  eye  at  once ;  and  it  would  be  the  work  of  his  life  to  make 
the  tour  of  my  arm;  1  can  eat  up  his  world,  immense  as  it  seems 
to  him,  at  a  few  meals:  he,  poor  reptile!  cannot  tell,  but  there 
may  be  a  thousand  distinct  beings,  or  {)ersons,  such  as  mitos  can 
conceive,  in  so  great  a  being.  By  this  comparison  I  find  myself 
vastly  capacious  and  comprehensive ;  and  begin  to  swell  still  big- 
ger with  pride  and  high  thoughts ;  but  the  moment  I  lift  up  my 
mind  to  God,  between  whom  and  me  there  is  an  infinite  distance; 
then  I  myself  become  a  mite,  or  something  infinitely  less ;  I  shrink 
almost  into  nothing.  I  can  follow  him  but  one  or  two  steps  in  his 
lowest  and  plainest  works,  till  all  becomes  mystery,  and  matter  of 
amazement,  to  me.  How,  then,  shall  I  compi-chend  himself?  How 
shall  I  understand  his  nature;  or  account  for  his  actions  ?  In  thestj 
he  plans  for  a  boundless  scheme  of  things  ;  whereas  1  can  see  but 
an  inch  before  me.  In  thai  he  contains  what  is  infinitely  more  in- 
conceivable, than  all  the  wonders  of  his  creation,  put  together; 
and  I  am  plunged  in  astonishment  and  blindness,  when  I  attempt 
to  stretch  my  wretched  inch  of  line  along  the  Immensity  of  his 
Nature.  Were  my  body  so  large,  that  I  could  sweep  all  the  fixed 
stars,  visible  from  this  world  in  a  clear  night,  and  grasp  them  in  the 
hollow  of  my  hand ;  and  were  my  soul  capacious  in  proportion  to 
so  vast  a  body;  I  should,  notwithstanding,  be  infinitely  too  narrow- 
minded  to  conceive  his  wisdom,  when  he  forms  a  fly  :  and  how 
then  should  I  think  of  conceiving  of  Himself?  No;  this  is  the 
highest  of  all  impossibilities.  His  very  lowest  work  checks  and 
represses  my  vain  contemplations ;  and  holds  them  down  at  an  in- 
finite distance  from  him.  When  we  think  of  God  in  this  light,  we 
can  easily  conceive  it  possible,  that  there  may  be  a  Trinity  of  Per- 
sons in  his  nature." 

II.  It  is  asserted  by  Unitarians  that  the  doctrine  of  the  Trini'i/  is 
Anti-scriptural. 

It  has  undoubtedly  been  observed,  that  in  this  discourse  I  have 
considered  objections  against  the  Deity  of  Christ,  and  the  Trinity^ 
as  being  commensurate.  The  reason  is,  that,  so  far  as  my  know- 
ledge extends,  those,  w^ho  deny  one  of  these  doctrines,  deny  also 
the  other.  Although  it  is  not  strictly  true,  therefore,  that  every 
objection  against  the  Trinity  must  of  course  be  an  objection  against 
the  Deity  of  Christ;  yet,  as  this  is  the  ultimate  aim  of  almost  all 
such  objections,  actually  made;  I  have  not  thought  any  distinction 
concerning  them  necessary  in  this  discourse. 

As  this  objection  is  designed  to  be  extensive,  and  is  capable  of 
being  indefinitely  diversified;  it  w^ill  not  be  possible  forme  to  take 
notice  of  all  the  forms,  in  which  it  may  appear.  It  will  be  my  in- 
tention, however,  to  dwell  upon  those  particular  applications  "of  if, 
on  which  the  authors  of  the  objection  seem  to  have  laid  the  great- 
est stress. 

The  general  import  of  this  objection,  is,  that  Christ  is  exhibited 


SER.  XXXIX]  DIVINITY  OF  CHRIST.  13 

in  the  Scriptures,  as  inferior  to  the  Father.  All  the  alleged  exhibi- 
tions of  this  nature,  may  be  advantageously  ranged  under  two 
heads. 

Those  made  hy  himself;  and, 

Those  made  by  the  Prophets  and  Apostles. 

An  an&wer  to  the  principal  of  these  will,  it  is  believed,  be  an 
answer  to  the  rest. 

1st.  Christ,  as  the  Unitarians  assert,  exhibits  himself  as  inferior 
to  the  Father,  and  therefore  declares  in  unequivocal  language,  that 
He  is  not  truly  God. 

Particularly,  1st.  He  declares,  that  he  is  not  Omnipotent, 

John  V.  19,  Then  Jesus  answered,  and  said  unto  them,  Verily^ 
Verily,  I  say  unto  you,  the  Son  can  do  nothing  of  himself  .  And 
again,  in  the  30th  verse,  I  can  of  mine  owns  elf  do  nothing.  And 
again,  John  viii.  28,  Then  said  Jesus  unto  them,  When  ye  have 
If  ted  up  the  Son  of  Man,  then  shall  ye  know,  that  I  am  He,  and  that 
I  do  nothing  of  myself ;  but  as  my  Father  hath  taught  me,  I  speak 
these  things. 

It  will  not  I  presume,  be  pretended,  that  these  words,  in  either 
of  the  passages,  are  used  in  the  strict  and  absolute  sense.  That 
Christ  v.'ould  literally  do  nothing  of  himself  wiW  not  be  asserted,  in 
the  sense,  that  he  had  no  power  at  all,  and  could  not  act  to  any 
purpose  whatever.  Whoever  Christ  was,  he  doubtless  possessed 
some  degree  of  inherent  power,  or  power  which  was  his  own  ;  and 
by  it  could  do,  at  least  some  such  things,  as  are  done  by  men  gene- 
rally. What,  then,  is  intended?  Undoubtedly,  either,  that  Christ 
coidd  do  nothing  compared  with  what  the  Father  can  do  ;  or  that 
Christ  coidd  do  nothing,  except  what  was  directed  by  the  Father^ 
according  to  the  Commission,  given  to  him  by  the  Father,  to  act  in 
the  Mediatorial  character. 

That  the  latter  is  the  true  interpretation  is,  in  my  view,  unan- 
swerably evident  from  the  following  considerations  : 

1.  The  subject  of  a  comparison  between  the  power  of  Christ  and 
that  of  the  Father,  is  not  even  alluded  to  in  any  preceding  part  of  the 
Chapter,  either  by  himself,  or  by  the  Jews, 

The  only  debate  between  Christ  and  the  Jews,  was  concerning 
the  rectitude,  or  larvfulness,  of  his  conduct.  As  the  Jews  were 
about  to  kill  him  for  having  acted  unlawfully,  both  in  healing  a 
man  on  the  Sabbath-day,  and  in  saying,  that  God  was  his  Father  ; 
it  is  incredible,  (because  it  is  imputing  to  him  a  gross  absurdity) 
that  Christ  should  here,  instead  of  replying  to  the  accusation  of  the 
Jews,  and  justifying  his  conduct  as  lawful,  enter  on  a  comparison 
between  his  abiUty,  and  that  of  the  Father.  This  would  have 
been  a  total  desertion  of  the  important  subject  in  controversy ; 
and  could  not  have  been  of  the  least  use,  either  for  the  purpose  of 
justifying  himself,  or  of  repressing  the  violence  of  the  Jeias.  On 
the  contrary,  it  would  have  been  the  assumption  of  a  subject  to- 
tally foreign ;  totally  unconnected  with  the  case  in  hand ;  without 


14  DIVINITY  OF  CHRIST.  [SER.  XXXIX. 

any  thing  to  lead  to  it ;  incapable  of  being  understood  by  those,  to 
whom  it  was  addressed,  and  a  species  of  conduct  which,  so  far  as 
I  can  see,  would  have  been  irreconcileable  with  common  sense. 

2dly.  This  interpretation  is  refuted^  so  far  as  the  objection  is  con- 
cerned, by  the  discourse,  of  which  it  is  a  part. 

The  whole  drift  of  this  discourse  is  to  show  the  extent  of  that 
authority,  which  Christ  possessed,  as  the  Mediator.  In  displaying 
this  authority.  He  also  displays,  necessarily,  the  power  which  he 
possesses.  In  Chapter  v.  19,  from  which  the  first  of  the  objected 
declarations  is  taken,  is  this  remarkable  assertion  :  What  things 
soever  He,  that  is,  the  Father,  doeth  ;  these,  also,  doeth  the  Son 
likewise.  It  is  presumed,  that  not  even  a  Unitarian  will  imagine, 
that  in  a  verse,  in  whictt  this  declaration  is  contained,  Christ  could 
intend,  by  any  phraseology  whatever,  to  exhibit  a  limitation  of  his 
own  power. 

With  this  complete  refutation  of  the  meaning,  now  in  question, 
in  our  hands,  it  can  scarce  be  necessary  to  observe,  that,  in  many 
subsequent  parts  of  this  discourse  of  Christ,  it  is  also  overthrown 
in  the  same  complete  manner. 

This  interpretation  being  thus  shown  to  be  false ;  the  other,  the 
only  remaining  one,  might  be  fairly  assumed  as  the  true  interpreta- 
tion. At  the  same  time,  it  may  be  easily  evinced  to  be  the  true 
one,  by  other  considerations. 

1st.  It  is  perfectly  applicable  to  the  case  specif  ed. 

That  the  proposition,  containing  it,  expresses  what  is  true,  viz. 
that  Christ,  as  the  Mediator,  could  do  nothing  of  himself;  that  is, 
that  while  acting  under  a  commission  from  his  Father,  he  could  do 
nothing  of  his  own  authority,  but  must  do  all  things  by  the  authority, 
and  agreeably  to  the  commission,  which  he  had  received  ;  will,  I 
suppose,  be  admitted  by  every  man.  But  this  proposition  is  not 
more  clearly  true,  than  it  is  applicable  to  the  case  in  hand.  If 
Christ  in  those  things,  of  which  he  was  accused  by  the  Jews,  acted 
by  the  authority,  and  agreeably  to  the  commission,  which  he  had 
received  from  the  Father;  then,  plainly,  that  which  he  did  was  right. 
Of  course  the  objections,  and  the  animosities  of  the  Jews,  were 
without  cause,  and  wholly  reprehensible.  In  this  sense,  the  an- 
swer of  Christ  was  perfectly  pertinent,  and  the  only  valid  answer, 
which  could  be  given. 

2dly.  TTiat  this  is  the  true  meaning  is  evidcyU  froxn  John  viii.  28, 
(the  last  of  the  passages  quoted  above.)  Then  said  Jesus  unto 
them.  When  ye  have  lifted  up  the  Son  of  man,  then  shall  ye  know 
that  I  am  He,  and  that  I  do  nothing  of  myself^  but,  as  my  Father 
hath  taught  me,  I  speak  these  things.  In  this  passage  Christ  informs 
the  Jeios,  that,  after  they  had  lifted  him  up,  on  the  cross,  they  should 
know,  that  he  was  the  Messiah  ;  and  that  he  did  nothing  of  him- 
self: not  that  he  did  nothing  by  his  own  power:  but  nothing  by 
his  own  authority.  The  fonner  having  nothing  to  do  with  the  sub- 
ject: the  latter  being  perfectly  applicable  to  it. 


SER.  XXXIX.]  DIVINtTY  OF  CHRIST.  I5 

Therefore  he  adds,  As  my  Father  hath  taught  me,  or,  as  we  say 
in  modern  Enghsh,  According  to  the  Instructions  which  I  have  re- 
ceived from  my  Father,  /  speak  these  things.  It  will  hardly  be 
questioned,  that  Christ  here  speaks  of  his  authority  only,  and  not 
at  all  of  his  power. 

3dly.  We  find  the  same  language,  used  in  the  same  manner,  in  va- 
rious other  passages  of  Scripture.  In  Gen.  xix.  22,  Christ  himself, 
acting  in  the  same  Mediatorial  character,  says  to  Lot,  beseeching 
him  to  permit  himself  and  his  family  to  escape  to  Zoar ;  Haste 
thee  j  escape  thither  j  for  I  cannot  do  anything,  till  thou  be  come 
thither.  It  will  not  be  pretended,  that  so  far  as  his  power  only 
was  concerned,  Christ  could  not  as  easily  have  begun  the  work  of 
destroying  the  cities  of  the  plain,  before  Lot  had  escaped,  as  after- 
ward. But  as  it  was  a  part  of  the  divine  determination  to  preserve 
Lot  and  his  family  ;  so  the  authority  of  Christ  did  not  in  this  case 
extend  to  any  thing,  nor  permit  him  to  do  any  thing,  which  invol- 
ved the  destruction  of  Lot. 

Numbers  xxii.  18,  Balaam  says.  If  Balak  would  give  me  his  house 
full  of  silver  and  gold,  I  cannot  go  beyond  the  word  of  the  Lord  my 
God,  to  do  less  or  more.  This  declaration  of  Balaam,  I  consider 
as  expressing  fully  and  completely  the  very  thing,  which,  in  the  ob- 
jected passages,  Christ  expressed  elliptically.  And  again  chapter 
xxiv.  12,  13,  And  Balaam  said  unto  Balak,  Spake  I  not  also  to  thy 
m,essengers,  which  thou  seyitest  unto  me,  saying.  If  Balak  would  give 
me  his  house  full  of  silver  and  gold,  I  cannot  go  beyond  the  com- 
mandment of  the  Lord,  to  do  either  good  or  bad,  of  mine  own  mind ; 
but  what  the  Lord  saith,  that  will  I  speak  ? 

I  shall  only  add  to  these  observations  the  obvious  one ;  that  per- 
sons, acting  under  a  commission,  now  use  similar  language,  in  simi- 
lar circumstances. 

Should  any  one  question,  whether  Christ  acted  under  a  commis- 
sion ;  He  himself  has  answered  the  question  in  his  intercessory 
prayers,  Johnxvii.  4:  I  have  glorified  thee  on  the  earth  ;  I  have  fin- 
ished the  work,  which  thou  gavest  me  to  do. 

From  these  observations,  it  is,  if  I  am  not  deceived,  clear,  that 
the  declarations  of  Christ,  here  objected  to,  do  not  in  any  sense 
refer  to  his  power ;  but  only  to  his  authority  as  Mediator ;  and 
are  therefore  utterly  irreleva.nt  to  the  purpose,  for  which  they  are 
alleged. 

2dly.  The  Unitarians  object,  that  Christ  exhibits  himself,  as  infe- 
rior to  the  Father  in  knowledge. 

The  passage  quoted  to  prove  this  assertion  is,  especially,  Mark 
xiii.  32 :  But  of  that  day,  and  that  hour,  knoweth  no  man,  no,  not 
the  Angels  which  are  in  Heaven,  neither  the  Son,  but  the  Father. 

Here,  it  is  said,  Christ  confesses  himself  to  be  ignorant  of  the 
day  and  hour  specified. 

On  this  objection  I  observe, 

1st.  That  the  subject,  of  which  Christ  is  here  declared  to  be  igno- 


1 6  DIVINITY  OF  CHRIST.  [SER.  XXXIX. 

rant^  is  a  subject,  which  demanded  no  greater  extent  of  knowledge  ; 
or  rather,  which  demanded  knowledge  in  a  less  extent,  than  many 
subjects,  disclosed  by  him,  in  the  same  prophecy.  The  subject  is  the 
time  of  the  destruction  ol"  Jerusalem.  In  this  very  jirophccy,  as 
well  as  in  various  others,  he  had  uttered  many  things,  which  appear 
to  demand  as  great  a  measure  of  prescience,  as  this  can  be  sup- 
posed to  have  done.  Such  were  the  arising  of  false  Prophets  ;  the 
preaching  of  the  Gospel  through  the  world;  the  earthquakes,  fam- 
ines, and  pestilences ;  the  fearful  sights,  and  great  signs,  which 
should  precede  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem;  the  liatred  and 
treachery  of  parents  and  others  to  his  Disciples,  and  the  protrac- 
tion of  the  ruinous  state  of  Jerusalem  until  the  times  of  the  Gen- 
tiles should  be  fulfilled.  The  foreknowledge  of  the  particular  pe- 
riod of  its  destruction  was,  certainly,  no  very  material  addition  to 
the  foreknowledge  of  these  things ;  and  would  imply  no  very  ma- 
terial enlargement  of  the  mind,  by  which  they  were  foreknown. 
Several  of  the  Prophets,  it  is  to  be  remembered,  were  furnished 
with  a  foreknowledge  of  dates,  not  diflering  from  this  in  their  im- 
portance :  thus  Isaiah  foreknew  the  date  of  the  destruction  of 
Ephraim;  Jeremiah,  that  of  the  Babylonish  captivity ;  and  Daniel, 
that  of  the  Death  of  Christ;  and  no  reason  can  be  imagined  why 
the  foreknowledge  of  this  particular  date  should  be  withholden 
from  Christ,  even,  if  we  admit,  that  He  was  a  mere  man ;  when  so 
many  other  things,  relating  to  the  same  event,  of  so  much  more 
importance,  were  revealed  to  him. 

There  is,  therefore,  no  small  reason  to  believe,  that  the  Greek 
word,  oi(5e,  has  here  the  signification  of  yvw^i^w,  according  to  the 
comment  of  Dr.  Macknight ;  and  denotes,  not  to  know;  but,  to 
cause  to  know ;  a  signification,  which  it  sometimes  has,  as  he  has  suf- 
ficiently shown :  particularly  in  1  Cor.  ii.  2,  For  I  determined  to 
know  nothing  atnong you,  save  Jesus  Christ,  and  Him  crucified:  that 
is,  /  determined  to  make  known  nothing  among  you,  k.c.  If  this 
sense  of  the  word  be  admitted,  the  meaning  of  the  passage  will  be, 
of  that  day  no  one  causcth  men  to  kno7o,  but  the  Father  :  that  is, 
when,  in  his  providence.  He  shall  bring  the  event  to  pass.  In 
other  words ;  the  time  of  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  shall  not 
be  disclosed  by  prophecy ;  but  shall  be  made  known  only  by  the 
providence  of  God,  bringing  it  to  pass.  I  need  not  say  that  was 
literally  the  fact. 

2dly.  Christ  himself  informs  us,  that  no  one  knows  the  Son  but 
the  Father,  and  that  no  one  knows  the  Father,  but  the  Son,  and  he,  to 
whomsoever  the  Son  shall  reveal  him.* 

In  this  declaration  Christ  asserts,  that  he  possesses  an  exclusive 
knowledge  of  the  Father,  in  which  no  being  whatever  shares  with 
him  :  a  knowledge,  totally  distinct  from  that,  which  is  acquired  by 
revelation  ;  and  therefore  immediate,  and  underived. 

•  Matthew  xi.  27 


SER.  XXXIX.]  DIVINITY  OF  CHRIST.  1 7 

He  also  declares,  John  v.  20,  that  the  Father  shezveth  Him  all 
things,  that  Himself  doeth ;  that  He.  searcheth  the  reins  and  the 
heart,  Rev.  ii.  23  ;  and  that  He  is  zvith  his  disciples  alway,  to  the  end 
of  the  world,  and,  therefore,  omnipresent,  Matthew  xxviii.  20. 
Peter  also  says  to  him,  John  xxi.  1 7,  Lord,  thou  knowvst  all  things  : 
an  ascription,  which,  if  not  true,  Christ  could  not  have  received 
without  the  grossest  impiety ;  and  which  he  yet  did  receive,  be- 
cause he  did  not  reject,  nor  reprove,  it. 

But  He,  of  whom  these  things  are  said,  certainly  foreknew  the 
time  of  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem.  If,  then,  the  objected  text 
denotes,  that  Christ  did  not  know  that  time,  the  declaration  cannot 
be  true,  except  by  being  madi'  concerning  Christ  considered  in  a 
totally  different  character,  and  sense,  from  those,  in  which  the  same 
book  teaches  us  that  He  knows  the  Father,  and  knows  all  things.  It 
is,  therefore,  not  a  shift,  nor  fetch,  nor  evasion,  in  the  the  Trinita- 
rians, to  assert,  that  this  passage,  if  thus  understood,  is  spoken  of 
Christ  in  his  human  nature  only,  and  not  in  tiie  nature  exhibited  in 
the  pas.sages,  with  which  it  has  been  compared.  On  the  contrary, 
it  is  a  deduction  from  the  Scriptures,  irrosistibh  flowing  from  what 
they  say ;  and  the  only  means,  by  which  they  can  be  cither  con- 
sistent, or  true. 

3dly.  It  is  objected  by  the  Unitarians,  that  Christ  has  denied  him- 
self to  be  originally  and  supremely  Good. 

The  passage,  chosen  to  support  this  objection,  is  the  answer  of 
Christ  to  the  Young  Ruler,  Matt.  xix.  17,  Why  callest  thou  me 
good?  There  is  none  good  but  One  :  that  is  God.  Here  Christ  is 
supposed  to  disclaim  original  and  supreme  goodness,  as  belonging 
to  himself;  and  to  distinguish  between  his  own  goodness  and  that 
of  God. 

What  the  real  reason  was,  for  which  Christ  gave  this  answer,  I 
shall  not  here  examine.  If  Christ  is  not  God  ;  then  he  certainly 
would  disclaim,  and  ought  to  disclaim,  this  character.  If  he  is ; 
then  this  assertion  does  not  at  all  declare,  that  he  is  not  possessed  of 
this  goodness.  The  decision  of  this  question  w^ill,  therefore,  deter- 
mine the  ti-ue  application  of  this  answer. 

It  has  heretofore  been  proved  in  these  discourses,  that  Christ 
was  the  person,  who  proclaimed  on  Mount  Sinai  his  own  Name  to 
Moses.  This  Name  he  declared  to  be,  the  Lord,  the  Lord  God, 
merciful  and  gracious,  long-suffering,  slow  to  anger,  abundant  in 
goodness  and  truth.  It  will  not  be  contested,  that  the  Person, 
who  made  this  proclamation,  was  good  in  the  original  or  absolute 
sense.  Until  this  Person  is  proved  not  to  have  been  Christ,  the 
objection,  founded  on  this  text,  is  a  mere  begging  of  the  question. 

But  it  is  further  to  be  remembered,  that  Christ  was  also  a  man. 
According  to  the  doctrine  of  the  Trinitarians,  therefore,  as  entire- 
ly as  to  that  of  their  opposers,  Christ  used  this  declaration,  in  the 
very  sense  in  which  they  allege  it,  with  the  most  perfect  propriety. 

Vol.  II.  '  3 


]^  DIVINITY  OF  CHRIST.  [SER.  XXXIX. 

4thly.  Christ,  a.s  the  Unitarians  allege,  exhibits  his  inferiority  to 
the  Father  hij  prayinir  to  him. 

How,  if  it  be  admiltcd,  as  Trinitarians  universally  admit,  that  he 
was  a  man,  could  he  with  propriety  do  otherwise  ?  He  was  placed 
under  the  same  law,  and  required,  generally,  to  perform  the  same 
duties  demanded  of  other  men. 

othly.  Christ  declares  himself  to  be  inferior  to  the  Father,  in 
express  terms  :  My  Father  is  greater  than  /;  and  my  Father  is 
greater  than  all. 

These  declarations  are  perfectly  consistent  with  the  doctrine  of 
the  Trinity,  in  two  ways.  First,  as  Christ  was  a  man;  secondly, 
as  in  the  character  of  Mediator  he  acted  under  a  commission  from 
the  Father.  He,  who  acts  under  a  commission  from  another,  is, 
while  thus  acting,  inferior  to  him,  from  whom  he  received  the  com- 
mission. 

But  it  is  further  objected,  that  Christ  is  exhibited  as  inferior  to 
the  Father  by  the  Prophets  and  .Apostles. 

It  will  be  unnecessary,  under  this  head,  to  mention  more  than  a 
single  instance.  I  shall  select  that  instance,  which  seems  to  be 
the  favourite  one  among  Unitarians.  It  is  contained  in  the  fol- 
lowing words,  taken  from  the  24th  and  28th  verses  of  1  Cor.  xv: 
Then  Cometh  the  end,  when  He  shall  have  delivered  up  the  Kingdom, 
to  God,  even  the  Father :  and  When  all  things  shall  be  subdued  unto 
Him,  then  shall  the  Son  also  himself  be  subject  unto  Him  that  put 
all  things  under  Him,  that  God  may  be  all  in  all. 

To  comprehend  the  Apostle's  meaning  in  these  declarations,  it  is 
necessary  to  remember,  that  Christ,  as  sustaining  the  office  of 
Mediator,  received  from  the  Father  a  kingdom,  according  to  the 
Scriptures ;  and  that  when  his  Mediatorial  office  ceases,  because 
the  purposes  of  it  are  accomplished,  that  kingdom,  as  we  should 
naturally  expect,  is  exhibited  in  the  Scriptures  as  ceasing  also ; 
there  being  no  end,  for  which  it  should  be  any  longer  retained. 
Christ  will,  therefore,  deliver  it  up  to  the  Father,  when,  at  the 
Consummation  of  all  things.  He  presents  to  Him  the  Church,  as  a 
glorious  Church,  without  spot,  or  wrinkle,  or  any  such  thing ;  and 
makes  his  final,  triumphant  entry  into  the  Heavens. 

Concerning  the  latter  article,  here  objected ;  That  the  Son  shall 
then  be  subject  to  the  Father,  it  can  scarcely  be  proper,  that  I 
should  attempt  to  determine  the  exact  import.  It  is  perfectly  evi- 
dent, however,  that  this  must  be  true  of  the  human  nature  of  Christ. 
It  is  also  evident,  that  the  act  of  rendering  up  the  Kingdom  which 
he  had  received,  is  an  act  of  subjection  to  the  Father;  nor  does 
the  passage  demand  any  other  interpretation. 

That  these  declarations  do  not  intend  w-hat  the  objectors  allege, 
we  certainly  know.  For  unto  the  Son  the  Father  saith,  (Heb.  i.  8) 
Thy  throne,  O  God!  is  for  ever  and  ever.  His  dominion,  (says 
Daniel)  is  an  everlasting  dominion,  which  shall  not  pass  away ;  and 
his   kingdom  that,  zchich  shall  not  be  destroyed.     He  shall  reign 


SER.  XXXIX]  DIVINITY  OF  CHRIST.  I9 

(said  Gabriel  to  Mary)  over  the  house  of  Jacob,  for  ever^  and  of  his 
kingdom  there  shall  be  no  end.  The  throne  of  God  and  the  Lamb 
is,  as  we  are  informed  by  St.  John,  the  throne  of  eternal  dominion 
in  the  Heavens;  out  of  which,  proceeds  the  river  of  the  water  of 
life,  or  the  endless  felicity  and  glory  of  all  the  happy  inhabitants. 
To  God  and  the  Lamb  also  are  equally  addressed,  those  subhme 
ascriptions  of  praise,  which  constitute  the  pecuhar  and  everlasting 
worship  of  saints  and  angels.  In  this  superior  sense,  therefore, 
the  kingdom  of  Christ  will  literally  endure  for  ever. 

It  ought  here  to  be  added,  that  the  same  Apostle,  who  here 
says,  that  the  Father  put  all  things  under  Christ,  informs  us  in  the 
same  paragraph,  that  Christ  himself  put  all  things  under  his  feet : 
and,  elsewhere,  that  Christ  is  able  to  subdue  all  things  unto  himself 
and  that  he  is  head  over  all  thi7igs.  Phil.  Eph.  i.  How  plain  is  it, 
that  He,  who  is  able  to  subdue  all  things  unto  Himself,  is  able  to  do 
any  thing !  that  He,  who  puts  all  things  under  his  own  feet,  does  it  by 
his  own  agency,  and  that  He  zvho  is  now  head  over  all  things,  is 
of  course  qualified  to  be  head  over  all  things  for  ever ! 


SERMON  XL. 


DIVINITY  OF    CHRIST. OBJECTIONS    TO    THE    DOCTRINE    OF    UNITA- 
RIANS. 


1  Corinthians  iii.  20. —  The  Lord  knoweth  the  thoughts  of  the  wise,  that  they  art 


vatn. 


IN  the  preceding  discourse  from  these  words,  after  observing, 
that  the.  reasonings  of  mankind,  when  employed  in  devising  and 
establishing  a  scheme  of  Theology,  or  attempting  to  amend  that, 
which  is  taught  by  God,  are  vain  ,•  1  mentioned,  that  in  my  own 
view,  the  Arians  and  Socinians,  were  fairly  included  within  this 
declaration  of  Scripture.  For  this  assertion  I  considered  myself 
bound  to  give  my  reasons,  and  proposed  to  do  it  under  two  heads : 

I.  Answers,  to  their  Objections  against  the  doctrine  of  the  Trini- 
ty;  and, 

II.  Objections  to  the  Doctrines,  which  they  hold  concerning 
Christ  j  and  their  Conduct  in  the  management  of  the  controversy. 
The  former  of  these  was  the  subject  of  the  preceding  discourse  ; 
the  first  part  of  the  latter  shall  furnish  the  materials  of  the  present. 

To  the  Doctrines  of  the  Unitarians,  I  make  the  following  ob- 
jections : 

1st.  The  Avians  hold,  that  Christ  is  a  super-angelic  being,  so 
much  greater  than  all  other  creatures,  as  to  be  styled  a  God  j  and 
to  perform  the  various  divine  offices,  ascribed  to  him  in  the  Scrip- 
tures by  delegated  power  and  authority. 

To  my  own  mind,  this  doctrine  is  utterly  inconsistent  both  with 
the  Scriptures  and  Reason. 

The  only  argument,  which,  so  far  as  I  knoAV,  is  derived  directly 
from  the  Scriptures  to  support  this  opinion,  is,  that  Angels  are 
sometimes  called  Aleim,  and  that  Magistrates  have  once  this  name 
given  to  them.  That  neither  of  these  facts  will  warrant  the  doc- 
trine in  question  will,  I  trust,  be  evident  from  the  following  reasons. 

1st.  Angels  and  Magistrates  are  called  by  this  name  only  in  the 
aggregate,  gods  ;  no  Angel,  or  Magistrate,  being  ever  called  God. 
It  is  well  known  to  my  audience,  that  the  same  name  is  also  given 
to  the  Idols  of  the  Heathen ;  to  animals,  vegetables,  the  souls  of 
departed  men,  or  demons ;  and  to  all  the  other  objects  of  Heathen 
worship.  The  term,  Gods,  is  here  evidently  used  in  a  figurative 
sense  ;  natural  and  obvious,  because  the  beings,  to  whom  it  is  ap- 
plied, sustained,  or  were  supposed  to  sustain,  some  attribute,  or 
character,  resembling  those,  which  belong  to  the  true  God.  Thus 
God  says  to  Moses,  (Exodus  vii.  1)  See ^  /have  made  thee  a  God  to 
Pharaoh:  that  is,  "  I  have  given  thee  authority  over  him,  and  armed 


SER  XL]  DIVINITY  OF  CHRIST.  21 

thee  with  power  to  control,  and  punish  him."  In  the  same  manner 
Magistrates  are  called  Lords,  and  Kings,  because  they  rule  with 
subordinate  power  and  authority. 

But  the  term,  God,  in  the  absolute,  is  never  given  to  any  created 
being,  unless  Christ  can  be  proved  to  be  a  creature  :  a  thing  which, 
it  is  apprehended,  cannot  be  done.  To  Hmi,  however,  it  is  ap- 
plied, in  many  instances,  without  any  qualification  ;  or  any  notice 
whatever,  that  it  is  not  applied  in  the  highest  sense.  At  the  same 
time,  it  is,  when  applied  to  him,  connected  with  other  objects,  at- 
tributable only  to  the  Deity.  Thus  in  Romans  ix.  5,  when  Christ 
is  said  by  the  Apostle  to  be  God,  He  is  also  said  to  be  over  all 
things,  and  blessed  for  ever.  Thus,  when  St.  John  informs  us,  that 
the  Word  was  God,  he  informs  us,  also,  that  the  Word  was  in  the 
beginning,  or  eternal ;  was  in  the  beginning  with  God,  or  co-eter- 
nal with  God  ;  and  that  all  things  were  made  by  him,  or  that  he  was 
the  Creator  of  all  things.  The  attribution,  therefore,  of  these  things 
to  Christ,  when  he  is  called  God,  (viz.)  that  he  exists  from  eter- 
nity ;  is  co-eternal  with  God,  or  the  Father;  and  is  the  Creator 
and  Ruler  of  all  things ;  marks  in  the  most  definite,  as  well  as  de- 
cisive, manner,  the  meaning  of  the  word  God,  when  applied  to  him ; 
and  proves  that  it  is  applied  in  the  highest  sense.  Nothing,  pa- 
rallel to  this,  or  distantly  resembling  it,  is  found  in  any  application 
of  this  term,  to  any  other  being,  except  God. 

2dly.  Christ  is  called  by  all  the  other  Karnes  of  God,  except  one  ; 
(viz.)  the  Father. 

It  has  been  shown  in  a  former  discourse,  that  Christ  is  called  the 
true  God,  the  great  God,  the  mighty  God,  Jehovah,  Szc.  The  ap- 
plication of  these  names  to  Christ  is  clear  evidence,  that,  when  he 
is  called  God,  this  application  is  given  to  him,  in  the  same  sense 
in  which  it  is  given  to  the  Father ;  to  whom,  and  the  Holy  Spirit, 
exclusively,  these  other  names  are  also  given. 

3dly.  The  Attributes  and  Actions,  universally,  of  God,  are  ascri- 
bed to  Christ.  It  is  plain  then,  that  the  Scriptures,  which  give  this 
name  to  Christ,  connect  with  it  all  the  other  appellations,  together 
with  all  the  Attributes  and  Actions,  which  make  up  the  Scriptural 
character  of  God. 

In  all  these  respects,  the  application  of  the  term  Gods  to  Angels 
and  Magistrates  differs  totally,  and  I  apprehend  infinitely,  from  that 
of  God  to  Christ.  The  application  of  the  term  Gods  to  Angels 
and  Magistrates,  therefore,  furnishes  not  the  least  reason  to  believe, 
that  Christ  is  called  God  in  the  sense  alleged,  or  that  Clirist  is  a 
delegated  God. 

Having  removed  the  only  Scriptural  argument,  on  which  I  sup- 
pose any  serious  reliance  to  be  placed,  as  a  proof,  that  Christ  is  a 
delegated  God  ;  I  proceed  to  observe,  that  this  scheme  is  utterly 
inconsistent,  with  the  things  which  are  said  of  him  in  the  Scriptures. 
It  is  utterly  inconsistent  with  the  ascription  to  him  of  the  Names, 
Attributes,  and  Actions,  which  have  been  just  now  mentioned. 


22  DIVINITY  OF  CHRIST.  [SER  XL. 

Particularly  it  is  inconsistent  with  the  declarations,  that  He  made 
all  things,  and  that  He  upholds  all  things,  by  the  word  of  His  power. 
In  the  account,  given  us  by  St.  John  and  St.  Paul  of  the  Creation 
of  all  things  by  Christ,  both  Apostles  use  phraseology,  which,  with 
an  exactness  scarcely  paralleled,  denotes  an  absolute  universality. 
By  him,  says  St.  Paul,  zoere  all  things  created  that  are  in  heaven 
and  that  are  in  earth,  visible  and  invisible,  whether  they  be  thrones^ 
or  dominions,  or  principalities,  or  powers  :  all  things  were  created 
by  him,  and  for  him.  All  things,  says  St,  John,  were  made  by  him; 
and  without  him  was  not  one  thing  made,  which  hath  been  made.  If 
these  two  passages  do  not  denote  an  absolute  universality  ;  lan- 
guage cannot  express  it.  Every  possible,  as  well  as  actual,  thing, 
is  either  visible  or  invisible.  Every  actual  thing,  which  is  either 
visible  or  invisible,  it  is  here  expressly  said,  Christ  created.  {Vith- 
out  him,  it  is  expressly  said,  was  not  one  thing  made,  zohich  hath 
been  made.  Unless  therefore  something  has  been  created,  that  is 
neither  visible  nor  invisible  ;  unless  there  is  something  existing  in 
the  creation,  which  has  not  been  made  ;  there  is  nothing,  which  was 
not  created  by  Christ. 

The  interpretation  of  these  passages  by  the  Unitarians,  which 
makes  them  mean  no  more,  than,  that  Christ  published  the  Gospel 
and  constituted  the  Church,  is  a  violation  of  common  sense,  and 
common  decency.  Let  us  try  the  same  mode  of  construction  with 
another  passage,  to  which  it  must  be  acknowledged  to  be  equally 
applicable.  In  the  passage,  quoted  from  St.  Paul,  it  is  said,  that 
Christ  created  all  things,  that  are  in  heaven,  and  that  are  in  earth. 
This  the  Unitarians  say,  means  no  more,  than  that  Christ  published 
the  Gospel,  and  constituted  the  Church.  In  the  first  verse  in  Gene- 
sis, it  is  said.  In  the  beginning  God  created  the  heavens  and  the  earth. 
This,  I  say,  and,  upon  their  plan  of  construction,  am  certainly 
warranted  to  say  it ;  means  no  more  than,  that  m  the  beginning  God 
published  the  Gospel  and  constituted  the  Church.  Ought  not  any 
man  to  be  deeply  ashamed  of  the  prejudice,  and  strongly  to  cen- 
sure the  confidence,  which  has  led  him  to  use  such  licentious  free- 
dom with  language  in  any  case ;  especially  with  words,  which  were 
taught,  not  by  mart's  wisdom,  but  by  the  Holy  Ghost P 

Dr.  Price  and  other  Arians  attempt  to  evade  the  force  of  these 
and  the  like  passages,  by  introducing  a  distinctioyi  between  forma- 
tion and  creation.  In  this,  however,  they  must  be  acknowledged 
to  be  unhappy.  The  words,  used  by  St.  John,  are  sysvSTo,  and 
y&yovsv ;  the  proper  English  of  which  is  existed,  rmfiai,  of  which 
they  are  derivatives,  signifies  also  to  be  born,  to  spring  up,  to  be 
brought  into  being,  and  to  be  caused  to  exist.  No  word,  therefore, 
more  comprehensive  or  more  appropriate  to  the  object  in  view,  can 
be  found  either  in  the  Greek,  or,  so  far  as  I  can  see,  in  any  other, 
language.  The  word  used  by  St.  Paul  is  sxriddn;  from  xn^w  ;  the 
appropriate  meaning  of  which,  as  you  well  know,  is  to  create.  As, 
therefore,  the  act  of  creating  all  things  in  the  most  absolute  sense 


SER.  XL]  DIVINITY  OF  CHRIST.  .    23 

is,  in  the  most  express  and  unequivocal  language,  ascribed  to 
Christ  by  these  Apostles  ;  by  what  authority  or  with  what  decency, 
can  it  be  denied  by  any  man  ? 

The  work  of  creating  all  things  Christ  performed  by  his  com- 
mand. All  things,  also,  he  upholds  by  the  same  word  of  his  power. 
If  these  acts,  and  this  manner  of  performing  them,  are  not  proofs 
of  infinite  power ;  such  proofs  have  never  existed.  It  is  to  be  re- 
marked, that  the  Apostle  asserts  directly,  that  Christ  upholds  all 
things  hy  the  word  of  his  own  power,  tu  '^rifiari  Trie  i5uvafA£ws  auTjT.  This 
act,  therefore,  is  not  performed  by  delegated  power ;  and  neither 
of  these  acts  could  possibly  be  performed  by  any  being,  except 
One,  whose  power  is  without  limitation. 

Among  the  numerous  other  things,  ascribed  to  Christ,  which  are 
utterly  inconsistent  with  the  supposition  of  his  being  a  delegated 
God,  I  shall  mention  only  two :  as  the  mention  of  more  would  de- 
mand a  longer  time,  than  can  now  be  devoted  to  this  part  of  the 
subject.  The  frst  is,  that  Divine  worship  was  rendered  to  him  by 
inspired  persons  on  earth,  and  is  also  rendered  to  him  in  heaven. 
This,  it  is  presumed,  has  been  proved  beyond  controversy.  Ste- 
phen prayed  to  him.  Paul  prayed  to  him :  and  the  whole  Chris- 
tian Church  was,  at  its  commencement,  distinguished  by  the  appel- 
lation of  those,  who  invoked  the  name  of  Christ  in  prayer.  The 
anthems  of  praise  in  the  heavens,  sung  by  Saints  and  Angels,  as- 
cribe to  him,  both  separately,  and  joindy  with  the  Father,  that  pe- 
culiar glory  and  honour,  which  is  expressive  of  the  highest  worship 
of  the  heavenly  inhabitants.  But  Christ  himself  says,  quoting 
Deut.  vi.  13,  and  x.  20,  Thou  shalt  worship  the  Lord  thy  God  and 
him  only  shalt  thou  serve.  No  creature,  therefore,  can  be  lawfully 
worshipped  ;  but  Christ  is  lawfully  worshipped  ;  for  he  is  worship- 
ped by  Apostles,  Angels,  and  glorified  Saints. 

The  second  and  last  thing  of  this  nature  is,  that  Christ  is  immu- 
table. Jesus  Christ  the  same,  yesterday,  to-day,  and  for  ever.  If 
Christ  were  only  the  exalted  creature,  the  super-angeHc  being,  the 
delegated  God,  whom  the  Arians  declare  him  to  be,  he  would  of  all 
virtuous  beings  be  the  most  changeable  ;  because,  with  his  supe- 
rior faculties  and  advantages,  he  would  advance  more  rapidly  in 
knowledge,  and  virtue,  and  in  power  also;  for  the  increase  of 
knowledge  is  in  itself  the  increase  of  power.  Such  a  being  can- 
not possibly,  therefore,  be  the  Jesus  Christ,  who  is  the  same  yester- 
day, to-day,  and  for  ever.  At  the  same  time  it  is  further  to  be  re- 
marked, that  a  wonderful  instance  of  change  is  asserted  of  Christ, 
if  he  be  this  Super-angelic  being,  in  the  Scriptures  themselves. 
St,  Luke  declares,  that  when  he  was  twelve  years  old,  he  increased 
in  wisdom  and  stature,  and  in  favour  rvith  God  and  man.  Accord- 
ing to  the  Arians,  this  Super-angelic  being,  the  greatest  of  all  cre- 
ated minds,  brought  into  existence  antecedently  to  every  other 
creature,  was  united  to  the  body  of  an  infant,  and  born  of  the  vir- 
gin Mary,  and  thus  constituted  the  Person,  named  Jesus  Christ  in 


24  DIVINITY  OF  CHRIST.  [5ER.  XL. 

the  Scriptures.   This  infant  differed  so  little  from  other  infants,  as  to 
intelligence,  that  the  first  time  he  was  ro^arued  as  extraordinary, 
appears  plainly  to  have  been  the  time  when  he  conversed  with  the 
Jewish  Doctors  in  the  temple  ;  as  recorfled  in  the  second  chapter  of 
St.  LvJce.   At  this  time  he  was  observed  to  increase  in  wisdom,  so  as 
to  increase  in  favour  with  mankind.     He  also  actually  increased  in 
wisdom,  and  actually  increased  in  lavour  with  God.     He  therefore 
changed,  not  only  really,  but  obviously.     If,  then,  we  admit,  that 
Christ  was  il. is  Super-angelic  being;  we  must  also  admit,  that  he  was 
not  the  Christ,  who  was  the  same  yesterday.,  to-day.,  and  for  ezer. 
But  we  cannot  admit  Christ  to  be  this  being.    From  infancy  to  twelve 
years  of  age  he  had  unceasingly  changed  also.    What,  then,  was  his 
mind,  when  he  was  born  ;  or  when  he  had  arrived  at  one,  or  two 
years  of  age  ?    Doubtless,  as  much  inferior  to  what  it  was  at  twelve 
years  of  age,  as  other  infants  are  to  what  they  become  at  the  same 
period.     But  how  evident  is  it,  that  such  an  infantine  mind  could 
not  be  a  Super-angelic  mind.     The  change,  it  is  to  be  remember- 
ed, is  declared  by  the  Evangelist  to  be  real,  and  not  merely  ap- 
parent.    And  it  is  presumed  no  Arian  will  admit  that  his  infantine 
character  was  merely  assumed  and  hypocritical.     Arians  will  un- 
doubtedly agree,  that  he  was  then  equally  sincere,  as  ever  after- 
wards.    But  a  Super-angelic  mind  must  have  lost  all  its  peculiar 
powers  and  characteristics,  to  have  become  such  a  mind,  as  that  of 
Christ  in  his  infancy,  or  his  childhood.     Such  a  mind,  originally 
formed  with  these  sublime  faculties,  existing  in  a  singular  proximi- 
ty to  Jehovah,  and  expanded,  and  exalted,  by  its  peculiar  advan- 
tages for  improving  in  knowledge  and  virtue,  throughout  four  thou- 
sand years,  must  have  risen  to  so  transcendent  a  height  of  intellect- 
ual and  moral  attainments,  as,  if  it  were  not  entirely  changed  in  its 
whole  character,  must  have  excited  the  attention,  the  amazement, 
and  probably  if  it  had  not  forbidden  it,  the  worship  of  every  spec- 
tator.    At  the  same  time,  such  powers  and  attainments  must  have 
been  so  utterly  incomprehensible  by  mankind,  that,  however  rapid- 
ly they  had  increased,  the  change  could  never  have  been  percep- 
tible by  such  eyes  as  theirs.     It  is  therefore  certain,  that,  if  the 
Christ,  born  at  Bethlehem,  was  this  Super-angelic  being,  he  ceased 
to  be  Super-angelic,  when  united  to  the  body  of  an  infant ;  and  dif- 
fered in  no  other  respect  from  the  minds  of  other  infants,  except 
that  he  was  perfectly  holy,  and  possessed  a  superior  susceptibility 
of  wisdom.     In  other  words,  he  was  changed  into  a  human  being; 
perfect  indeed,  as   such ;   but  still  a  human  being ;   and  shorn, 
wholly,  of  his  Super-an^elic  greatness.     If  Arians  will  put  these 
things  together,  it  is  believed,  that  themselves  will  acknowledge 
mysteries,  of  an  inexplicable  kind,  to  be  contained  in  this  part  of 
their  System. 

Nor  is  this  idea  of  a  delegated  God  a  whit  more  consistent  with 
Reason.  Nothing  is  more  repugnant  to  reason,  than  that  a  finite 
being  should  have  made  the  TTniverse  ;  should  uphold  it ;  should 


SER.  XL.]  DIVINITY  OF  CHRIST.  05 

possess  it;  should  govern  it;  should  judge  and  reward  its  Intelli- 
gent inhabitants  ;  should  forgive  their  sins  ;  should  be  the  source  of 
hfe ;  should  communicate  endless  life  ;  and  should  be  the  ultimate 
end,  for  which  they  and  all  things  else  were  created.  Every  one 
of  these  things  is  not  only  utterly  aside  from  the  dictates  of  Reason, 
on  this  subject ;  a  mystery  utterly  inexplicable  ;  but  is  directly  re- 
pugnant to  common  sense.  Nothing  is  more  strongly  realized  by 
Reason,  than  that  He,  who  built  all  things,  is  very  God  ;  that  He, 
who  made  the  universe,  can  alone  uphold,  possess,  or  govern  it ; 
or  be  the  ultimate  end,  for  which  it  was  created  ;  or  do  all,  or  any, 
of  the  things,  just  now  recited.  If  this  being  be  not  God  in  the 
absolute  sense.  Reason  has  no  knowledge,  and  no  evidence,  that 
there  is  a  God. 

Accordingly,  Dr.  Priestly  has,  if  I  mistake  not,  observed,  and 
justly,  that  no  doctrine  is  more  preposterous,  than  the  doctrine  that 
Christ  created  the  world,  and  that  yet  he  is  not  God.  Still,  the 
Scriptures  assert  in  terms,  as  comprehensive,  as  precise,  as  appro- 
priate, and  as  unambiguous,  as  human  language  can  furnish,  that 
Christ  created  every  individual  thing,  that  hath  been  made.  Yet  in 
spite  of  this  language,  chosen  by  God  himself,  to  express  his  views 
on  the  subject,  Dr.  Priestly  asserts,  that  Christ  is  not  God.  The 
manner,  in  which  he  satisfies  himself  concerning  this  declaration, 
will  be  examined  hereafter. 

II.  If  these  things  are  preposterously,  and  irreconcileably,  as- 
serted concerning  a  Super-angelic  being — a  delegated  god ;  what 
shall  we  say  concerning  their  compatibility  with  the  Sociman  doc- 
trine, that  Christ  is  a  mere  man?  If  the  fact  had  not  already  taken 
place;  would  it  not  be  absolutely  incredible,  that  any  sober  man 
living  should  believe  such  assertions,  as  these  1  Let  me,  however, 
before  I  make  them,  instead  of  the  name  of  a  man,  substitute  that 
of  Gabriel :  a  being,  in  holiness,  wisdom,  and  power,  originally  su- 
perior to  any  man ;  and  in  a  still  higher  degree  superior  by  the 
improvements,  made  in  them  all  through  the  four  thousand  years 
which  preceded  the  work  of  Redemption.  This  I  do,  that  the  re- 
petition of  the  name  of  a  man  may  not  shock  the  ears  of  my  au- 
dience, while  I  am  making  a  simple,  and  perfectly  equitable  state- 
ment, in  that  very  form,  in  which  it  must  be  made  by  every  con- 
scientious man,  before  he  can  feel  himself  warranted  to  receive  it. 
*  In  the  beginning  was  Gabriel ;  and  Gabriel  was  with  God ;  and 
Gabriel  was  God.  The  same  was  in  the  beginning  with  God.  By 
him,  were  all  things  made  ;  and  without  him,  was  not  one  thing  made, 
ivhich  hath  been  made.  And  Gabriel  became  Jlesh  j  and  dwelt  among 
ns  (and  we  beheld  his  glory  ;  the  glory,  as  of  the  only  begotten  of  the 
Father)  full  of  grace  and  truth.  ^  For  by  Gabriel  were  all  things 
created,  that  are  in  Heaven  and  that  are  in  Earth  ;  visible  and  in- 
visible.     All  things  were  created  by  him,  and  for  him.     And  by  him. 

*  John  i.  1—3,  14.  t  Col.  i.  16,  IX 

Vol.  II.  4 


26 


DIVINITY  OF  CHRIST.  [SER  XL. 


all  things  consist ;  *  and  he  is  head  over  all  things  unto  his  church, 
]  Of  whom,  as  concerning  the  Jlcsh,  Gabriel  came,  who  is  over  all 
things,  God  blessed  for  ever.  Gabriel  j  X  Who  being  in  the  form  of 
God,  thought  it  no  robbery  to  be  equal  with  God ;  but  made  himself 
of  no  reputation,  and  took  upon  him  the  form  of  a  Servant,  and  was 
made  in  the  likeness  of  men.  And,  being  found  in  fashion  as  a 
man,  he  became  obedient  unto  death,  even  the  death  of  the  cross. 
Wherefore  God  hath  highly  exalted  him,  and  given  him  a  name, 
which  is  above  every  name  :  that  at  the  name  of  Gabriel  every  knee 
should  bow,  of  things  in  heaven,  and  things  in  earth,  and  things  un-^ 
der  the  earth;  and  that  every  tongue  should  confess,  that  he  is  Lord, 
to  the  glory  of  God  the  Father.  ^Hearken  unto  me,  0  Jacob  my 
servant;  and  Israel  whom  I  have  called.  I  am  he  :  I  am  the  first  ; 
and  I  am  the  last.  Mine  hand  also  hath  laid  the  foundation  of 
the  earth;  and  my  right  hand  hath  spanned  the  heavens:  I 
call  tinto  them ;  they  stand  up  together.  Come  ye  near  unto 
me;  hear  ye  this:  I  have  not  spoken  in  secret  from  the  beginning. 
From  the  time  that  it  zvas,  there  I  am.  And  now  the  Lord  Jehovah 
and  his  Spirit  hath  sent  me,  \\  God,  who  at  sundry  times,  and  in  di- 
vers manners,  spake  unto  the  fathers  by  the  prophets,  hath  in  these 
last  days  spoken  unto  us  by  Gabriel :  who,  being  the  brightness  of  his 
glorij,  and  the  express  image  of  his  person,  and  upholding  all  things 
by  the  word  of  his  power.  H  The  throne  of  God  and  Gabriel,  *^*  and 
Gabriel  hath  on  his  Vesture,  and  on  his  thigh,  a  name  written  King 
of  kings,  and  Lord  of  lords.  IX  Every  creature  which  is  in  heaven, 
and  in  earth,  and  under  the  earth,  and  in  the  sea,  heard  I  saying, 
Blessing,  and  honour,  and  glory,  and  power,  be  unto  him  that  sitteth 
on  the  throne,  and  unto  Gabriel,  for  ever  and  ever. 

Is  there  a  person  present,  who  is  not  shocked  with  these  declar- 
ations? Would  not  the  insertion  of  them  in  the  sacred  Canon, 
stumble,  irrecoverably,  every  sober  man,  who  now  believes  it  to 
be  the  Word  of  God?  Is  it  possible  for  the  mind  to  ascribe  the 
things,  declared  in  them,  to  any  being,  less  than  infinite  ?  Is  not 
this  favoured  Angel  infinitely  too  humble  in  his  nature,  and  station, 
to  claim,  or  receive  them  ?  Who  could  bring  himself  to  pray  to 
Gabriel  for  the  forgiveness  of  his  enemies;  for  the  acceptance  of 
his  Soul,  when  expiring;|J  or  for  the  removal  of  his  distresses;  or 
for  any  thing?  Who  could  bo  baptized  in  his  Name;§§  or  receive 
a  blessing  from  him  united  with  the  Father  and  the  Holy  Ghost?  |||] 
But,  if  these  things  are  monstrous,  when  applied  to  Gabriel,  one  of 
the  highest  created  Intelligences;  how  must  they  appear,  when 
applied  to  a  man,  one  of  the  lowest?  How  would  they  appear, 
for  example,  were  we  to  substitute  the  name  oi  Moses,  or  the  name 
of  Paul,  for  that  oi' Gabriel!*     Is  it  not  plain,  that  the  incongruity 

"Eph.  i.  22.  +Rom.  ix.  5.  t  Phil.  ii.  6 

§IsalHh  xlviii.  12,  13,  1<5.  ||  Heb.  i.  1,  3.  H  Rev.  xxii.  1,3. 

*"Rev.  xix.  Irt.  ft  Rev.  v.  13.  U  Acts  vii.  59,60. 

§§  Matt,  xxviii.  19.  {Ill  2  Cor.  xiii.  14. 


rfER.  XL]  DIVINITY  OF  CHRIST.  27 

would  be  so  excessive,  as  to  appear  to  have  been  written,  not  in 
serious  earnest,  but  in  blasphemous  sport ;  with  a  direct  design  to 
entail  impiety  and  contempt  upon  the  Book,  in  which  they  were 
found?  and  would  they  not,  instead  of  being  read  with  sobriety 
and  reverence,  fill  a  light  mind  with  ludicrous  emotions,  and  a 
serious  mind  with  horror  ?  Yet  such,  so  far  as  I  can  see,  is  sub- 
stantially the  very  alteration,  which  must  be  made,  according  to 
the  Socinian  doctrine,  concerning  Christ.  It  is  true,  that  Socininns 
regard  Christ  as  a  wiser  and  better  man  than  Moses,  or  Paul ;  but 
in  no  other  respect  do  they  suppose  him  to  differ  from  either. 

III.  /  object  to  the  doctrine  of  the  Unitarians,  that  it  has  com- 
pelled them  to  renounce,  successively,  many  other  important  doctrines 
of  the  Gospel  beside  that  of  the  Trinity. 

The  Deity  of  Christ  must  be  acknowledged  by  all  men,  if  it  be 
real,  to  affect,  materially,  every  thing  which  is  said  of  him  in  the 
Scriptures.  The  diifcrence  between  his  character,  according  to 
this  scheme,  and  according  to  the  scheme  which  makes  him  a 
creature,  is  infinite.  Every  thing,  therefore,  which  is  recorded  of 
him,  and  consequently  every  view  which  is  formed  of  him,  must  be 
exceedingly  diverse,  in  the  mind  of  a  Trinitarian  and  the  mind  of  an 
Unitarian.  In  the  view  of  a  Trinitarian,  He  is  Jehovah,  the 
Alpha  and  Omega,  the  first  Cause  and  the  last  End  of  all  things. 
In  that  of  an  Arian,  He  is  a  being  infinitely  different;  a  creature 
somewhat  higher  than  the  Angels,  brought  into  being  somewhat 
before  them :  and  in  that  of  a  Socinian  still  different  from  this :  a 
man,  born  about  eighteen  hundred  years  since  in  Judea ;  some- 
what better  than  Moses,  Isaiah,  or  Paul.  Now  nothing  is  more 
evident,  than  that  every  thing,  belonging  to  the  first  of  these  be- 
ings; his  existence,  actions,  and  attributes;  togetlier  with  the 
relations  which  he  sustains  to  creatures ;  must  be  infinitely  differ- 
ent from  those,  which  belong  to  either  of  the  others.  Those,  who 
adopt  one  of  these  opinions,  naturally,  and  necessarily,  fall  into 
very  different  systems  of  thought  concerning  Christ :  concerning 
the  station,  which  he  holds  in  the  universe,  and  the  part,  which  he 
acts  in  the  work  of  Redemption  ;  and  concerning  many  highly  im- 
portant doctrines  of  the  Christian  faith.  Accordingly,  the  whole 
scheme  of  Christianity,  adopted  by  Trinitarians,  is  widely  different 
from  those  adopted  by  Arians  and  Socinians.  That  this  is  true 
is  well  known  to  all,  who  are  conversant  with  the  schemes  of 
doctrine,  embraced,  severally,  by  these  classes  of  men;  and  is 
abundantly  confessed,  and  boasted,  by  the  Unitarians  themselves. 
Some  very  important  doctrines,  constituting,  and  illustrating,  this 
difference,  I  shall  now  mention.  If  the  doctrines  of  the  Trinita- 
rians are  really  contained  in  the  Scriptures  ;  if  they  are  clearly 
and  abundantly  declared ;  and  if  they  are  accordant  only  with  the 
divinity  of  Christ ;  then  it  will  follow,  by  unavoidable  consequence, 
that  the  Unitarians  have  been  compelled  to  renounce  them,  in  con- 
sequence of  having  renounced  the  divinity  of  Christ. 


23  DIVINITY  OF  CHRIST.  [SER.  XL. 

If,  at  the  same  time,  the  doctrines,  thus  renounced,  are  of  high 
importance  to  the  Christian  system ;  and  those,  which  distinguish 
it  from  all  philosophical  systems  of  Theology ;  then  it  will  appear, 
that  the  renunciation  of  these  doctrines  is  an  error  of  dangerous 
influence,  and  deeply  to  be  regretted  ;  and,  as  it  grows  necessarily 
out  of  the  renunciation  of  the  divinity  of  Christ,  that  that  is  an  er- 
ror also,  of  the  same  unhappy  nature. 

The  1st  of  these  doctrines,  which  J  shall  mention,  is  the  doctrine  of 
human  Depravity. 

This  doctrine,  it  is  believed,  has  been  fully  evinced,  in  these  dis- 
courses, to  be  a  doctrine  of  the  Scriptures.  If  it  has  not ;  it  must 
have  arisen  either  from  the  weakness,  or  the  inattention,  of  the 
Preacher ;  for  no  truth  is  more  clearly  declared  in  any  book,  than 
this  doctrine  in  the  Scriptures  5  and  none  is  more  amply  supported 
by  the  evidence  of  fact.  In  the  Scriptures  we  are  taught,  in  the 
most  unequivocal  language,  that  all  men  have  sinned,  and  come 
short  of  the  glory  of  God  ;  that  all  are  concluded  under  sin;  that 
all  are  by  nature  children  of  wrath  ;  being  children  of  disobedience  ; 
that  all  are  shapen  in  iniquity,  and  conceived  in  sin.  These  decla- 
rations, to  which  the  whole  history  of  man  gives  the  fullest  attes- 
tation ;  and  to  which  there  is  not  even  one  solitary  contradiction  in 
fact ;  certainly  stand  with  the  Unitarians  for  nothing,  or  for  nothing 
like  what  the  words  themselves  customarily  mean.  In  their  view, 
we  are  not  by  nature  children  of  wTath,  as  not  being  children  of  dis- 
obedience ;  we  are  not  shapen  in  iniquity,  nor  conceived  in  sin ;  we 
are  7iot  concluded,  or  shut  up,  together,  under  sin  ;  and  every  im- 
agination of  our  hearts,  as  they  believe,  is  not  evil  from  our  youth. 

2dly.  The  impossibility  of  Justif  cation  by  our  oxvti  Righteottsness 
IS  another  of  these  doctrines. 

To  justify  is  to  declare  a  being,  placed  under  a  lazo,  to  be  just,  or 
righteous,  or,  in  other  words,  to  have  done  that,  which  the  law  requir- 
ed.  Mankind  are  placed,  as  subjects,  under  the  law  of  God. 
They  have  not  done  what  the  law  required ;  and  therefore  cannot, 
with  truth,  be  declared  to  have  done  it ;  or,  in  other  words,  they 
cannot  be  Justified.  Accordingly,  St.  Paid,  after  having  proved  at 
length  that  all  men,  both  Jews  and  Gentiles,  are  sinners,  says, 
Therefore  by  deeds  of  law,  there  shall  no  jlesh  be  justif  cd  in  his  sight. 
And,  again.  If  there  had  been  a  law,  zvhich  could  have  given  life,  ve- 
rily, rightcousuess  should  have  come  by  law  ;  but,  if  righteousness 
come  by  law,  then  Christ  died  in  vain.  But  the  Unitarians,  in  a 
vast  multitude  of  instances,  (for  it  is  not  true  of  them  all)  utterly 
deny  this  doctrine  ;  and  hold,  that  we  are  justified  by  our  own  re- 
pentance and  obedience  ;  both  of  which,  they  teach,  are  accepted 
for  their  own  sake.  God,  therefore,  is  exhibited  by  them,  as  jus- 
tifying us,  in  direct  opposition  to  the  express  language  of  his  law  : 
Cursed  is  every  one  that  conlinueth  not  in  all  things  written  in  the 
book  of  the  law  to  do  them.  He  that  doeth  these  things  shall  live  by 
them  ;  but  the  Soul,  that  sinneth,  shall  die.     In  direct  contradiction 


3ER.  XL]  DIVINITY  OF  CHRIST.  2^ 

to  these  declarations  of  God  himself,  they  hold,  that  the  soul  which 
sinneth  shall  not  die ;  and  that  he  is  not  cursed  who  does  not  con- 
tinue in  all  things,  written  in  the  law,  to  do  them :  while  he  who 
doeth  not  these  things  shall  yet,  according  to  their  scheme,  live. 
Thus,  although  God  has  declared.  That  heaven  and  earth  shall  pass 
away,  sooner  than  one  jot,  or  tittle,  of  the  law  shall  fail  ^  their  doc- 
trine teaches  us,  that  the  whole  law,  so  far  as  its  penalty  is  con- 
cerned, shall  fail,  with  respect  to  every  person  who  repents.  Not 
even  an  entire,  unmingled  repentance  is  demanded  ;  nor  a  pure,  un- 
contaminateci  future  obedience.  Both  are  professedly  left  imper- 
fect. All  the  former  sins  are  imperfectly  repented  of ;  and  all  the 
future  obedience  is  mixed  with  sin.  On  the  ground  of  this  repent- 
ance, and  this  obedience,  God  is  expected  to  justify  man,  still  plac- 
ed under  a  legal  dispensation. 

3dly.   Another  Doctrine  of  the  same  nature  is   the  doctrine  of 
Christ'' s  Atonement. 

The  U)iitarians,  to  whom  I  referred  under  the  last  head,  as  not 
holding  the  doctrines  opposed  to  it,  are  those  who  admit  the  Doc- 
trine of  Christ's  Atonement.  This  I  suppose  to  be  true  of  some 
of  the  Socinians,  and  some  of  the  Arians,  Some  of  the  Socinians 
hold,  that  the  fulness  of  the  Godhead  dwells,  and  will  through  eter- 
nity dwell,  in  Christ,  bodily.  What  is  supposed  by  tliem  to  be  the 
proper  import  of  this  declaration,  I  know  not  that  they  have  ex- 
plained; and  therefore  may  probably  be  unable  to  divine.  So  far 
as  I  can  conjecture  their  intention,  I  should  believe,  with  Dr.  Price^ 
that  they  really  make  Christ  God  ;  and  therefore  may  not  unnatur- 
ally suppose,  that  he  accomplished  an  expiation  for  the  sins  of  men. 
If  this  conjecture  be  just,  they  harmonize  substantially  with  Praxe- 
as,  because,  as  they  deny  a  distinction  of  persons  in  the  Godhead, 
ihey  must  suppose  the  Father,  by  a  mysterious  union,  to  have 
dwelt  in  the  man  Christ  Jesus ;  and,  thus  influencing  and  directing 
all  his  conduct,  to  have  accomplished,  through  him,  an  atonement 
to  himself:  a  Doctrine  on  account  of  which  Praxeas  and  his  fol- 
lowers were  called  Patripassians  ;  as  believing,  that  the  Father 
himself  suffered.  Some  of  the  Arians,  also,  have  acknowledged, 
that  Christ  made  an  atonement  for  the  sins  of  men.  In  what  man- 
ner this  was  done,  or  can  be  done,  by  a  creature,  a  subject  of  law 
and  government,  all  whose  obedience  is  due  to  the  utmost  extent 
of  his  powers,  and  circumstances,  and  through  every  moment  of  his 
existence,  for  himself;  for  his  own  justification;  1  know  not,  that 
they  have  attempted  to  explain.  I  rather  suppose,  that,  though 
professed  enemies  to  mystery,  they  choose  to  leave  this,  as  a  mys- 
tery which  allows  of  no  investigation.  How  an  Atonement  can  be 
made  by  such  a  being,  and  how  it  can  be  accepted  by  God,  in  ac- 
cordance with  the  Doctrines  taught  in  the  Scriptures,  I  confess  my- 
self unable  to  discern.  Still  it  is  but  just  to  observe,  that  an 
Atonement  is  believed  by  a  number  of  both  Socinians  and  Arians 
to  have  been  made  by  Christ.     Dr.   Priestly,   and  most,  if  not  all 


30  DIVINITY  OF  CHRIST.  [SER.  XL 

the  modern  Socinians,  and  many  of  the  Avians^  though  I  am  not 
able  to  say  how  many,  utterly  deny,  so  far  as  my  knowledge  ex- 
tends, any  Atonement  at  all ;  and  thus  take  away  from  the  Chris- 
tian system  what  the  great  body  of  the  Church  has  in  every  age 
esteemed  the  Capital  Doctrine  in  the  scheme  of  Redemption,  and 
from  mankind  every  rational  hope  of  escape  from  future  punish- 
ment. The  only  encouraging  declaration  to  sinners,  exclusive  of 
those  which  are  founded  on  it,  which  1  can  find  in  the  Gospel,  is 
this  :  that  Christ  has  redeemed  us  from  under  the  curse  of  the  law, 
by  being  made  a  curse  for  us.  Accordingly,  this  declaration,  re- 
peated in  very  numerous  forms,  is  every  where  insisted  on  in  the 
Gospel,  as  the  commanding  theme,  and  as  the  only  consolation  to 
apostate  men.  If  the  doctrine,  contained  in  this  declaration,  be 
taken  out  of  the  Gospel ;  mankind  are  left  wholly  under  the  domi- 
nion of  Law;  and  must  necessarily  sufl'er  its  penalty. 

In  my  own  view,  Dr.  Priestly,  and  those  who  accord  with  him 
in  denying  an  atonement,  are  more  consistent  with  themselves,  or 
with  the  other  parts  of  their  system,  than  the  rest  of  the  Unitarians. 
He,  who  denies  the  Deity  of  Christ,  appears  to  me  to  cut  oft"  the 
possibility  of  any  vicarious  interference  in  the  behalf  of  sinners. 
At  the  same  time,  the  atonement  of  Christ  is  so  plainly,  so  frequent- 
ly, and  so  unequivocally,  asserted  in  the  Scriptures  ;  and  the  whole 
system  of  divine  dispensations  is  made  to  depend  upon  it  so  exten- 
sively, and  essentially ;  that  to  deny  it  appears  to  me  to  be  the 
same  thing,  as  to  deny  the  Scriptures  themselves.  So  necessary 
also,  and  so  consolatory,  is  the  doctrine  of  an  atonement  for  sin  to 
such  beings,  as  we  are,  as  well  as  so  abundantly  asserted  in  the 
Scriptures,  that  I  can  scarcely  suppose  any  man  7villingly  to  deny 
it,  unless  compelled  by  something  entirely  difterent  from  the  Scrip- 
lures  themselves  ;  and  from  the  nature  of  the  doctrine.  One  error 
infers  another.  The  error  of  denying  the  Deity  of  Christ  has,  I 
apprehend,  compelled  those,  who  have  adopted  it,  to  deny,  also, 
all  the  doctrines,  which  have  been  here  mentioned ;  and  particular- 
ly the  atonement;  notwithstanding  they  were  opposed  in  this  deni- 
al by  vso  many  express  declarations  of  the  Sacred  Volume. 

4thly.  The  Doctrine  of  Justif  cation  by  faith  in  Christ,  is  aho  of 
the  same  nature. 

As  mankind  cannot  be  justified  by  their  owm  righteousness ;  it 
is  absolutely  necessary,  if  they  are  justified  at  all,  that  they  should 
be  justified  by  the  righteousness  of  another.  Accordingly  the 
Scriptures  assert  in  the  most  direct,  and  abundant,  manner,  that 
we  are  justif  ed  by  mere  grace,  or  favour,  on  account  of  the  righte- 
ousness of  Christ,  through  that  faith  in  him,  in  the  exercise  of  which 
we  give  up  ourselves  to  him,  to  be  his  here  and  for  ever.  As  this 
doctrine  is  not  only  asserted  in  very  many  instances,  and  in  the 
most  express  manner,  but  is  also  repeatedly  proved  in  form,  espe- 
cially in  the  Epistles  to  the  Romans  and  the  Gallatians ;  it  would 
seem  incredible,  that  it  should  be  denied  by  any  man,  who  bclicv- 


3ER,  XL.]  DIVINITY  OF  CHRIST.  3j 

ed  in  divine  Revelation.  Still,  it  is  abundantly  denied  by  Uni- 
tarians. Nor  do  they  only  deny  the  doctrine  generally,  but  all 
the  particulars,  also,  of  which  it  is  made  up.  Beside  rejecting  (he 
atonement  of  Christ,  and  the  justification,  supposed  to  be  accom- 
plished by  means  of  it,  and  the  influence,  which  faith  is  supposed 
to  have  in  securing  such  justification  to  us,  they  deny,  also,  the 
very  nature  of  the  Faith,  to  which  this  influence  is  ascribed.  The 
faith  of  the  Gospel  is  an  affection  of  the  heart,  being  no  other  than 
Trust,  or  Cotijidence.  With  the  heart,  says  St.  Paul,  man  bilicvelh 
unto  righteousness.  In  direct  opposition  to  this  and  many  other 
passages  of  the  Scriptures,  the  Unitarians,  generally  at  least,  con- 
sider faith  as  a  mere  assent  of  the  understanding  to  probable  evidence: 
the  same,  which  is  called  a  speculative,  or  historical  faith.  By  this 
opinion  they  strip  faith  of  the  moral  nature,  every  where  attributed 
to  it  in  the  Gospel.  Abraham  believed  God,  and  it  was  counted  to 
him  for  righteousness.  But  surely  no  exercise  of  the  understand- 
ing was  ever  counted  for  righteousness  to  any  man  ;  or  can  possess 
any  moral  nature  whatever.  Thou  believest,  that  there  is  one  God; 
says  St.  James  ;  Thou  dost  well.  The  Devils,  also,  believe,  and 
tremble.  Certainly  that  affection  of  the  mind,  of  which  devils  are 
the  subjects,  cannot  possess  moral  excellence.  Without  faith  it  is 
impossible  to  please  God.  But  surely  the  faith,  which  pleases  God, 
must  be  essentially  different  from  the  faith  of  devils. 

5thly.  Another  doctrine,  of  the  same  nature,  is  the  Regeneration 
of  the  human  soul,  by  the  Spirit  of  God. 

That  without  holiness,  or  moral  excellence,  no  man  shall  see  the 
Lord,  is,  I  think,  the  irresistible  dictate  of  Reason;  as  well  as  the 
express  declaration  of  the  Scriptures  :  for  it  cannot  be  supposed 
that  the  infinitely  holy  God  can  be  pleased  with  creatures,  who  are 
wholly  destitute  of  such  excellence  ;  and  who,  being  wholly  sinful, 
have  nothing  in  them,  which  he  can  approve,  or  with  which  he  can 
be  pleased.  That  in  us,  that  is,  in  our  jiesh,  or  original  nature, 
dwelleth  no  good  thing ;  no  holiness;  no  moral  excellence;  is,  as 
you  well  know,  a  declaration  contained  in  the  Scriptures.  From 
these  two  doctrines,  thus  declared,  arises  indispensably,  the  neces- 
sity of  such  a  change  in  our  character  as  will  make  us  the  subjects 
of  holiness.  This  change  is  in  the  Scriptures  termed  Regeneration  j 
being  born  again;  being  created  anew;  becoming  new  creatures; 
being  renewed;  and  is  expressed  by  other  similar  phraseology,  and 
declared  to  be  indispensable  to  our  entrance  into  the  divine  king- 
dom. Except  a  man  be  born  again,  said  our  Saviour  to  Nicodemus. 
he  cannot  see  the  kingdom  of  God.  The  production  of  this  change 
is  in  the  Scriptures  ascribed,  as  his  peculiar  work,  to  the  Spirit  of 
God.  Except  a  man,  says  our  Saviour  again,  Except  a  man  be 
born  of  water,  and  of  the  Spirit,  he  cannot  enter  into  the  kiyigdom  of 
God:  that  is,  except  a  man  have  his  mind  purified  by  the  Spirit  of 
God,  as  the  body  is  purified  by  water,  he  cannot  enter  into  the 
kingdom  of  God.     J^ot  by  uwrks  of  righteousness  which  we  have 


32  DIVINITY  OF  CHRIST.  [SER.  XL 

done,  says  St.  Paul,  but  according  to  his  mercy  he  saved  us  by  the 
washing  of  regeneration,  and  renewing  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  Accord- 
ingly, those  persons,  who  experience  this  change  of  character,  are 
said  to  be  born,  not  of  blond,  nor  of  the  will  of  the  flesh,  nor  of  the 
will  of  man,  but  of  God ;  that  is,  they  derive  this  change  of  char- 
acter not  from  their  parents,  nor  from  their  own  efforts,  nor  from 
the  efforts  of  any  man,  but  from  God. 

But  this  change  the  Unitarians  deny,  and  the  agency  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  in  effectuating  it  in  the  mind  of  man.  Nay,  they  deny  the 
existence  of  the  Holy  Spirit  as  a  person,  or  agent.  As  a  substitute 
for  regeneration  they  declare  mankind  to  become  better  in  a  grad- 
ual manner,  by  their  own  will,  or  efforts,  and  the  efforts,  or  will, 
of  their  fellow-men,  to  such  a  degree,  that  God  will  accept  them. 
In  this  manner  they  make  the  immense  splendour  of  apparatus  for 
our  Redemption  and  Sanctification  ;  and  all  the  magnificent  exhibi- 
tions of  Christ  and  the  Holy  Spirit,  terminate  in  this:  that  Christ 
came  to  declare  divine  truth  to  mankind,  and  to  prove  it  to  be  di- 
vine truth  ;  and  that  men,  assenting  to  it  with  the  understanding, 
change  themselves  by  the  ordinary  efforts  of  a  sinful  mind  into  such 
a  character,  as  is  denoted  in  the  Scriptures  by  being  born  again, 
and  created  anew.  Such,  it  would  seem,  was  not,  however,  the 
opinion  of  St.  Paul,  when  he  said.  The  natural  man  rcceiveth 
not  the  things  of  the  Spirit ;  for  they  are  foolishness  unto  him  ; 
neither  can  he  know  them  j  for  they  are  spiritually  discerned. 

The  present  occasion  will  not  permit  me  particularly  to  follow 
this  subject  any  further.  It  will  be  sufficient  to  mention,  summarily, 
several  other  doctrines,  which  have  been  denied  by  Dr.  Priestly 
and  his  followers. 

Our  Saviour  says,  A  spirit  hath  not  flesh  and  bones,  as  ye  see  me 
have.  Dr.  Priestly,  on  the  contrary,  informs  us,  that  the  human 
spirit  is  constituted  only  of  organized  Matter:  that  is,  of  flesh  and 
bones.  St.  Paul  tells  us,  that,  when  he  is  absent  from  the  body. 
he  shall  be  present  with  the  Lord.  Dr.  Priestly  holds,  that  Paul 
was  nothing  but  body  ;  and  therefore  could  not  be  absent  from  the 
body,  unless  the  body  could  be  absent  from  itself.  When  the 
body  dies,  the  soul,  according  to  Dr.  Priestly,  terminates  both 
its  operations,  and  its  being,  until  the  resurrection,  then  to  be 
created  again  ;  and  therefore  is  not,  and  cannot  be,  present  with 
the  Lord,  until  after  that  period.  The  Scriptures  assert  the  exist- 
ence of  Angels,  of  various  orders,  both  good  and  evil;  and  de- 
lineate their  characters,  stations,  actions,  and  enjoyments.  Dr. 
Priestly  utterly  denies,  and  even  ridicules,  the  doctrine,  that  evil 
angels  exist ;  and  labours  very  hard  to  disprove  the  existence  of 
good  angels.  I  do  not  remember,  that  he  expressly  denies  it ;  and 
am  not  in  possession  of  the  volume,  in  which  his  opinions  on  this 
subject  are  expressed,  but  he  says  all,  that  is  short  of  such  an 
explicit  denial  •,  and  plainly  indicates,  that  he  does  not  believe  them 
to  exist. 


SER.  XL  J  DIVINITY  OF  CHRIST.  33 

Beyond  all  this ;  he  denies  the  plenary  inspiration  of  the  Apos- 
tles ;  and  declares,  that  we  are  to  acknowledge  them  inspired,  only 
when  they  say  they  are  inspired  :  and  this,  he  says,  we  are  to  do, 
because  the  Apostles  were  honest  men ;  and  are  to  be  believed  in 
this,  and  all  their  other  declarations.  Dr.  Priestly  says  expressly, 
that  he  does  not  consider  the  books  of  Scripture  as  inspired,  but 
as  authentic  records  of  the  dispensations  of  God  to  mankind  ;  with 
every  particular  of  which  we  cannot  be  too  well  acquainted.  The 
writers  of  the  books  of  Scripture,  he  says,  were  men,  and  there- 
fore fallible.  But  all,  that  we  have  to  do  with  them,  is  in  the  char- 
acter of  historians,  and  witnesses,  of  what  they  heard  and  saw; 
like  all  other  historians,  they  were  liable  to  mistakes.  "  Neither 
I,"  says  he  to  Dr.  Price,  "  nor,  I  presume,  yourself,  believe  im- 
plicitly every  thing,  which  is  advanced  by  any  writer  in  the  Old 
or  New  Testament.  I  believe  them,"  that  is,  the  writers,  "  to 
have  been  men,  and  therefore  fallible."  And  again  ;  "  That  the 
books  of  Scripture  were  written  by  particular  divine  inspiration  is 
a  thing,  to  which  the  writers  themselves  make  no  pretensions.  It 
is  a  notion  destitute  of  all  proof,  and  that  .has  done  great  injury 
to  the  evidence  of  Christianity."  The  reasonings  of  the  divine 
writers,  he  declares,  we  are  fully  at  liberty  to  judge  of,  as  we  are 
those  of  other  men.  Accordingly,  he  asserts  St.  Paul  in  a  par- 
ticular instance  to  have  reasoned  fallaciously ;  and  maintains  that 
Christ  was  both  fallible  and  peccable.  Other  English  Socinians 
unite  with  Dr.  Priestly  in  these  sentiments  :  while  Socinians  of 
other  nations  proceed  so  far,  as  to  treat  the  writers  themselves, 
and  their  books,  with  marked  contempt.  In  these  several  things 
there  is  plainly  an  utter  denial,  that  the  Scriptures  are  a  Revela- 
tion from  God.  To  all  these  opinions  Dr.  Priestly  was  once  di- 
rectly opposed  :  for  he  was  once  a  Trinitarian,  and  a  Calvinist. 
The  inference  seems,  therefore,  to  be  necessary,  that  he  was  led 
to  them  all  by  his  denial  of  the  Deity  of  Christ.  A  similar  trans- 
formation appears  to  have  been  undergone  by  many  other  Socinians ; 
and  something  very  like  it  by  no  small  number  of  Arians.  The 
observation  of  Mr.  Wilberforce,  therefore,  seems  to  be  but  too 
well  founded,  when  he  says ;  "  In  the  course,  which  we  lately  tra- 
ced from  nominal  orthodoxy  to  absolute  Infidelity,  Unitarianism  is, 
indeed,  a  sort  of  half-way  house,  if  the  expression  may  be  pardon- 
ed ;  a  stage  on  the  journey,  where  sometimes  a  person,  indeed, 
finally  stops  ;  but  where,  not  unfrequently,  he  only  pauses  for  a 
while  ;  and  then  pursues  his  progress." 

IV.   The  last  objection,  xchich  I  shall  7nake  at  the  present  time 
against  the  doctrine  of  the  Unitarians,  is  its  Immoral  Influence, 

Mr.  Belsham  says, "  Rational  Christians  are  often  represented 
as  indifferent  to  practical  religion."  Dr.  Priestly  says,  "  A  great 
number  of  the  Unitarians,  of  the  present  age,  are  only  men  of  good 
sense,  and  without  much  practical  religion :  and  there  is  a  greater 
apparent  conformity  to  the  world  in  them,  than  is  observable  in 
Vol.  II.  .5 


34  DIVINITY  OF  CHRIST.  [SER.  XL 

Others.'^  He  also  says,  that  he  hopes  they  have  more  of  a  real 
principle  of  Religion,  than  they  seem  to  have.  He  further  allows, 
that  Unitarians  are  peculiarly  wanting  in  zeal  for  Religion. 

At  the  same  time,  Dr.  Priestli/  acknowledges,  that  Calvinists 
have  less  apparent  conformity  to  the  world ;  and  that  they  seem 
to  have  more  of  a  real  principle  of  Religion,  than  Socinians.  He 
also  acknowledges,  that  those,  who,  from  a  principle  of  religion, 
ascribe  more  to  God,  and  less  to  man,  than  other  persons,  are 
men  of  the  greatest  elevation  of  piety.  JVilberforce  declares  it  to 
be  an  unquestionable  fact,  that  Unitarians  are  not,  in  general,  dis- 
tinguished for  superior  purity  of  life ;  and  that  Unitarianism  seems 
to  be  resorted  to  by  those,  who  seek  a  refuge  from  the  strictness  of 
the  practical  precepts  contained  in  the  Bible. 

That  these  representations  are  just,  1  consider  as  completely 
proved  by  Dr.  Fuller  in  his  letters  ;  and  no  less  completely  the 
immoral  tendency  of  the  Socinian  system. 

It  is,  also,  a  well  known  truth,  that  Unitarian  Churches  are  in 
general  moderately  frequented  on  the  Sabbath  ;  that  the  sermons 
of  their  preachers  are  generally  cold  ;  especially  on  the  peculiar 
duties  of  Religion ;  that  they  have  never  formed,  nor  united  with 
others  in  forming,  Missions  for  the  propagation  of  the  Gospel 
among  the  Heathens  and  Mohammedans  ;  nor  distinguished  them- 
selves by  any  discernible  earnestness  in  the  cause  of  practical 
Christianity.  On  the  contrary,  their  own  declarations,  too  nume- 
rous to  be  here  recited,  teach  us  abundantly,  that  in  the  view  of  a 
great  part  of  them,  almost  all  the  seriousness,  fervour,  and  self- 
denial,  that  deep  sense  of  sin,  and  that  prayerful,  watchful  and 
strenuous  opposition  to  temptation,  which  their  opponents  esteem 
indispensable  to  salvation,  are  mere  enthusiasm,  superstition,  or 
melancholy.  Christianity,  with  them,  seems  to  be  an  easy,  plea- 
sant kind  of  Religion  ;  unincumbered  by  any  peculiar  restraints ; 
admitting  without  difficulty  of  what  are  usually  called  the  pleasures 
and  amusements  of  the  world  ;  and  only  confining  them  within 
the  bounds  of  delicacy  and  politeness.  Can  this,  let  me  ask,  be 
taking  up  the  cross,  denying  ourselves,  and  following  after  Christ  ? 


SERMON  XLI. 


DIVINITY  OF   CHRIST. OBJECTIONS    TO    THE    MODE    IN    WHICH    THE 

UNITARIANS  CONDUCT  THE  CONTROVERSY. 


1  Corinthians  iii.  20. —  The  Lord  hioweth  the  thoughts  of  the  wise,  that  they  are 

vain. 

In  my  last  discourse  1  proposed  several  Objections  against  the 
Doctrine  of  the  Unitarians.  I  shall  now  allege  some  Objections 
against  their  Conduct  in  the  Management  of  the  controversy. 

Before  I  proceed  to  the  execution  of  this  design,  I  shall  premise 
the  following  general  doctrines  concerning  the  Scriptures. 

That  the  Old  and  New  Testament  were  revealed  to  the  several 
Writers  of  them  by  the  Spirit  of  God. 

That,  although  the  several  Writers  were  left  to  use  their  own 
characteristical  style,  or  manner  of  writing,  yet  they  have  always 
written  such  words,  as  the  Holy  Ghost  taught,  and  not  such  as  are 
taught  by  the  wisdom  of  Man. 

That  these  Scriptures  contain  all  things,  pertaining  to  life  and  to 
godliness. 

That  they  were  written  for  the  use  of  mankind  ;  the  learned  and 
unlearned  alike ;  and  therefore  were  written  in  the  usual  language 
of  men,  with  the  usual  signification  of  that  language  ;  as  being  that 
only,  which  such  men  can  understand. 

That,  therefore,  they  express  true  ideas  of  God,  of  Christ,  of 
human  nature,  of  human  duty,  and  of  the  way  of  salvation,  in  such 
a  manner,  that  unlearned  men,  as  are  ninety-nine  hundredths  of 
those  for  whom  they  were  written,  can,  and,  if  sincerely  disposed, 
will,  understand  them,  so  far  as  is  necessary  to  enable  them  to  per- 
form their  duty,  and  obtain  their  salvation. 

Every  one  of  these  doctrines  I  believe  not  only  to  be  strictly 
true,  but  capable  of  the  most  satisfactory  proof;  and  proof,  of 
which  I  feel  myself  satisfactorily  possessed.  Occasional  remarks 
I  shall  make  on  this  subject  in  the  present  discourse ;  but  a  fuller 
discussion  of  it  must  be  left  to  a  future  time.  I  have  mentioned 
these  doctrines  here,  because  they  are  in  my  view  just,  important, 
and  necessary  to  enable  those,  who  hear  me,  to  understand  the  real 
import  of  the  following  observations. 

1st.  The  Unitarians,  to  a  great  extent,  have  interpreted  the  Scrip- 
tures according  to  pre-conceived  opinions  of  their  ozvn,  and  not  ac- 
cording to  the  obvious  meaning  of  the  passages  themselves. 

That  I  may  not  be  thought  to  charge  this  upon  the  Unitarians 
without  ground;  I  will  recite  some  of  the  opinions,  which  they 
themselves  have  expressed  concerning  the  Scriptures.     You  may 


im  OBJECTIONS  TO  THE  UNITARIAN  [SER.  XLI 

remember,  that  in  my  last  discourso,  I  mentioned,  that  Dr.  Priest- 
ly pronounces  Christ  to  be  fallible;  the  Scriptures  not  to  be  u'rit- 
ten  by  particular  inspiration  ;  and  the  writers  to  make  no  preten- 
sions lo  such  inspii'.uion.  The  contrary  notion,  also,  he  asserts  to 
be  (icslitutc  of  all  proofs,  and  to  have  done  great  injury  to  the  evi- 
dence of  Christianity.  He  declares  the  writers  of  the  New  Tes- 
tament to  have  improperly  quoted  some  texts  from  the  Old;  and 
to  have  been  sometimes  misled  by  Jeioish  prejudices.  Another 
Unitarian  writer  says,  "  it  is  not  the  nature  and  design  of  the 
Script ur(s  to  decide  u]ion  speculative,  controverted  questions,  even 
in  religion  and  morality;  not  to  solve  the  doubts,  but  rather  to 
make  us  obey  the  dictates,  of  our  consciences."  Mr.  Belsham 
says,  "  Tiie  Berccans  arc  commended  for  not  taking  the  word  nven 
of  an  Apostle  ;"  and  pleads  this  as  an  example  for  us.  Sleinbart, 
a  foreign  Unitarian,  speaking  of  the  narrations  in  the  New  Testa- 
ment, says,  ''  These  nai-rations,  true  or  false,  are  only  suited  to 
ignorant  uncultivated  minds."  Sem/er,  another,  says  that  '■'■Peter 
speaks  according  to  the  conception  of  the  Jeivs,  when  he  says, 
Prophecy  came  not  in  old  time  by  the  will  of  man  ;  but  holy  men  of 
God  spake  as  they  were  moved  by  the  Holy  Ghost ;''"'  and  adds,  that 
'■'■  the  prophets  may  have  delivered  the  offspring  of  their  own  brains, 
as  divine  revelation.''''  Concerning  the  reasoning  of  the  Apostles, 
Dr.  Priestly  says,  "  We  are  to  judge  of  it,  as  of  that  of  other  men, 
by  a  due  consideration  of  the  propositions  they  advance,  and  the 
argumc'ils  they  allege."  That  men,  who  entertain  such  views 
concerning  the  Scriptures,  will  not,  and  according  to  their  own 
opinions  ought  not,  to  receive  the  declarations  of  the  Scriptures, 
in  any  other  manner  than  that,  in  which  they  receive  the  declara- 
tions, contained  in  every  other  book,  is  obvious  to  the  least  con- 
sideration. If  the  Scriptures  were  not  written  and  the  writers  do 
not  pretend  that  they  wrote,  by  particular  divine  inspiration;  then 
they,  certainly,  stand  on  the  same  footing  with  all  other  books  ; 
and  the  writers  arc  undoubtedly  to  be  regarded,  as  Dr.  Priestly 
says,  merely  in  the  character  of  Historians  and  witnesses. 

If  Christ  and  the  Apostles  were  fallible  men,  and  St.  Pa u/ has 
actually  reasoned  fallaciously  ;  then  undoubtedly  their  reasonings, 
and  all  their  doctrines,  are  to  be  examined  in  the  same  manner, 
as  those  of  other  men.  If  the  Scriptures  were  not  designed  to  set- 
tle speculative  oj)inions  or  doctrines,  even  in  morality  and  religion  ; 
then  it  is  plain,  that  they  must  be  settled,  if  settled  at  all,  by  some 
other  tribunal :  and  there  is  no  other  tribunal,  but  our  own  reason. 
If  the  doubts  of  conscience  were  not  intended  to  be  solved  by  the 
Scriptures,  then,  certainly,  the  mind  must  solve  them,  so  far  as  it 
can,  for  itself.  l^'hese  Gentlemen  have,  therefore,  prescribed  a 
rule  for  themselves,  which  every  man  may  certainly  know  before- 
hand, even  without  reading  their  works,  they  could  not  fail  to  fol- 
low :  for  no  man  ever  believed  the  Scriptures  not  to  be  au  infal- 
lible rule  of  direction  in  these  things,  who  did  not  also  make  hi| 


SER.  XLI]  MODE  OF  CONTROVERSY.  37 

own  reason  his  directory ;  unless  he,  indeed,  implicitly  submitted 
to  the  dictates  of  his  fellow-men.  In  truth  it  would  be  dilficuli  to 
|ind  a  man,  who  does  not  distinctly  perceive,  that  there  is  no  other 
directory. 

Accordingly,  every  reader  of  Unitarian  books  must  have  ob- 
served, that  the  writers  evidently  refer  the  interpretation  of  {he 
Scriptures  to  their  own  pre-conceived  opinions,  or  the  previous 
decisions  of  their  own  reason.  That  is,  they  form  their  system  of 
Theology,  and  then  make  use  of  the  Scriptures  to  support,  or  coun- 
tenance, it.  Wherever  they  find  passages,  whose  obvious  mean- 
ing will  countenance  their  own  opinions,  they  make  the  most  of 
them,  by  admitting  this  meaning.  Wherever  the  obvious  mean- 
ing, that  is,  the  meaning  derived  from  the  language,  according  to 
customary  use,  or  according  to  the  tenor  of  the  discourse  of  which 
it  is  a  part,  will  not  countenance  their  opinions,  they  contrive  for 
it  some  other  meaning,  which  will  better  suit  those  opinions. 

That  the  Unitarians  have  actually  conducted  in  this  manner, 
can  be  made  abundantly  evident  by  an  appeal  to  their  writings. 
One  strong  proof  of  this  conduct  is  found  in  the  Jrian  notion,  that 
Christ  is  a  delegated  god.  The  present  occasion  will  permit  me 
to  exhibit  but  one,  out  of  several  modes,  in  which  the  truth  of  this 
declaration  may  be  evinced.  Christ  is  undeniably  many  times 
asserted  in  the  Scriptures  to  be  God.  These  assertions  are  as 
unqualified,  and  absolute,  as  those,  in  which  the  Father  is  declared 
to  be  God.  They  are  also  accompanied  with  a  great  variety  of 
declarations,  in  which  are  ascribed  to  him,  Avithout  any  qualifica- 
tion, all  the  attributes,  actions,  and  relations,  attributable  to  God, 
exclusively  of  those  which  belong  to  the  Father  as  such ;  and  arc 
also  followed  by  the  very  same  worship,  unconditionally  required, 
and  actually  rendered  to  him  by  inspired  men,  and  by  the  host  of 
Heaven.  Now  from  all  these  assertions  I  will  withdraw  the  name 
of  Christ,  and  substitute  that  of  the  Father.  Let  me  ask.  Would 
any  of  the  Arians  have  ever  thought  of  denying,  that  the  name 
God,  in  any  one  of  these  passages,  did  not  mean  the  true  and 
real  God,  but  only  a  God  by  delegation?  To  this  question  there 
can  be  no  answer,  but  a  negative.  Whence,  then,  do  they  refuse 
to  acknowledge  the  same  passages  to  mean  the  same  thing,  as  they 
now  stand  ?  Plainly  for  this  undeniable  reason,  that  they  have 
beforehand  determined,  that  God  is  not,  and  cannot  be,  Tri- 
personal,  or  Triune.  In  this  determination,  however,  they  are 
unhappy,  as  being  unwarranted,  not  only  by  the  Scriptures,  but 
also  by  that  very  Reason,  to  which  they  make  so  confident  an  ap- 
peal :  for  nothing  is  more  opposed  to  both,  than  that  a  finite,  de- 
pendent being,  can  have  these  things  ascribed  to  him  with  truth. 

On  the  same  grounds  do  the  Socinians  declare  Christ  to  be  a 
mere  man  ;  not  because  he  is  not  abundantly  declared  to  be  God  in 
the  Scriptures;  but  because  they  pre-determine  by  their  reason, 
that  a  person  cannot  exist  by  the  Union  of  God  with  man  ;  and 


38  OBJECTIONS  TO  THE  UNITARIAN  [SER.  XLI 

that  God  cannot  be  Triune.  Let  any  man  read  their  comments 
on  ihp  Scriptures,  relative  to  Christ;  and  he  will  see  this  to  be 
abundantly  shown  by  the  nature  of  the  comments,  and  the  words 
in  which  they  are  uttered. 

1  have  observed,  that  the  Arians  are  unhappy  in  choosing  this 
position  as  the  basis  of  their  distinguishing  doctrine;  because  it  is 
unwarranted  either  by  Reason,  or  Revelation.  Both  they,  and  the 
Socinians,  are  unhappy  on  other  accounts.  They  know  not,  and 
cannot  know,  by  any  dictates  of  Reason,  that  God  is  not  Triune. 
The  Nature  ancl  Manner  of  his  Existence,  so  far  as  this  subject  is 
concerned,  lie  wholly  beyond  their  reach,  and  beyond  that  of  all 
other  men.  We  cannot  even  begin  to  form  ideas  concerning  them. 
It  is,  therefore,  idle  and  fruidess  to  form  propositions  about  them  ; 
still  more  idle  to  reason  and  conclude  ;  and  still  more  idle  to  make 
such  conclusions  the  basis  of  our  Faith  in  a  case  of  such  magnitude. 
All  that  we  know,  or  can  know,  is  just  that,  and  that  only,  which 
God  has  been  pleased  immediately  to  reveal. 

The  same  observations  are,  with  the  same  force,  applicable  to 
the  Doctrine  ©/"/Ae  Union  of  the  divine  and  human  nature  in  the  per- 
son of  Christ.  Of  this  subject  we  literally  know  nothing,  beside 
what  is  revealed. 

That  a  mere  man,  also,  can  have  these  names,  attributes,  actions, 
and  relations,  and  this  worship,  ascribed  to  him,  with  truth,  is  not 
only  unaccordant  with  reason,  but  common  sobriety,  or  decency. 
A  few  more  instances  of  this  nature  ;  which,  because  I  have  not 
the  means  of  multiplying  examples,  nor  time  for  such  a  purpose  ; 
I  shall  select  wholly  from  Dr.  Priestly'' s  J^otes  on  the  books  of  Scrip- 
ture, 

In  his  notes  on  the  first  chapter  of  John,  Dr.  Priestly  informs 
us,  that  the  word  Aoyog,  which,  you  know,  is  translated  the  Word,  is 
nothing  more  than  the  power  of  God,  by  which  all  things  were  made  ; 
and  therefore,  he  says,  it  was  no  distinct,  inferior  principle,  but  God 
himself.  On  this  explanation  I  shall  make  but  one  general  remark  ; 
(viz.)  that  this  is  the  only  known  instance,  in  which  an  attribute  of 
God,  either  in  sacred  or  profane  writings,  has  been  asserted  to  be 
God.  If  St.  John,  therefore,  had  this  meaning,  he  has  used  lan- 
guage to  express  it,  which  was,  probably,  never  used  by  any  other 
human  being.*  Having  premised  this  remark,  I  shall  proceed  to 
examine  the  soundness  of  the  explanation,  by  the  most  unobjec- 
tionable of  all  methods  ;  (viz.)  the  substitution  of  the  explanation 
for  the  thing  explained;  Power  and  God,  {or  the  Word,  or  Aoyog; 
as  being  the  two  things,  which  the  term  Aoyoj  is,  successively,  de- 
clared to  denote.  This  experiment,  to  which  no  Socinian  can  ob- 
ject, shall  he  frst  made  w\(h  power.  lathe  beginning  was  the  pow- 
er of  God,  and  this  poxoer  was  with  God,  and  this  power  was  God. 
The  same  xoas  in  the  beginning  with  God.     All  things  were  made  by 

"^   1  John  iv.  16,  lo  be  hereafter  explained 


3ER.  XLl.]  MODE  OF  CONTROVERSY.  3'J 

it,  and  zcithottt  it  zvas  not  any  thing  made,  that  was  made.  In  ilxoax 
life,  and  the  life  zoas  the  light  of  men.  And  the  light  shineth  in  dark- 
ness, and  the  darkness  comprehended  it  not.  It  was  in  the  world, 
and  the  world  zoas  made  by  it,  and  the  world  knew  it  not.  It  came 
unto  its  own,  and  its  own  received  it  not.  But  as  many  as  received 
it,  to  them  gave  it  power  to  become  the  sons  of  God ;  even  to  them 
that  believe  on  its  name,  and  the  power  was  made  flesh,  and  dwelt 
among  us  ;  {and  we  beheld  its  glory,  the  glory  as  of  the  only  begot- 
ten of  the  Father)  full  of  grace  and  truth.  John  bare  witness  of 
it,  and  cried,  sayiiig^  This  was  it  of  which  I  spake  :  It  that  cometh  af- 
ter me  is  preferred  before  m,e,for  it  was  before  me.  And  of  its  ful- 
ness have  we  all  received,  and  grace  for  grace.  For  the  Law  was 
given  by  Moses,  but  grace  and  truth  came  by  Jesus  Christ. 

Dr.  Priestly  says  the  Power  was  God ;  St.  John  says,  It  was 
made  flesh  and  dwelt  among  us,  full  of  grace  and  truth.  Accord- 
ing to  his  comment,  therefore,  God  became  flesh,  and  dwelt  among 
us.  According  to  his  comment,  also,  this  Power  was  Christ  ;  for 
he  says  it  dwelt  among  us,  full  of  grace  and  truth  :  but  St.  John  im- 
mediately subjoins,  grace  and  truth  came  (that  is,  into  this  world) 
by  Jesus  Christ.     Therefore,  Jesus  Christ  is  God. 

This  passage,  formed  in  the  very  manner  prescribed  by  Dr. 
Priestly  himself,  in  his  explanation,  certainly  can  need  no  comment 
from  me.  I  shall  only  say,  that  if  there  is  a  Socinian  in  the  world, 
who  can  make  the  parts  of  it,  taken  together,  mean  any  intelligible 
thing,  I  think  I  may  safely  yield  him  the  point  in  controversy. 

Let  us  now  make  the  trial  with  the  other  term,  God.  In  the  be- 
ginning was  God,  and  God  was  with  God,  and  God  was  God.  Two 
verses  more  will  suffice.  And  God  was  made  flesh,  and  dwelt 
among  tis,  and  we  beheld  his  glory,  (the  glory  as  of  the  only  begot- 
ten of  the  Father)  full  of  grace  and  truth.  Ko  one  hath  seen  God  at 
any  time,  but  the  only  begotten  Son,  who  is  in  the  bosom  of  the  Fa- 
ther, he  hath  declared  him. 

Once  more,  let  us  try  the  same  experiment  with  the  Super-an- 
gelic being  of  the  Arians.  In  the  beginning  was  a  super-angelic  crea- 
ture, named  the  Word,  and  this  super-angelic  creature  was  with 
God,  and  this  super-angelic  creature  zvas  God.  The  same  was  in 
the  beginning  zoith  God.  All  things  mere  made  by  this  super-ange- 
lic creature,  and  rvithout  him  was  not  any  thing  made  that  was  made. 
I  presume,  I  need  proceed  no  farther.  That  interpretation  of  a 
passage  can  need  nothing  added  to  it,  which  makes  God  himself 
say,  that  a  creature  was  in  the  beginning  with  God,  and  was  God ; 
and  that,  although  he  was  himself  created,  or  made  j  yet  he  made 
every  thing  that  was  made  ^  and  of  course  made  himself.  I  had 
designed  to  subjoin  two  or  three  more  specimens ;  but  the  time 
will  not  permit  me  to  recite  them.  That,  which  I  have  recited, 
will  serve  to  show  to  what  lengths  the  interpretation  of  the  Scrip- 
tures, according  to  our  pre-conceived  opinions,  will  lead  men  of 
superior  learning  and  abilities.     At  the  reading  of  this  only,  how 


40  OBJECTIO.NS  TO  THE  UNITARIAN  [SER  XLI. 

can  \vc  avoid  exclaiming,    Who  is  this,  that  darkcnclh  counsel  by 
words  without  knozoledge  ? 

On  tliis  j)lan  of  interpretation  at  large  I  ask,  Can  it,  in  any  re- 
spect, consist  with  what  the  Scriptures  say  of  themselves?  The 
}»rophet  Isaiah,  (chapter  viii.  29)  says.  To  the  law,  and  to  the  testi- 
mony :  if  (hey  speak  not  according  to  this  word,  it  is  because  there 
is  no  light  in  them. 

All  Scripture,  says  St,  Paul,  is  given  by  inspiration  of  God;  and 
is  profitable  for  doctrine,  for  reproof  for  correction,  and  for  instruc- 
tion in  righteousness  ;  That  the  man  of  God  may  be  perfect,  thorough- 
ly furnished  unto  every  good  work.  J^'o  prophecy,  says  St.  Peter,  is 
of  private  interpretation  :  for  never  at  any  time  was  prophecy 
brought  by  the  will  of  man;  but  the  holy  men  of  God  spake,  being 
moved  by  the  Holy  Ghost.*  IVe,  says  St.  Paul,  speaking  of  him- 
self, and  his  fellow-apostles,  have  the  mind  of  Christ.  And  again  ; 
For  God,  who  commanded  the  light  to  shine  out  of  darkness,  hath 
shined  in  our  heart,  to  give  us  the  light  of  the  knowledge  of  the  glory 
of  God  in  the  face  of  Jesus  Christ.  And  again,  /  certify  you,  breth- 
ren, that  the  Gospel,  which  was  preached  of  me,  was  not  after  man  ; 
for  I  neither  received  it  of  man,  neither  was  I  taught  it,  but  by  the  re- 
velation of  Jesus  Christ, 

In  perfect  harmony  with  these,  and  the  like  declarations,  Moses, 
the  first  of  the  inspired  writers,  says,  Ye  shall  not  add  unto  the  word, 
which  I  command  you ;  neither  shall  ye  diminish  aught  from  it. 
St.  John,  the  last  of  them,  says  at  the  close  of  his  writings,  For  I 
testify  unto  every  man,  that  heareth  the  words  of  the  prophecy  of  'his 
book,  if  any  man  shall  add  unto  these  things,  God  shall  add  u7ito  him 
the  plagues,  that  are  written  in  this  book.  And.,  if  any  man  shall 
take  aiDay  from  the  words  of  this  prophecy,  God  shall  take  azoay  his 
part  out  of  the  book  of  life.  From  these  passages  it  is  evident  that 
the  character,  which  the  Scriptures  attribute  to  themselves,  is  al- 
together opposite  to  that,  which  has  been  mentioned  in  the  former 
part  of  this  discourse,  as  given  to  them  by  Unitarian  writers  :  That 
they  are  in  fact  revealed  by  God,  by  the  inspiration  of  the  Holy 
Ghost :  That  no  man,  therefore,  can  add  to  them,  or  diminish  aught 
from  them,  without  exposing  himself  to  the  plagues  which  they  de- 
nounce, and  to  the  loss  of  his  part  in  the  book  of  life.  If  we  speak 
nut  according  to  them  it  is  declared  that  there  is  no  light  in  us.  In 
our  interpretations  of  them,  we  are  directed  in  the  most  solemn 
manner  to  receive  the  things  which  they  declare.  Lei  God  be  true, 
says  the  Apostle,  but  every  7nan  a  liar.  Sec,  says  Agur,  that  thou 
add  not  to  his  words,  lest  he  reprove  thee,  and  thou  be  found  a  liar. 
If  we,  says  St,  Paul,  or  an  Angel  from  heaven,  preach  any  other 
Gospel  than  that  which  we  have  preached,  let  him  be  accursed.  Who, 
with  these  solemn  commands,  and  awful  denunciations  before  him, 
can  think,  for  a  moment,  of  rejecting  the  obvious  meaning  of  the 

*  Macknigfat 


SER.  XLI.]  MODE  OF  CONTROVERSY.  41 

Scriptures,  and  substituting  a  meaning,  not  contained  in  the  words, 
but  contrived  by  himself  ? 

Nor  are  these  gentlemen  less  unfortunate  in  another  important 
particular.  The  Scriptures  were  written  for  mankind  at  large.  Of 
these,  ninety-nine  hundredths,  to  say  the  least,  are  plain,  uninform- 
ed men,  incapable  of  understanding  language  in  any  other  man- 
ner, than  the  known,  customary  one.  If,  then,  the  obvious  mean- 
ing is  not  the  true  one  ;  they  are  absolutely  unable  ever  to  find  the 
true  one ;  and  so  far  the  Scriptures  were  written  in  vain.  But  it 
cannot  be  supposed,  that  God  would  do  any  thing  in  vain  ;  and  still 
less,  that  He  would  disregard  the  salvation,  and  the  souls,  of  nine- 
ty-nine hundredths  of  his  creatures,  when  publishing  his  word ; 
and  cause  it  to  be  so  written,  that  this  great  number  could  not,  if 
ever  so  sincerely  disposed,  possibly  find  out  its  meaning,  nor  of 
course,  the  way  to  eternal  life :  while  at  the  same  time,  He  made 
provision  for  the  remaining  one  hundredth.  It  will  not,  I  suppose, 
be  pretended,  that  the  soul  of  a  learned  man  is  of  more  value  in 
the  sight  of  God,  than  that  of  an  unlearned  man.  But  if  the  mean- 
ing of  the  Scriptures  is  to  be  discovered,  not  by  the  words,  but  by 
a  contrived  accordance  with  pre-conceived  philosophical  opinions, 
no  unlearned  man  can  find  out  this  meaning  at  all. 

But  the  Scriptures  themselves  have  decided  this  point.  In  Prov. 
viii.  8,  9,  Christ  says,  All  the  rvords  of  my  mouth  are  in  righteous- 
ness ;  there  is  nothing  frozoard  or  perverse^  in  them.  They  are  all 
plain  to  him  that  undcrstandcth  ;  (that  is,  to  him  that  hath  under- 
standing ;  or,  in  other  words,  to  him  that  departeth  from  evil)  and 
right  to  them  that  find  knowledge.  In  John  vii.  16,  17,  the  same 
glorious  Person  says.  My  doctrine  (that  is,  the  scheme  of  doctrine 
which  I  teach)  is  not  mine^  hut  his  that  sent  me.  If  any  man  will  do 
his  Will,  he  shall  know  of  the  doctrine,  whether  it  be  of  God.  Now 
it  will  not  be  pretended,  that  plain  men  do  not  depart  from  evil,  as 
truly,  and  as  often  in  proportion  to  their  number,  as  learned  men. 
Of  course,  it  must  be  confessed,  that  plain  men  find  a  plain  mean- 
ing in  the  words  of  Christ,  or  of  the  Scriptures.  It  will  be  ac- 
knowledged, that  unlearned  men,  in  many  instances  at  least,  do  the 
will  of  God:  and  therefore,  unless  Christ  has  erred  in  this  point, 
know  of  his  doctrine,  whether  it  is  of  God. 

One  more  passage  will  be  amply  sufficient  to  cut  ofi'  even  cavil- 
ling on  this  point.  The  prophet  Isaiah  (chapter  xxxv.  and  8th) 
says,  An  highway  shall  be  there,  audit  shall  be  called  the  zvay  of  ho- 
liness ;  and  the  way-faring  men,  though  fools,  shall  not  err  therein. 
It  will  hardly  be  necessary  to  observe  that  this  highway,  this  way 
of  holiness,  is  no  other  than  the  Gospel.  But  it  is  evidendy  impos- 
sible, that  plain  men  should  ever  find  the  meaning,  attached  by 
Unitarians  to  the  numerous  passages,  which  speak  of  Christ  as 
God.  No  such  man  would  ever  mistrust,  that  a  Super-angehc 
creature  was  called  Wonderful,  Counsellor,  the  mighty  God,  the 
Father  of  the  everlasting  age,  the  Prince  of  peace  :    That  of  the  in- 

VoL.  II.  6 


42  OBJECTION  TO  THE  UNITARIAN  [SER.XLI 

crease  of  his  Government  and  peace  there  should  be  no  end,  Isaiah 
ix.  6.  That  his  (roinifs  forth  7oere  from  of  old.  from  everlasting: 
or,  as  in  the  orisjinni.  from  the  dai/s  of  eternit}) :  or  that  this  crea- 
hirc  ivas  in  the  hegiiniinir,  jvith  God,  andivas  God.  That  all  things 
were  made  hy  hvn.  and  that  nuthout  him  zuas  not  am/  thing  made 
that -ivas  made.  Or  \\rA\.  he  was  over  all  things,  God  blessed  for 
evermore.  No  suc;h  man  would  ever  have  thou2;ht  of  rending,  fn 
the  beginning  zvas  divine  pozoer,  and  this  pozoer  zoas  zcith  God.  and 
this  pozuer  zvas  God.  That  it  was  in  the  zvorld ;  that  the  zvorld  zvas 
made  by  it  ;  and  the  zvorld  knezo  it  not.  That  as  many  as  received 
it,  to  them  gave  it  pozver  to  become  the  sons  of  God,  even  to  them  that 
believe  onits  name.  That  this  pozver  became  flesh,  and  dzvelt  among 
fis,  (and  zve  beheld  its  glory,  the  glory  as  of  the  only  begotten  of  the 
Father)  full  of  grace  and  truth.  John  bare  zvitness  of  it.  and  cried, 
saying,  this  zvas  it  of  zvhich  I  spake.  It  that  cometh  after  me  is  pre- 
ferred before  me,  for  it  zvas  before  me.  No  plain  man  would  ever 
have  thought  of  reading.  In  the  beginning  zvas  God,  and  God  was 
with  God,  and  God  was  God. 

Should  it  be  said  in  opposition  to  the  observations,  which  I  have 
made  concerning  the  intelligibleness  of  the  Scriptures,  that  my  an- 
tagonists will  grant,  that  the  Scriptures  are  thus  plain,  in  points  of 
essential  importance  to  our  duty  and  salvation  ;  but  need  not  be 
supposed  to  be  so  in  mere  speculative  opinions  ;  I  answer,  that  710 
doctrine  is  of  more  importance,  whether  speculative  or  practical,  than 
that,  which  teaches  the  character  of  Christ ;  except  that,  which 
teaches  the  existence  and  perfections  of  God.  If  Christ  be  a  crea- 
ture; all  the  worship,  and  all  other  regard,  rendered  to  him  as  the 
Creator,  is  unquestionably  mere  Idolatry:  the  sin,  which  of  all  sins 
is  the  most  strongly  threatened,  and  reproved,  in  the  Scriptures. 
If  Christ  is  God  ;  then  a  denial  that  he  is  God,  is  all  that  is  meant 
by  impiety.  It  is  a  denial  of  his  primary  and  essential  Character; 
of  the  Attributes,  which  in  this  character  belong  to  him ;  of  the 
Relations,  which  he  sustains  to  the  Universe,  and  will  for  ever  sus- 
tain ;  of  the  actions,  which  he  has  performed,  and  will  perform 
throue;liout  eternity  ;  and  of  the  essential  glory,  zvhich  he  had  zvith 
the  Father  brforc  ever  the  world  zvas.  Man  is  a  being,  made  up  of 
an  animal  body  and  a  rational  mind.  Should  I  deny,  that  a  par- 
ticular person  possessed  a  rational  mind;  would  it  not  be  justly 
said,  that  I  denied  him  to  be  a  man,  and  refused  to  acknowledge  his 
primary  and  most  essential  character  ?  If  Christ  is  God-man  ;  and 
I  d^ny  him  to  be  God ;  do  I  not,  at  least  as  entirely,  deny  his  pri- 
mary and  most  essential  character?  In  other  words,  do  I  not  plain- 
ly deny  the  Lord  that  bought  me  ?  It  is  evidently  impossible  for 
him,  who  makes  this  denial,  to  render  to  Christ  those  regards  ;  that 
confidf  nee,  love,  reverence,  and  obedience  ;  which  a  man,  who  be- 
lieved Christ  to  be  God,  would  feel  himself  indispensably  bound 
to  render.  Indeed  were  it  possible,  he  would  necessarily,  and  in 
the  very  act  of  rendering  them,  condemn  himself  as  guilty  of  Idol- 


SER.  XLI.]  MODE  OF  CONTROVERSY.  43 

atry.  On  the  other  hand,  he,  who  believes  Christ  to  be  God,  can- 
not refuse  to  render  them,  without  condemning  himself  as  guilty, 
and  without  being  actually  guilty,  of  the  plainest  and  grossest  im- 
piety ;  because  he  withholds  from  the  true  God,  the  homage  and 
obedience,  due  to  his  character.  The  Unitarians  censure  the  sys- 
tem of  the  Trinitarians  as  being  idolatrous,  and  them  as  being 
Idolaters.  If  the  Unitarian  scheme  is  true,  the  censure  is  just. 
We,  on  the  other  hand,  and  with  equal  justice,  if  our  scheme  is 
true,  declare  them  to  be  guilty  of  direct  and  gross  impiety  •,  be- 
cause they  worship  not  the  Father,  the  Son,  and  the  Holy  Ghost ; 
the  Jehovah  of  the  Scriptures  ;  the  Jehovah  Aleim,  who  is  one 
Jehovah  ;  but  another  and  very  different  God. 

The  admission  of  the  Deity  of  Christ,  therefore,  if  he  be  really 
God,  is  a  fundamental  doctrine  of  Christianity  •,  mistakes  about 
which  are  altogether  dangerous  and  dreadful.  This  is  plainly  felt 
to  be  the  case  by  the  plain  people,  even  among  the  Socinians.  For 
Mrs.  Barbauld  informs  us,  that  although  the  eiTors  of  the  Trinita- 
rians "  are  losing  ground  among  thinking  people,  yet  there  is  in 
that  class,  (among  the  Socinians)  who  are  called  serious  Christians, 
a  sort  of  leaning  towards  them ;  an  idea  that  they  are,  if  not  true,  at 
least  good  to  be  believed;  and  that  a  salutary  error  is  better  than 
a  dangerous  truth." 

Can  it  then  be  believed,  that  God  can  have  directed  the  Scrip- 
tures to  be  so  written,  that  the  true  meaning  of  them  in  a  case  of 
this  fundamental  importance;  a  case,  in  which  mankind  are  in  so 
imminent  danger  of  becoming  either  impious,  or  idolatrous  ;  is  so 
obscure,  as  to  make  plain  men  utterly  unable  to  find  it  out,  how- 
ever honestly  disposed ;  and  that  the  great  body  of  religious  men 
should  in  all  ages  of  the  Church,  have  totally  and  infinitely  mista- 
ken their  real  intention  ?  Can  that  mode  of  interpretation,  which 
leads  of  course  to  this  conclusion,  be  the  true  one  ? 

II.  The  Unitarians  reject  the  doctrine,  that  Christ  is  God,  and  the 
obvious  meaning  of  all  those  passages  zohich  teach  it,  because  the 
doctrine  is  mysterious. 

This  I  object  to  as  a  totally  irrational  ground  of  such  rejection. 
There  are  two  reasons,  which  will  effectually  prove  this  irration- 
ality. 

1st.  All  mankind  readily  admit,  and,  if  they  believe  any  things 
must  every  rnoment  admit,  mysteries,  as  the  objects  of  their  faith. 
This  world  is  made  up  of  atoms.  What  are  they  ?  Dr.  Priestly 
informs  us,  that  they  are  centres  of  attraction  and  repulsion.  This 
definition,  translated  out  of  Latin  English  into  Saxon  English,  is, 
that  atoms  are  centres  of  draxoing  to,  and  driving  from  :  a  defini- 
tion, which,  I  believe,  it  would  puzzle  Dr.  Priestly  himself  to  un- 
riddle, and  at  least  as  applicable  to  points  of  space  as  to  atoms. 
They  are  also  defined  to  be  solid  extended  somethings.  What  is  the 
something  thus  solid  and  extended  ?  Here  our  inquiries  are  stop- 
ped, and  an  atom  is  found  to  be  an  absolute  mystery.     The  world 


44  OBJECTIONS  TO  THE  UNITARIAN  [SER.  XLI. 

is  made  up  of  atoms.  What  binds  them  together,  so  as  to  consti- 
tute a  world  .'  .Attraction,  it  is  answered.  What  is  attraction  ?  To 
this  there  is  no  answer.  The  world,  then,  on  which  we  tread,  in 
which  we  hvo,  and  about  which  wv  think  we  liave  extensive  know- 
ledge, is  wholly  formed  out  of  particles,  absolutely  mysterious, 
bound  together  by  a  power  C(|vially  mysterious. 

'J'hcse  atoms  constitute  vegetables.  What  is  a  vegetable?  "An 
organized  body,"  it  is  answered  ;  "  the  subject  of  vegetable  life." 
What  is  vegetable  life  ?  To  this  question  there  is  no  satisfactory 
answer.  In  the  same  manner  are  we  conducted  to  a  speedy  end 
in  all  our  inquiries  concerning  the  mineral,  vegetable,  and  rational 
worlds. 

Mystery  meets  us  at  every  step,  and  lies  at  the  bottom  of  the 
whole.  The  power,  by  which  this  discourse  was  thought,  or 
written,  or  spoken,  defies  all  human  investigation. 

If  mysteries,  then,  are  found  every  where  in  the  works  of  God; 
can  it  be  supposed,  that  they  are  not  found  in  the  character  and 
being  of  the  same  God?  There  is  nothing  more  mysterious,  more 
absolutely  inexplicable,  in  the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity,  than  in  the 
power  by  which,  and  the  manner  in  which.  Mind  acts  upon  Matter. 

2dly.  The  Unitarians  themselves,  though  professedly  rejecting 
mysteries,  admit  them  into  their  creed  without  number.  That  a 
creature  created  all  things,  upholds  all  things,  possesses  all  things, 
rules  all  things,  and  is  the  final  cause  of  their  existence ;  that  a 
creatvn-e  should  be  the  same  yesterday,  to-day,  and  for  ever ;  that 
he  should  be  the  final  Judge  and  Rewarder  of  the  just  and  the  un- 
just ;  that  he  should  sit  on  the  throne  of  the  heavens,  and  receive 
the  prayers  of  inspired  men  in  this  world,  and  the  everlasting 
praises  of  the  Heavenly  host  in  the  world  to  come ;  or  that  God,  if 
these  things  are  not  so,  should  have  caused,  or  permitted,  them  to 
be  written  in  his  Word ;  are,  to  say  the  least,  mysteries  as  entire, 
and  as  inexplicable,  as  any,  which  have  ever  entered  the  thoughts 
of  man.  It  ill  becomes  those,  who  admit  these  things,  therefore, 
to  reject  any  thing,  merely  on  account  of  its  being  mysterious. 

III.  The  Unitarians  take  an  unwarrantable  license  with  the  lan- 
guage of  the  Scriptures. 

I  know  not,  that  I  can  express  my  own  views  of  this  subject, 
within  the  same  compass,  better,  than  in  the  following  words  of  a 
respectable  wjiter,  which  are  a  part  of  some  observations  concern- 
ing Dr.  Priestly'' s  Notes  on  the  Scriptures.  "It  is  a  leading  and 
determined  purpose  of  Dr.  Pricstly'^s  Notes  to  serve  the  cause  of 
what  is  arrogantly  termed  Unitarianism ;  and  he  has  certainly  kept 
this  purpose  in  view.  To  say  the  least,  he  is  a  zealous  and  reso- 
lute advocate.  His  maxim  seems  to  have  been,  to  maintain  his 
cause  at  all  events.  Seldom  is  he  at  a  loss  for  a  gloss,  or  an  eva- 
sion, in  aiming  at  the  accomplishment  of  his  object.  If  he  meets 
with  a  passage,  whose  indubitable  reading,  and  whose  obvious, 
plain  meaning,  are  such,  as  every  unbiassed  man  would  pronounce 


SER.  XLI.]  MODE  OF  CONTROVERSY.  45 

favourable  to  the  Deity  and  atonement  of  Christ;  the  Doctor  is  ready 
with  ample  stores  of  metaphorical,  enigmatical,  and  idiomatical, 
forms  of  interpretation ;  and  stubborn  must  be  that  text,  which 
will  not  bend  under  one,  or  other,  of  his  modes  of  treatment.  In 
some  cases  a  various  readings  though  none  of  the  best,  is  called  in 
to  his  assistance.  Should  this  aid  tail,  some  learned  critic^  or  other, 
is  at  hand  toith  a  conjectural  alteration.  Or  if  none  of  these  means 
appear  advisable,  the  philosophical  commentator  has  in  reserve  a 
kind  of  logical  alkali,  which  will  at  least  neutralize  a  pungent  pas- 
sage ;  for  example,  the  sage  observation  :  "  About  the  interpretation 
of  it  critics  differ  much.'''' 

"  And,  lastly,  in  very  desperate  instances  a  method  is  resorted 
to,  the  most  simple  and  compendious  imaginable ;  and  that  is,  to 
say  nothing  at  all  about  them!'''' 

One  of  the  modes,  in  which  the  Unitarians  take  unwarrantable 
license  with  the  language  of  the  Scriptures,  is  to  pronounce  pas- 
sages to  be  interpolated,  ivhich  are  abundantly  evidenced  by  Manu- 
scripts, ancient  Versions,  and  Quotations  in  writings  of  the  Fathers, 
to  be  genuine  parts  of  the  Scriptures. 

Another  is,  to  declare,  without  warrant,  words,  and  phrases,  to 
be  wanting  ;  and  then  to  supply  them;  where  they  are  supplied  by 
no  authority  but  their  own.  Thus  Grotius  and  Dr.  Clark  supply 
the  word  srfrw  in  that  remarkable  text,  Romans  ix.  5 ;  and  then 
translate  it,  Of  whom,  as  concerning  the  flesh,  Christ  came,  rvho 
is  over  all  God  be  blessed  for  evermore. 

This,  it  will  be  observed,  does  not  aid  them  at  all,  because,  he 
who  is  over  all  things,  is  of  course  God. 

Another  mode  is,  to  annex  a  meaning  to  some  particular  word 
or  phrase,  xohich  suits  their  own  purpose,  but  which  is  entirely  aside 
from  all  customary  use.  Thus  Pierce  interprets  sx  ai-Tra/fjiov  riyyjdalo 
TO  Eivai  irfa  @su ;  He  thought  it  no  robbery  to  be  equal  with  God  ;  to 
mean.  He  luas  not  eager,  or  tenacious,  to  retain  that  likeness  to  God : 
a  translation,  which  no  criticism  can  justify,  or  satisfactorily  explain. 

Another  mode,  of  the  same  nature,  is  to  suggest  the  conjectural 
opinion  of  some  other  critic,  or  some  learned  friend ;  which  is  intro- 
duced with  so  much  gravity,  as  to  give  a  kind  of  weight,  and  spe- 
ciousness,  to  the  peculiar  interpretation  proposed.  Thus  Dr. 
Priestly,*  commenting  on  John  xiv.  2  :  In  my  Father'^s  house  are 
many  mansions ;  says,  "  Perhaps,  with  a  learned  friend  of  mine, 
we  may  understand  the  mansions  in  his  father''s  house,  of  which 
Jesus  here  speaks,  to  signify,  not  places  of  rest  and  happiness  in 
heaven,  but  stations  of  trust  and  usefulness  upon  earth  ;  such  as  he 
was  then  about  to  quit,"  &;c.  Here  the  house  of  God  is  made  to 
mean  earth  and  mansions,  stations ;  and  Christ  of  course  was  going 
away,  to  prepare  a  place  for  his  Apostles  here,  where  he  and  they 
then  were  ;  and  was  to  come  again,  to  receive  them  in  the  place, 

*  Eclectic  Review,  No.  2d.  Vol.  2d. 


46  OBJECTlOiNS   10   illK  (MTARIAN  [5ER.  XLI. 

whither  he  himself  was  going,  that  they  miglU  be  with  him  there, 
by  continuing  here. 

Another  mode,  of  the  same  nature,  is  an  unbomided  license  in 
making  Ike.  Scriptural  language  Jig urative. 

That  the  language  of  the  Scriptures  is  to  a  great  extent,  and  in 
a  high  degree,  figurative,  is  unquestionably  true.  But  certainly 
there  are  limits  to  this  character,  not  only  in  Scriptural,  but  all 
other,  language.  It  must,  I  think,  be  admitted,  that  we  are  to  con- 
sider the  language  of  the  Scriptures  especially,  and  of  all  other 
good  writings  generally,  as  figurative,  only  in  accordance  with  the 
following  rules  : 

1  St.  That  the  figure  be  agreeable  to  the  state  of  the  mind  of 
him  who  uses  it ;  that  is,  to  his  views  and  feelings. 

2dly.  That  it  be  founded  on  some  analogy,  or  relation  to  the 
subject. 

3dly.  That  it  accord  with  the  discourse,  so  far  as  to  make  sense. 

4thly.  That  in  the  Scriptures  it  violate  no  doctrine  declared,  at 
least  by  the  Writer. 

5thly.  That  it  be  so  obvious,  as  not  to  demand  invention  or  con- 
trivance, in  the  reader. 

6thly.  That  it  be  explicable  according  to  the  opinions,  or  other 
circumstances,  of  those,  for  whom  it  was  written,  so  as  to  be  ca- 
pable of  being  understood  by  them. 

7thly.  That  it  suit  the  occasion,  and  other  circumstances,  of  the 
discourse. 

But  how,  according  to  these,  or  any  other,  rules  of  construing 
language,  are  we  to  interpret  the  declaration.  For  by  him,  were 
created  all  things,  that  are  in  heaven,  and  that  are  in  earth,  visible 
and  invisible,  whether  they  be  thrones,  or  dominions,  or  principali- 
ties, or  powers,  to  mean,  that  Christ  published  the  Gospel  and  con- 
stituted the  Christian  Church  ?  Is  it  the  same  thing  to  publish^  the 
Gospel,  as  to  create  ?  Is  it  the  same  thing  to  constitute  the  church, 
as  to  create  ? 

Are  the  Gospel  and  the  Church  all  things  that  are  in  Heaven  and 
that  are  in  earth  ?  Are  they  all  things  visible  and  invisible  ?  Who 
are  the  thrones,  the  dominions,  the  principalities,  and  ihc  powers P 
Are  they  Bishops,  Elders,  and  Deacons:  the  only  officers,  ever 
supposed  to  belong  to  the  Church  ? 

The  Holy  Ghost  is  by  Unitarians  denied  to  be  a  person,  and 
is  commonly  asserted  to  be  no  other  than  the  power  of  God:  The 
name  Spirit  being,  in  their  view,  always  figurative.  According  to 
what  rules  of  construction  are  we,  on  this  plan,  to  interpret  the 
following  passages ;  in  which  I  shall  substitute  the  word  power 
for  Ghost,  or  Spirit;  always  intending  by  it,  however,  the  divine 
power. 

All  maimer  of  sin  and  blasphemy  shall  be  forgiven  tinto  men  ; 
but  the  blasphemy  against  the  Holy  Power  shall  not  be  forgiven  unto 
meuj  Matt,  xii.  31.     Baptizing  them  in  the  name  of  the  Father,  and 


SER.  XLI]  MODE  OF  COm'ROVERSY.  47 

of  the  So7i,  and  of  the  Holy  Power,  Matt,  xxviii.  19.  WTiy  has 
Satan  filed  thy  heart,  to  lie  unto  the  Holy  Power  ?  Acts  v.  3. 
God  anointed  Jesus  with  the  Holy  Power  and  zoith  power,  Acts  x. 
33.  Romans  xv.  13,  That  ye  may  abound  in  hope  through  the 
power  of  the  Holy  Power.  Romans  xv.  19,  Thrcugh  mighty  signs 
and  wonders,  by  the  Porver  of  the  Power  of  God.  In  demonstration 
of  the  Poruer,  and  of  Pozoer.  John  xvi.  13,  Howbeit,  when  he  the 
Power  of  truth  has  come,  he  will  guide  you  into  all  truth;  for  he 
shall  not  speak  of  himself ;  but  whatsoever  he  shall  hear,  that  shall 
he  speak.  Sic.  &lc. 

More  instances  cannot,  I  think,  be  necessary  to  elucidate  this 
part  of  the  snbject. 

The  last  mode,  which  I  shall  mention,  a  mode  adopted  when  a 
passage  is  too  stubborn  to  bend  to  any  of  the  preceding,  is,  to  leave 
it  with  such  an  observation  as  this :  "  Critics  are  very  much  divided 
about  the  meaning  of  this  passage  ;"  insinuating  to  the  reader,  that 
the  passage  is  so  obscure  and  perplexed,  that  he  is  to  despair  of 
any  explanation. 

In  this  manner,  it  seems  to  me,  the  Scriptures  must  soon  become 
such  as  the  Prophet  Isaiah  declared  they  would  become  to  the 
Jews,  at  a  certain  future  period.  The  vision  of  all,  says  that  Pro- 
phet, chapter  xxix.  11,  is  become  unto  you  as  the  words  of  a  book 
that  is  sealed ;  which  men  deliver  to  one  that  is  learned,  sayings 
Read  this,  I  pray  thee  /  And  he  saith,  I  cannot,  for  it  is  sealed,  and 
the  book  is  delivered  to  him  that  is  not  learned,  saying.  Read  this,  I 
pray  thee  ;  and  he  saith,  I  am  not  learned. 

IV.  I  object  to  the  Unitarians  direct  unfairness  in  their  conduct  to- 
wards Trinitarians. 

The  unfairness,  here  intended,  respects  two  particulars. 

1st.  They  treat  the  Trinitarians,  as  if  they  were  Tritheists,  or 
held  the  existence  of  three  Gods. 

This  they  do  in  several  methods,  particularly,  the  name  Unittc- 
rian,  as  I  formerly  observed,  is  designed  to  denote,  that  they,  among 
Christians,  exclusively  hold  the  existence  of  one  God.  The  very 
name  itself,  therefore,  is  intended  to  declare,  that  Trinitarians  hold 
the  existence  of  more  Gods  than  one.  An  imputation,  which,  they 
well  know,  every  Trinitarian  rejects  with  abhorrence. 

Again  ;  in  arguing  with  Trinitarians,  they  customarily  undertake 
to  prove,  that  the  Scriptures,  in  a  great  variety  of  passages,  assert 
that  there  is  but  one  God;  as  if  this  were  the  very  point,  or  at  least 
one  point,  in  debate  between  them  and  Trinitarians.  Accordingly, 
when  they  have  proved  this  point,  which  a  child  can  easily  do,  they 
commonly  triumph,  and  appear  to  consider  the  dispute  as  ended, 
and  their  antagonists  overthrown.  In  this  way  they  insinuate,  to 
their  readers,  that  Trinitarians  hold  the  existence  of  more  Gods 
than  one ;  and  that  all  their  argunients  are  intended  to  support  this 
doctrine.  Whereas  every  Unitarian  perfectly  well  knows,  that 
the  unity  of  God  is  as  entirely,  and  as  professes  11} ,  holden  by 


48  OBJECTIONS  TO  THE  UNITARIAN  [9ER.  XL!. 

Trinitarians  as  himself;  that  none  of  their  arguments  are  directed 
against  it;  and  that  this  point  has  never  been,  and  never  can  be, 
in  debate  between  him  and  them.  That  the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity 
involves,  or  infers,  the  existence  of  more  Gods  than  one,  every 
Unitarian  has  a  right  to  prove  ;  and  may  with  perfect  fairness 
prove,  if  he  can.  But  to  insinuate,  that  Trinitarians  beheve  the 
existence  of  more  Gods  than  one,  and  to  treat  them  as  if  they  thus 
behevcd,  when  it  is  perfectly  well  known  that  every  Trinitarian 
discljims  such  belief  wnth  indignation;  is  conduct,  w^hich,  in  my 
view,  admits  of  no  justification. 

2dly.  The  Unitarians  customarily  undertake  to  prove  that  Christ 
is  a  man  ;  and  thence  triumph  also,  as  if  they  had  refuted  the  doc- 
trine of  their  opposers.  Now  it  is  well  known  to  every  Unitarian, 
that  the  Trinitarians  with  one  voice  acknowledge  Christ  to  he  a  jnanf 
and  that  this  point,  therefore,  is  not  in  controversy  between  him 
and  them. 

It  is  wholly  disengenuous,  therefore,  to  insinuate  that  it  is  in  de- 
bate ;  or  to  attempt  to  make  it  a  part  of  the  controversy,  when  they 
know,  that  Trinitarians  as  uniformly  hold  it  as  themselves.  Of 
these  facts,  however,  they  usually  take  not  the  least  notice,  but  ap- 
pear to  consider  both  points  as  the  principal  topics  in  debate. 
Such  conduct  in  their  antagonists,  the  Unitarians  would  censure 
with  severity. 

I  shall  conclude  this  discussion  with  two  observations. 

The  first  is,  thaf  the  Unitarians  are  extensively  disagreed  concern- 
ing the  person  of  Christ.  The  Arians  consider  him  as  a  Super-an- 
gelic being :  The  Socinians  partly  as  a  man,  in  whom  dv^elt  all  the 
fulness  of  the  Godhead  bodily,  and  partly  as  a  man,  diflering  from 
other  men  only  by  being  wiser  and  better  :  The  Sabellians,  as  God 
manifested  in  one  manner.  The  Patripassians,  as  the  Father  living, 
and  suffering,  in  the  man  Jesus  Christ.  Some  of  the  Unitarians 
hold,  that  he  created  the  Universe ;  some,  that  he  made  an  atone- 
ment for  sin;  some,  that  he  ought  to  be  w'orshipped;  and  some  de- 
ny all  these  doctrines.  This  difference  is  derived  from  two  sources  : 
one  is,  that  their  reason,  or  philosophy,  dictates  nothing  concern- 
ing Christ,  in  which  they  can  harmonize.  The  other  is,  that  the 
Scriptures  in  no  very  satisfactory  manner  support  either  of  their 
opinions.  But  it  ought  to  be  observed,  that  this  very  difference  is 
of  such  a  nature,  as  strongly  to  indicate,  that  the  Scriptures  exhi- 
bit Christ  as  God. 

The  second  observation  is,  that  Unitarianism  has  an  evident  ten- 
dency to  infidelity. 

This  is  strongly  evident  in  the  manner,  in  which  the  Unitarians 
speak  of  the  Scriptures ;  the  insufficiency  which  they  attribute  to 
them  for  settling  religious  doctrine? ;  and  the  superior  sufficiency, 
which  they  attribute  to  Reason.  It  is  evident,  also,  in  the  laxness 
of  their  ideas  concerning  what  genuine  religion  is ;  their  want  of 
venei-ation  for  the  Sabbath ;  their  want  of  attendance  on  the  public 


SER.  XLI]  MODE  OF  CONTROVERSY.  49 

worship  of  God ;  and  their  devotion  to  the  pleasures  and  amuse- 
ments of  life. 

Dr.  Priestly  acknowledges,  that  "  the  Unitarian  Societies  do  not 
Jlourish ;  that  their  members  have  but  a  slight  attachment  to  them, 
and,  easily  desert  them,''^ 

Voltaire  also  says,  "  that  down  to  his  own  time,  only  a  very  small 
number  of  those,  called  Unitarians,  had  held  any  religious  meet- 
ing s,^^ 

Dr.  Priestly  also  says,  that  "  many  Unitarians  have  become  more 
indifferent  to  religion  in  general,  than  they  were  before  ;  and  to  all 
the  modes  and  doctrines  of  religion.''^  Concerning  himself,  he  says, 
"  that  he  was  once  a  Calvimst,  and  that  of  the  straitest  sect ;  then  a 
high  Arian ;  next  a  low  Arian  ,*  then  a  Socinian ;  and  in  a  little 
time  a  Socinian  of  the  lowest  kind,  in  which  Jesus  Christ  is  consider- 
ed as  a  mere  man,  the  son  of  Joseph  and  Mary,  and  naturally  as 
fallible  and  peccable  as  Moses,  or  any  other  Prophet.''"'  He  also 
says,  "Ae  does  not  know  when  his  creed  will  be  fixed.'''*  This  I  con- 
sider as  the  true  progress,  nature,  and  tendency,  of  Unitarianism. 
The  end  of  this  progress  in  most  men  is  easily  foreseen.  Let  him, 
therefore,  who  finds  himself  inclined  to  think  favourably  of  tiiese 
opinions,  consider  well,  before  he  embraces  them,  what  will  pro- 
bably be  the  final  termination  of  his  religious  system. 


Vol.  II. 


SERMON  XLII. 


INCARNATION    OF    CHRIST. 


Romans  viii.  3. — God  sending  his  own  Son  in  the  likeness  of  sinful  flesh. 

1  HAVE,  in  several  preceding  discourses,  endeavoured  to  settle 
the  meaning  of  the  phrase,  God''s  own  Son,  used  in  this  passage  of 
the  Scriptures.  This  was  indispensably  necessary,  at  the  opening 
of  all  the  observations,  intended  to  be  made  concerning  the  doc- 
trines of  the  Christian  system.  As  these  doctrines  are  truths  partly 
unfolding  to  us  the  character  and  conduct  of  this  wonderful  person, 
and  partly  disclosing  to  us  the  consequences  of  his  interference  in 
the  behalf  of  mankind;  as  his  character,  in  a  greater  or  less  de- 
gree, affects  every  doctrine  of  what  is  appropriately  called  the 
Christian  Religion  ;  and  as  those,  who  set  out  with  different  views 
of  his  character,  proceed  farther  and  farther  asunder,  so  as  to  form 
in  the  end  entirely  different  systems  of  religious  doctrine ;  it  be- 
came indispensable,  that  this  great  point  should,  as  far  as  possible, 
be  fixed  at  the  beginning.  If  the  attempt  to  do  this  has  been  suc- 
cessful, in  the  degree  which  I  have  hoped,  it  will  contribute  not  a 
little  to  settle  on  a  firm  foundation  most  of  the  doctrines,  which  re- 
main to  be  investigated.  My  own  views  concerning  them,  it  will, 
at  least,  contribute  to  explain. 

In  this  passage  we  are  informed,  that  God  sent  his  Son  in  the 
like7iess  of  sinful  jlesh.  The  meaning  of  this  phrase,  {the  likeness 
of  sinful  fesh)  will  be  obvious  from  similar  phrases  in  Philippians 
ii.  7,  8,  He  zvas  made,  or,  as  it  is  in  the  original.  He  existed,  in  the 
likeness  of  men  j  and  being  found  in  fashion  as  a  man.  In  the  frst 
of  these  phrases,  the  original  word,  ojAoiwfAaTi,  is  the  same  with  that 
translated  likeness,  in  the  text.  In  the  second,  it  is  Cj^rifiaTi;  a  term 
of  a  kindred  signification,  denoting  ybrm,  or  fashion.  In  the  pas- 
sage in  Philippians,  the  phrases.  He  existed  in  the  likeness  of  men, 
and.  He  was  found  in  fashion  as  a  man,  denote,  that  he  was  a  real 
man.  In  the  text,  the  phrase,  the  likeness  of  sinful  flesh,  denotes, 
that  Ae  was  sent  in  realfesh',  here  figuratively  called  sin/w/,  be- 
cause it  is  in  all  other  instances,  except  that  of  Christ,  the  flesh,  or 
body,  of  sinful  beings. 

The  Doctrine,  contained  in  this  passage,  is,  therefore,  the  fol- 
lowing : 

That  Christ,  when  he  appeared  in  this  World,  was  a  real 

MAN. 

This  doctrine,  like  that  of  the  Deity  of  Christ,  has  been  exten- 
sively disputed. 


SER.  XLIL]  INCARNATION  OF  CHRIST.  5X 

The  Heretics,  generally,  who  embraced  the  Gnostic  philosophy, 
denied  Christ  to  have  been  a  man.  Some  mdividnals,  and  some 
classes,  held,  that  he  was  clothed  in  a  body  of  air;  that  he  suffer- 
ed only  in  appearance ;  and  thai  Judas  Iscariot  suffered  in  his  stead. 

To  all  these  and  the  like  doctnnes,  they  were  led  by  philoso- 
phizing on  this  subject.  It  is  a  just  observation  of  Lardner,  that 
"  Heretics  were,  in  the  general,  men  of  a  curious  and  inquisitive 
turn  of  mind,  and  greatly  indulged  this  disposition,  which  led  them 
to  speculate  on  many  points  of  doctrine,  concerning  which  the 
Scriptures  had  afforded  little  or  no  light.  When  the  Scriptures 
were  in  some  cases  inconsistent  with  their  notions,  they  were  for 
making  them  yield  to  their  philosophical  opinions.  Thus  the  sim- 
plicity of  truth  was  banished,  and  endless  divisions  arose."  Ter- 
tullian,  also,  says,  that  "  heresies  are  derived  from  philosophy ; 
and  that  secular  wisdom  is  a  rash  (or  fool-hardy)  interpreter  of  the 
Divine  nature,  and  disposition."  These  observations  are  with 
equal  force  and  justice,  applicable  to  heresies  of  modern  days,  and 
those  of  the  ancients  ;  and  few  of  cither  will  be  found  to  have  arisen 
from  any  other  source,  beside  a  philosophy,  too  proud,  or  too 
knowing,  to  submit  implicitly  to  the  testimony  of  God. 

There  are  two  modes  of  conduct,  with  respect  to  Religion,  in 
which  the  mind  may  be  justly  said  to  act  rationally.  One  is  to  de- 
termine, antecedently  to  our  knowledge  of  a  revelation,  as  well  as  we 
can,  what  is  religious  truth,  by  our  Reason  ;  the  other,  to  Jind  out 
and  embrace,  when  we  have  become  acquainted  with  Revelation, 
what  it  declares  to  be  religious  truth.  In  the  former  of  these  situa- 
tions. Reason  is  our  only  guide.  In  the  latter,  its  only  business  is 
to  discover  whether  the  professed  Revelation  is  a  real  one ;  and, 
after  this  point  is  settled  affirmatively,  to  discover,  and  receive, 
whatever  it  declares.  God  has  now  become  our  guide ;  and,  as 
He  can  neither  deceive,  nor  be  deceived,  our  duty  is  to  receive  his 
testimony  implicitly.  Had  this  plain  and  equitable  rule  been  uni- 
formly followed,  Christianity  would  never  have  been  thus  distort- 
ed ;  nor  the  Church  rent  asunder  by  such  lamentable  divisions. 

The  reason  why  the  Docetae,  one  class  of  the  ancient  Unitarians, 
denied  Christ  to  be  a  man,  was  the  general  principle  of  the  Gnos- 
tics :  that  moral  evil  has  its  seat  in  Matter.  Hence  they  held  that 
the  human  soul,  which  they  believed  to  have  been  originally  pure, 
derived  its  contamination  solely  from  its  union  with  the  body.  It 
was  no  unnatural  consequence,  for  those,  who  embraced  this  doc- 
trine, to  adopt  the  impossibility  of  an  union  between  God  and  the 
human  body ;  since  such  an  union  was,  of  course,  supposed  to  be 
capable  of  contaminating  even  the  Divine  purity. 

Their  philosophy,  therefore,  seems  necessarily  to  have  led  them 
into  the  conclusion,  that  Christ,  whom  they  believed  to  be  God,  was 
never  united  to  a  human  body.  In  the  same  manner  has  the  philoso- 
phy of  other  sects  led  them,  also,  to  embrace  doctrines,  directly 
opposed  to  the  express  declarations  of  the  Scriptures. 


52  IlVCARNATIOxN  OF  CHRIST.  [SER.  XLII 

Thai  Christ  was  a  man  in  the  absolute  sense,  is  easily  made  evi- 
dent by  many  kinds  of  proof,  and  by  almost  numberless  passages 
of  Scripture. 

1st.  He  is  called  a  man,  and  the  son  of  man,  in  a  very  great  mul- 
titude of  instances. 

The  number  of  instances,  in  which  he  has  this  latter  appellation, 
is  no  less  than  Seventy-one.  In  sixty-seven  of  these  instances  it  is 
given  to  him  by  himself^  once  by  Daniel ;  once  by  Si.  Stephen; 
and  twice  by  St.  John  in  the  Revelation.  In  giving  this  appella- 
tion to  himself,  it  will,  I  suppose,  be  acknowledged,  that  he  dis- 
closed his  real  character,  and  was,  what  he  calls  himself,  the  Son 
of  Man. 

When  he  is  styled  a  man,  also,  he  is  described  with  just  such 
characteristics,  those  excepted,  which  involve  error,  or  sin,  as  be- 
long to  other  men. 

He  is  exhibited  as  meek,  lowly,  and  dutiful  to  his  parents ;  as 
hungry,  thirsty,  and  weary ;  as  sustained,  and  refreshed,  by  food, 
drink,  and  sleep ;  as  the  subject  of  natural  affection ;  as  weeping 
with  tenderness  and  sorrow;  as  the  subject  of  temptations,  infirmi- 
ties, and  afflictions ;  and,  generally,  as  having  all  the  innocent 
characteristics,  which  belong  to  our  nature. 

2dly.  The  history  of  his  birth,  life,  and  death,  is  unanswerable 
proof  that  Christ  zvas  a  man.  Christ  was  born,  lived,  and  died, 
essentially  in  the  same  manner,  as  other  men.  He  increased  in 
wisdom,  0.S  well  a.?,  in  stature;  wrought  with  his  hands;  ate;  drank; 
slept;  suflercd  on  the  cross;  gave  up  the  Ghost;  and  was  buried: 
in  the  same  manner  as  other  men. 

3dly.  This  point  is  argued  at  large,  and  proved,  by  Si.  Paul,  in 
the  second  chapter  of  the  epistle  to  the  Hebrews. 

In  the  passage,  containing  this  argument,  are  the  following  de- 
clarations :  For  as  much,  then,  as  the  children  are  partakers  of 
Jlesh  and  blood,  he  also  himself  took  pari  of  the  same  :  and.  Where- 
fore in  all  things  it  behoved  him  to  be  made  like  unto  his  brethren. 

The  proofs,  which  I  have  alleged,  will,  it  is  presumed,  be  con- 
sidered as  abundantly  sufficient.  That  Christ  had  a  human  body 
cannot  be  questioned.  It  is  equally  unquestionable,  that  to  in- 
crease in  wisdom,  to  be  tempted,  to  be  sorrowful,  to  be  dutiful  to 
human  parents,  together  with  many  other  things  of  a  similar  na- 
ture, are  attributable  neither  to  God,  nor  to  the  human  body,  but 
are  appropriate  characteristics  of  the  human  soul.  Christ,  there- 
fore, had  a  human  soul,  as  well  as  a  human  body ;  and  was  in  the 
absolute  sense  a  man. 

But  he  was  not  a  man  only. 

This,  also,  is  evident  from  numerous  scriptural  declarations. 
87.  Paul  says,  Philippians  ii.  5,  He,  who  was  in  the  form  of  God, 
and  thought  il  no  robbery  to  be  equal  luith  God,  Nevertheless  made 
himself  of  no  reputation  ;  (sxsvwo's,  emptied  himself,  or  devested  him- 
self of  tins  form  of  God;  the  glory  and  greatness  which  he  before 


SER.  XLII.]  INCARNATION  OF  CHRIST.  53 

possessed)  and  taking  upon  himself  the  form  of  a  servant,  was 
born  {or  existed)  in  the  likeness  of  men.  It  is  not  my  intention,  in 
quoting  this  passage,  to  insist  on  the  Deity  of  Christ,  so  unequivo- 
cally declared  in  it;  but  only  to  observe,  that  He,  who  was  thus  a 
man,  was,  antecedendy  to  his  appearance  in  this  human  character, 
a  person,  entirely  distinct  from  what  he  was  as  a  man. 

Antecedently  to  his  being  born  in  the  likeness  of  men,  he  exist- 
cd ;  and  existed  in  the  form  of  God ;  and  thought  it  no  robbery  to 
be  equal  with  God,  Nevertheless,  'solvtqv  sxsvuds,  he  emptied  himself. 
He  existed,  therefore,  previously  to  his  appearance  as  a  man  •,  and 
emptied  himself,  voluntarily,  when  he  (voluntarily,  also)  took  vpon 
himself  the  form  of  a  servant,  and  luas  born  in  the  likeness  of  men. 
In  other  words,  the  person,  here  spoken  of  as  being  in  the  form  of 
God,  became  incarnate.  This  person,  I  have  attempted  to  show, 
was  divine ;  and  no  other  than  the  Word,  or  Son,  of  God. 

The  great  objection  to  the  doctrine  of  the  incarnation  of  Christ, 
is  an  objection  of  Philosophy  only ;  and  in  my  view  a  very  unphilo- 
sophical  objection.  "  It  is  a  doctrine,''''  say  the  objecters,  "  wholly 
mysterious  and  inexplicable.''^ 

After  what  was  urged  in  the  preceding  discourse,  on  the  subject 
of  mysteries,  very  litde  can  be  thought  necessary  to  be  added  here. 
Let  it,  however,  be  observed,  that  the  truth  of  the  objection  is 
cheerfully  acknowledged  by  me ;  and,  so  far  as  I  know,  by  all 
who  hold  this  doctrine.  At  the  same  time,  it  is  an  objection  with- 
out force  5  and  is  idly  urged,  to  say  the  least,  by  Unitarians,  When 
the  Arians  will  explain  how  their  Super-angelic  being  became  the 
infant,  and  ultimately  the  man,  Jesus  Christ ;  and  did,  and  suffered, 
and  accomplished,  the  things  asserted  of  Christ ;  when  the  Socin- 
ians  will  explain  how  he,  who  was  created  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  was 
born  of  Joseph  and  Mary  ;  how  organized  Matter  thinks  ;  how  he. 
who  began  to  exist  at  his  birth,  existed  antecedently  in  the  form 
of  God;  emptied  himself;  and  was  then  born  in  the  likeness  of  men  ; 
and  when  both,  or  either,  of  them  will  explain  how  the  things,  said 
in  the  Scriptures  concerning  Christ,  are  true,  and  at  the  same  time 
consistent  with  their  respective  schemes ;  or  how  God  could  say 
them,  if  they  were  not  true :  I  think  I  may  venture  upon  an  at- 
tempt to  explain  the  mystery  of  the  Incarnation.  Until  we  know 
the  nature  of  the  Divine  Existence,  and  the  nature  of  the  human 
soul ;  we  shall  never  be  able  to  determine  how  far  God  may  unite 
himself  with  such  a  soul,  or  whether  such  an  union  is  impossible. 

On  this  and  every  other  question,  concerning  the  nature  of  the 
Divine  Existence,  and  of  the  existence  of  finite  minds,  we  cannot 
even  begin  to  form  ideas ;  but  must  be  indebted  for  whatever  facts 
we  either  know,  or  believe,  to  the  testimony  of  God. 

For  aught  that  we  are  able  to  determine,  a  finite  mind  may  be  so 
far  united  to  the  Infinite  Mind,  as  that  all  the  views,  affections,  pur- 
poses, ends,  and  agency,  of  both,  which  are  not  discordant  in 
their  very  nature,  may  exactly  coincide;  and.  Independently  of 


54 


INCARNATION  OF  CHRIST 


[SER.  XLII 


their  character  as  finite,  or  infinite,  constitute  but  a  single  charac- 
ter, and  a  single  agency.  But,  as  I  have  before  said,  for  all  our 
just  conceptions  on  this  subject,  we  are,  and  must,  be,  indebted 
to  the  testimony  of  God  only  ;  and  beyond  this  testimony,  as  well 
as  without  it,  we  literally  know  nothing. 

This  testimony,  as  it  relates  to  the  doctrine  under  consideration, 
is  in  my  view  complete.  That  Christ  is  truly  and  essentially  God 
has,  if  I  mistake  not,  been  sufficiently  evinced;  and  also  that  he 
appeared  in  this  world  a  Man  in  the  absolute  and  perfect  sense. 
This  account  of  his  character  will  be  advantageously  elucidated  by 
a  summary  comparison  of  the  representations,  made  of  him  in  both 
these  characters. 


As  God  it  is  said. 
That  he  is  God,  the  true  God, 
the  mighty  God,  the  great  God, 
Jehovah,  I  am,  and  Emmanuel, 
&c.  That  his  goings  forth  were 
from  of  old,  from  everlasting; 
that  he  was  in  the  beginning  set 
up  from  everlasting,  or  ever  the 
earth  was,  kc.  That  he  was  in 
the  beginning  with  God ;  rejoic- 
ing alway  before  him  ;  present, 
when  he  prepared  the  heavens, 
and  laid  the  foundations  of  the 
earth;  and  possessed  of  glory 
with  him  before  ever  the  world 


was. 


With  reference  to  his  greatness 
as  God,  united  to  man,  it  is  said, 
that  Gabriel  predicted  his  birth, 
an  Angel  declared  to  the  Shep- 
herds of  Bethlehem,  that  he  was 
born,  and  a  choir  of  the  Heaven- 
ly Host  sung  together  his  natal 
hymn. 

That  he  is  the  same  yester- 
day, to-day,  and  for  ever. 

That  all  things  are  his ;  that 
he  upholds  them  by  the  word  of 
his  power,  and  that  they  were 
made  for  him,  and  by  him. 

That  he  is  Lord  of  All  things, 
of  Angels,  Principalities,  and 
Powers ;  and  will  subdue,  and  is 
able  to  subdue,  all  things  unto 
himself,  and   put  all  opposition 


As  Man  it  is  said, 
That  he  was  an  Infant,  a 
Child,  a  Man,  a  Carpenter,  the 
son  of  Joseph  and  Mary,  and 
the  brother,  or  cousin-german,  of 
James  and  Joses.  That  he  was 
born  in  the  reign  of  Herod  the 
Great,  and  of  the  Roman  Empe- 
ror Augustus  Ciesar. 

That  he  was  born  in  Judea  ;  in 
Bethlehem,  the  city  of  David ^ 
in  the  stable  of  an  Inn  ;  and  was 
cradled  in  a  manger. 

That  he  was  refused  a  place 
in  the  Inn,  forgotten  in  the  Sta- 
ble, and  unfurnished  even  with 
the  ordinary  comforts,  provided 
for  the  children  of  peasants. 

That  he  grew  while  a  Child, 
really  and  perceptibly,  in  wis- 
dom and  stature,  and  in  favour 
with  God  and  man  ;  and  there- 
fore changed,  day  by  day ;  and 
that  through  his  life. 

That  he  had  not  where  to  lay 
his  head,  and  was  sustained,  with- 
out any  property  of  his  own,  by 
the  bounty  of  his  disciples;  and 
at  times,  of  others. 

That  he  was  subject  to  the 
Jewish  and  Roman  Government, 
paid  tribute,  and  performed  all 
the  usual  duties  of  a  child  to  his 
parents,  and  of  a  subject  to  his 
ruler;  and  was  exposed   to  the 


SER.  XLIL] 


INCARNATION  OF  CHRIST. 


55 


under  his  feet ;  and  that  his  throne 
and  dominion  are  for  ever  and 
ever. 

That  he  was  originally  rich  in 
the  possession  of  all  things;  and 
the  continual  delight  of  his  Fa- 
ther in  the  heavens  ;  where  the 
Angels  unceasingly  worshipped 
him. 

That  at  the  close  of  this  world, 
he  will  come  in  the  clouds  of  hea- 
ven with  power  and  great  glory, 
and  with  all  his  holy  Angels ;  will 
summon  the  dead  from  their 
graves  ;  will  gather  all  nations 
before  the  throne  of  his  glory  ; 
will  judge  both  Angels  and  men 
according  to  their  works ;  will 
punish  the  wicked  with  an  ever- 
lasting destruction  from  the  glory 
of  his  power;  will  conduct  the 
righteous  into  heaven ;  and  will 
cause  them  to  live,  and  reign, 
with  him  for  ever  and  ever. 

Finally,  in  his  divine  charac- 
ter it  is  said,  that  he  was  in  the 
form  of  God,  and  thought  it  no 
robbery  to  be  equal  with  God. 


direct  assaults  and  temptations 
of  the  Devil. 

That  for  our  sakes  he  became 
poor,  afflicted,  despised,  and  re- 
jected of  men  ;  a  man  of  sorrows 
and  acquainted  with  grief;  light- 
ly esteemed,  hated,  and  perse- 
cuted. 

That  he  was  betrayed  by  Ju- 
das ;  seized  by  the  Roman  sol- 
diers ;  brought  before  the  Sanhe- 
drim ;  judged  ;  condemned  to 
death ;  again  brought  before  Pi- 
late, judged,  and  condemned ; 
buffetted  ;  crowned  with  thorns  ; 
mocked  ;  spit  upon  ;  scourged ; 
nailed  to  the  cross ;  and  carried 
to  the  tomb. 

But  that  having  emptied  him-, 
self,  and  taken  upon  him  the  form 
of  a  servant,  he  was  born  in  the 
likeness  of  men  ;  and  being  found 
in  fashion  as  a  man,  he  became 
obedient  unto  death,  even  the 
death  of  the  cross. 


At  the  close  of  this  wonderful  career  he  was  raised  from  the 
dead.  He  himself  informs  us,  that  he  laid  down  his  own  life  volun- 
tarily, and  that  no  one  was  able  to  take  it  out  of  his  hands.  He  also 
informs  us,  that  he  himself  took  it  up  again.  Accordingly,  he  rose 
from  the  grave  on  the  third  day ;  and,  after  conversing  familiarly 
with  his  disciples,  concerning  the  things  pertaining  to  the  kingdom 
of  God,  forty  days,  he  ascended  to  Heaven  in  a  cloud  of  glory,  at- 
tended by  the  Heavenly  host ;  entered  the  world  of  glory  in  triumph; 
and  sat  down  on  the  right  hand  of  the  Majesty  on  high  :  or  as  it  is 
elsewhere  expressed.  This  man,  after  he  had  offered  one  sacriHce. 
for  sins,  sat  down  for  ever  on  the  right  hand  of  God.  At  his  name, 
henceforth,  every  knee  is  required  to  how,  of  things  in  Heaven,  and 
things  in  earth,  and  things  under  the  earth  ;  and  every  tongue  to  con- 
fess,  that  he  is  the  Lord,  or  Sovereign  of  all  things,  to  the  glory  of 
God  the  Father.  The  throne  of  infinite  dominion  is  accordingly, 
and  appropriately,  styled  the  throne  of  God  and  the  Lamb.  Before 
this  throne,  the  four  living  ones  cry,  Holy,  holy,  holy,  Lord  God 
Almighty,  who  wast,  and  who  art,  and  who  art  to  come.  Thefour- 
and-twenty  Elders  cast  their  crowns  at  his  feet,  and  say,   Thou  art 


5g  INCARNATION  OF  CHRIST.  [SER.  XLII 

worthy,  O  Lord!  to  receive  glory,  and  honour,  and  power,  for  thou 
hast  created  all  things,  and  for  thy  pleasure  they  are,  and  were  cre- 
ated. And  the  multitude  of  Angels  round  about  the  throne,  and  the 
living  ones,  and  the  Elders,  say  with  a  loud  voice,  Worthy  is  the 
Lamb  that  was  slain  to  receive  power,  and  riches,  and  wisdom,  and 
strength,  and  honour,  and  glory,  and  blessing  ;  and  every  creature 
rvhich  is  in  Heaven,  on  the  earth,  under  the  earth,  and  in  the  sea,  is 
heard,  saying.  Blessing  and  honour,  and  glory,  and  power,  be  unto 
him  that  sitteth  on  the  throne,  and  unto  the  Lamb,  for  ever  and  ever. 
To  this  divine  ascription,  the  four  Living  Ones  subjoin  their  so- 
lemn Amen. 

On  this  comparative  view  of  the  wonderful  subject,  under  con- 
sideration, I  make  the  following  remarks. 

1st.  It  is  evident  to  the  least  consideration,  that  the  things,  which 
are  here  said  of  Christ,  are  exceedingly  unlike  eachother.  So  unlike 
are  they,  that,  if  we  suppose  two  beings  to  be  the  subjects  of  ho- 
liness ;  their  characters  cannot  be  more  different  from  each  other, 
than  the  things  are,  which  are  here  declared  concerning  Chnst. 

Let  any  man  attempt  to  describe  two,  the  most  distant,  charac- 
ters of  two,  the  most  distant,  holy  beings  ;  and  he  will  find  himself 
unable  to  place  them  farther  asunder,  than  these  two  characters  of 
Christ  are  placed.     Therefore, 

2dly.  These  two  characters  cannot  be  given  to  any  being,  possess- 
ed of  a  simple  nature. 

That  they  are  all  truly  said,  will  not  be  here  called  in  question. 
If  we  suppose  the  person,  of  whom  they  are  said,  to  be  only  God; 
we  shall  be  obliged  either  to  say,  with  the  Sabellians,  that  Christ 
was  no  other  than  God  manifesting  himself  in  one  particular  form  ; 
or,  with  the  Patripassians,  that  the  Father  lived  here,  suffered, 
and  died,  as  a  man  ;  or,  with  the  Docetae,  that  Christ  was  God 
only  ;  that  his  appearance  as  a  man  was  an  illusion  ;  that  he  had  a 
visionary  body  ;  and  suffered  only  in  appearance  and  pretence ; 
while  Judas  Iscariot,  or  some  other  culprit,  was  crucified  in  his 
stead. 

It  is  plainly  impossible,  that  the  same  simple  being  should  be 
set  up  from  everlasting,  be  the  Alpha  and  Omega,  the  beginning 
and  the  ending  ;  and  yet  he  born  in  Judea,  in  the  reign  of  Herod  the 
Great :  Be  the  same  yesterday,  to-day,  and  for  ever  ;  and  yet  in- 
crease in  wisdom,  and  in  favour  with  God  and  man  :  Create  all  things 
visible  and  invisible  ;  and  yet  be  made  of  a  woman:  be  the  Law- 
giver to  the  Universe;  and  yet  be  made  under  the  Law  :  Uphold  all 
things  by  the  word  of  his  power  ;  and  yet  be  a  petitioner  for  the  daily 
supplies  of  his  wants,  and  the  protection  of  his  person  :  Possess  all 
things,  and  yet  have  not  where  to  lay  his  head  :  Know  all  things,  and 
yet  not  know  as,  if  we  adopt  the  common  interpretation,  we  must 
suppose  he  did  not  know,  the  time  of  the  destruction  oi  Jerusalem  : 
Be  the  final  Judge  and  Rewarder  of  the  quick  and  the  dead,  and  yet 
be  tried,  condemned,  and  executed  by  men :  and6e  in  the  form  of 


SER.  XLII]  INCARNATION  OF  CHRIST.  57 

God,  and  justly  think  it  no  robbery  to  be  equal  with  God,  and  yet  be  a 
servant,  a  man,  and  a  frail  and  dying  man. 

But  all  these  things,  and  innumerable  others,  substantially  of  the 
same  nature,  in  both  respects,  are  declared  concerning  Christ. 
All,  also,  are  declared  by  God  himself.  They  are,  therefore,  true ; 
and  true,  in  the  natural,  obvious  sense.  Of  course,  they  are  wor- 
thy of  all  acceptation. 

It  follows,  then;  that  Christ  is,  notwithstanding  the  sneers  of 
Unitarians,  God  and  Man.  In  the  language  of  the  Scriptures,  The 
Word  became  Jlesh,  and  dwelt  among  us.  Yet,  humble  as  were  the 
station  and  circumstances  in  which  he  appeared,  we  are  able  still  to 
behold  his  glory,  the  glory  as  of  the  only  begotten  of  the  Father. 

3dly.  There  are  three  important  facts,  recorded  concerning  Christ, 
in  which  he  differs  wholly  from  all  created  beings,  and  which  merit 
the  attentive  consideration  of  every  serious  man. 

1.  He  always  taught  in  his  own  name  ;  even  when  altering,  and 
annulling,  the  acknowledged  Word  of  God. 

Christ  came,  to  change  the  Mosaic  system  into  the  Christian ;  and 
accordingly  substituted  the  latter  for  the  former.     In  every  part  of 
this  employment  He  taught  in  his  own  nan)e.     The  preceding  Pro- 
phets had  uniformly  introduced  their  Instructions  with  Thus  saith 
the  Lord  ;  Thus  saith  Jehovah.     Christ,  immediately  after  address- 
ing his  consolations  to  his  disciples  by  way  of  preface,   introduces 
his  Sermon  on  the  Mount  in  the  following  manner  :    TTiink  not  that 
I  am  come  to  destroy  the  Lazv  or  the  Prophets  :  that  is,  the  system  of 
Religion  in  the  Old  Testament :  /  am  not  come  to  destroy,  but  to 
fulfil.     For  verily  I  say  unto  you,  &ic.     This  phraseoloo-y  he  re- 
peats every  where  throughout  this  Sermon,  and  throughout  the  Gos- 
pel.    Not  once  does  he  say.  Thus  saith  the  Lord,  during  his  Min- 
istry ;  nor  teach  with  any  authority  except  his  own.     Now  it  is 
evident,  that  the  authority,  which  he  actually  assumed,  was  equal 
in  his  view,  and  in  the  view  of  the  Scriptures,  to  that,  which  sanc- 
tioned the  declarations  of  the  Old  Testament ;  because  he  changes, 
and  annuls,  both  the  doctrines  and  the  precepts  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment, at  his  pleasure. 

In  the  same  manner  when  he  appeared  unto  St.  Paul  in  the  way 
to  Damascus,  after  informing  Paul,  that  he  was  Jesus,  whom  he  per- 
secuted, he  commissioned  him  to  preach  the  Gospel  to  the  Gentiles, 
and  sent  him  as  his  Apostle  to  them,  by  his  own  authority,  without 
appealing  to  any  other. 

As,  therefore,  the  authority,  assumed  in  these  cases,  is  equiva- 
lent to  that,  by  which  the  Old  Testament  was  revealed ;  He,  who 
rightfully  assumed  it,  was  God. 

The  same  authority,  also,  Christ  assumed,  and  exhibited,  gener- 
ally, when  he  wrought  miracles ;  and  he  never  makes  mention  of 
any  other. 

2.   The  Apostles  uniformly  appeal  to  the  authority  of  Christ  in 
their  preaching  and  miracles. 
Vol.  II.  8 


58  INCARNATION  OF  CHRIST.  [SER.  XLII. 

Ill  the  name  of  Jesus  C/tnV/,  says  St.  Peter  to  the  impotfiit  man, 
rise  nps  nnd  walk. 

By  lolutt  pojoer,  said  the  Sanhedrim  to  Peter  m^d  his  companions, 
or  by  lohnt  name,  have  you  done  this  ?  that  is,  healer]  th<'  impotent 
man?  he  it  kivmrn  unto  you  all,  answered  the  Apostle,  and  to  all 
the  people  of  Israel,  that  by  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Nazareth^ 
zohom  ye  rrucifed,  lohom  God  raised  from  the  dead,  even  by  him^ 
doth  this  man  stand  here  before  you  whole,  j^neas,  said  Peter,  Je- 
sus Christ  maketh  thee  lohole.  All  authority,  says  our  Saviour,  is 
delivered  to  me  in  Heaven  and  in  Earth.  As  my  Father  hath  sent 
me,  so  send  I  you. 

Under  this  commission  the  Apostles  preached,  and  acted ;  and 
in  multiplied  instances  have  declared  to  us,  that  it  was  the  authori- 
ty of  God. 

A  single  declaration  of  this  sort  will  suffice  for  them  all.  Mark 
xvi.  20,  And  they  went  forth,  and  preached  every  where,  the  Lord 
working  with  them,  and  confirming  the  word  with  signs  follozcing. 
Amen. 

3.  In  the  Revelation  of  St.  John.,  it  is  to  be  observed,  Christ  receives 
the  praises  of  the  Heavenly  host,  both  singly  and  in  conjunction  with 
the  Father,  but  never  unites  in  them. 

Neither  Christ,  nor  the  Holy  Spirit,  is  ever  called  upon  to  perform 
the  great  duly  of  all  creatures  to  praise  God,  or  to  pray  to  Him. 
Both  these  duties  Christ  performed  as  a  man,  when  here  on  earth  ; 
but  he  is  never  exhibited  as  performing  the  duty  of  praise  in 
Heaven.  All  other  virtuous  beings  are  exhibited  as  making  this 
their  constant  worship,  and  a  prime  part  of  their  duty.  But  amid 
all  tlieir  ascriptions  of  praise  to  God,  Christ  is  no  where  exhibited 
as  uniting  with  them  in  this  duty  ;  in  itself  so  delightful  to  a  virtuous 
mind,  and  so  naturally  and  obviously  obligatory  on  every  rational 
being.  The  whole  multitude  of  saints  and  angels,  w^ith  the  four 
living  ones  at  their  head,  join,  without  exception,  in  the  Heaven- 
ly song  ;  Blessing,  and  honour,  and  glory,  and  pozDer,  be  unto  Him 
that  sitteth  on  the  throne.  But  the  only  part,  everattributed  to  Christ, 
is  to  be  united,  in  receiving  the  ascription,  together  with  Hiyn  that 
sitteth  on  the  throne  :  for  the  ascription  is  made  to  Him  that  sitteth 
on  the  throne,  and  to  the  Lamb,  for  ever  and  ever.* 

1  have  now  finished  the  observations,  which  I  intended  to  make 
concerning  this  interesting  subject ;  and  exhibited  what  ajjpears  to 
me  to  be  the  true  meaning  of  the  remarkable  phraseology  in  the  text. 
God  sending  his  own  Son  in  the  likeness  of  sinfxdfiesh,  and  of  other 
similar  passages  found  in  the  Scriptures :  such  as.  The  word  was 
made  Jlesh  ;  The  seed  of  David  according  to  the  flesh  ;  Ofzvhom.  as 
concerning  the  flesh,  Christ  came;  Christ  is  come  in  the  flesh,   &ic. 

I  shall  now  conclude  the  discourse  with  the  following 
REMARKS. 

1st.  This  doctrine  teaches  us,  in  the  strongest  manner,  the  conde- 
scension  of  Christ. 

*  Rev.  s.  13 


SER.  XLIL]  INCARNATION  OF  CHRIST.  59 

In  this  light  it  is  considered  by  St.  Paul  in  that  memorable  pas- 
sage, Phil.  ii.  5,  &c.  Let  this  mind  be  in  you,  zohich  was  also  in 
Christ  Jesus  ;  Who,  being  in  the  form  of  God,  thought  it  not  robbery 
to  be  equal  with  God  ;  But  made  himself  of  no  reputation,  and  took 
upon  him  the  form  of  a  Servant,  and  was  made  in  the  likeness  of  men. 

No  subject  presents  to  us  so  wonderful  an  example  of  condescen- 
sioti,  as  the  incarnation  of  Christ :  Nor  could  any  fact  fill  our  minds 
witii  the  same  astonishment,  were  it  not,  that  we  have  been  accus- 
tomed to  hear  it  repeated  from  the  cradle,  and,  like  the  state  of  the 
weatiier,  rendered  an  object  of  perpetual  familiarity  ;  a  thing,  al- 
most of  course,  in  the  ordinary  current  of  our  thoughts  ;  by  unceas- 
ing inculcation. 

From  these  causes,  we  pass  it  without  serious  attention,  and,  even 
when  we  dwell  upon  it,  scarcely  realize  its  nature.  The  impres- 
sions, which  it  makes  on  the  mind,  resemble  those,  made  on  the  eye 
of  such,  as  have  been  long  accustomed  to  them,  by  a  delightful 
landscape,  a  stupendous  cataract,  or  a  mountain,  w-hich  loses  its 
summit  in  the  clouds.  At  the  view  of  these,  a  stranger  is  fixed  in 
exquisite  delight ;  and  has  all  his  thoughts  engrossed,  and  his  emo- 
tions absorbed,  by  the  wonderful  scene.  No  language  will  in  his 
view  serve  to  describe,  and  no  picture  to  image,  on  the  one  hand 
the  beauty,  or  on  the  other  the  sublimity,  of  these  illustrious  ob- 
jects. To  do  them  justice  in  his  representations,  and  to  spread 
fairly  before  others  the  views,  formed  of  them  by  his  own  mind,  he 
will  labour  in  thought,  select  and  refuse,  alternately,  the  language 
which  offers  itself,  and  will  at  last  sit  down,  discouraged,  without  a 
hope  of  being  able  to  render  his  conceptions  visible  to  other  eyes,  or 
to  do  any  thing  Uke  justice  to  what  was  so  magnificent  in  the  view 
of  his  own.  Those,  in  the  mean  time,  who  have  long  lived  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  the  same  objects,  will,  in  many,  though  not  indeed 
in  all  instances,  survey  them  without  emotion,  and  even  without  at- 
tention ;  apparently  as  insensible  to  the  beauty  and  grandeur,  as  the 
horses  which  they  ride,  or  the  oxen  which  they  drive. 

Such  seem,  but  too  commonly,  to  be  the  views,  formed  by  most 
men  concerning  the  incarnation  of  Christ;  and  such  the  insensibili- 
ty, with  which  it  is  but  too  generally  regarded.  Even  Christians, 
like  their  predecessors,  mentioned  in  the  Gospel,  are,  in  innumera- 
ble instances,  fools  in  this  respect,  and  slow  of  heart  to  believe,  or 
even  to  realize. 

But  let  us,  for  a  moment  at  least,  lay  aside  these  obtuse  views, 
these  eyes  which  are  dull  of  seeing,  these  hearts  too  gross  to  under- 
stand. Let  us  shake  off  the  torpor  which  benumbs  our  frame,  and 
rouse  ourselves  to  perception  and  feeling.  Let  us  regard  this  won- 
derful subject  with  common  justice,  and  common  candour. 

The  glorious  Person,  who  in  the  Scriptures  is  designated  by  the 
appellation,  'o  AoyosTi;  0£s,  or  the  Word  of  God,  In  the  beginning 
created  the  heavens  and  the  earth;  and  said.  Let  there  be  light,  and 
there  was  light ;  Let  there  be  a  firmament,  and  there  was  a  firma- 


60  INCARNATION  OF  CHRIST.  [SER.  XLII. 

ment.  His  hand  also  lighted  up  the  flame  of  the  sun,  and  kindled 
the  stars.  He  upholds  the  Universe  hy  the  word  of  hia  power ; 
and  preserves  order  and  regularity  throughout  all  the  parts  of  this 
amazing  system. 

In  the  Heavens  he  shines  with  inexpressible  splendour.  On  the 
earth  he  lives,  and  works,  provides  and  sustains,  and  satisfies  the 
wants  of  every  living  thing.  Throughout  immensity,  He  quickens 
into  life,  action,  and  enjoyment,  the  innumerable  multitudes  of  In- 
telligent beings.  The  universe,  which  he  made,  he  also  governs. 
The  worlds,  of  which  it  is  composed,  he  rolls  through  the  infinite 
expanse  with  an  Almighty  and  unwearied  hand;  and  preserves 
them  in  their  respective  places  and  motions  with  unerring  harmony. 
From  the  vast  storehouse  of  his  bounty  he  feeds  and  clothes  the  end- 
less millions  whomhis  hand  has  made;  and  from  the  riches  of  his  own 
unchangeable  Mind  informs  the  innumerable  host  of  Intelligent 
creatures  with  ever-improving  virtue,  dignity,  and  glory.  To  all 
these  he  allots  the  respective  parts,  which  they  are  qualified  to  act 
in  the  boundless  system  of  good,  which  his  wisdom  contrived,  and 
his  power  has  begun  to  execute ;  furnishes  them  with  the  means 
of  being  useful  in  his  eternal  kingdom  ;  and  thus  prepares  them  to 
be  amiable  and  excellent  in  his  sight,  and  instruments  of  perpetually 
increasing  good  to  each  other. 

At  the  head  of  this  great  kingdom  he  sits  upon  a  throne  high 
and  lifted  up,  far  exalted  above  all  heavens  ;  surveys  with  an  in- 
tuitive view,  and  with  divine  complacency,  the  amazing  work 
which  his  voice  has  called  into  being;  and  beholds  it  increasing 
without  intermission  in  happiness,  wisdom,  and  virtue,  and  ad- 
vancing, with  a  regular  progress,  towards  consummate  glory  and 
perfection. 

Although  he  is  not  zoorshipped  as  though  he  needed  any  thing, 
seeing  he  giveth  unto  all  life,  and  breath,  and  all  things  ;  Yet  before 
him  Angels  bow  and  veil  their  faces.  The  four  Living  ones  rest 
not  day  nor  nighty  crying,  Holy,  holy,  holy.  Lord  God  Almighty, 
who  wast,  and  who  art,  and  who  art  to  come.  And  the  whole  mul- 
titude of  the  heavenly  host,  the  number  of  whom  is  ten  thousand 
times  ten  thousand,  and  thousands  of  thousands,  unite  in  the  ever- 
lasting song,  7^/(;ssmg,  and  honour,  and  glory,  and  power,  be  unto 
Him  that  sitteth  upon  the  throne,  and  unto  the  Lamb,  for  ever  and 
ever. 

From  this  stupendous  height  of  greatness  and  enjoyment,  this 
Divine  Person,  passing  all  the  bounds  between  God  and  Man, 
between  the  Infinite  Mind  and  lifeless  matter,  united  himself  to 
man  who  is  but  a  worm;  assumed  to  himself  a  human  soul,  and  a 
human  body;  and  in  a  manner,  incomprehensible  by  us,  and  not 
improbably  by  all  other  creatures,  became  thenceforth  God-Man, 
inseparably  united  in  one  most  wonderful  and  mysterious  Person. 
Of  this  singular  act  the  end  was  not  less  glorious,  than  the  act 
itself  was  amazing.     It  was  to  save  a  race  of  rebellious  creatures, 


SER.  XLII.]  INCARNATION  OF  CHRIST.  61 

whom  he  needed  not,  from  misery  and  ruin ;  of  creatures,  whom  with 
a  word  he  could  have  returned  to  their  original  nothing,  and  whose 
places  with  another  word  he  could  have  filled  with  equal  or  greater 
numbers,  at  his  pleasure  ;  all  obedient,  faithful,  and  happy.  I  shall 
not,  however,  dwell  on  this  suljject  at  the  present  time.  Occasions 
still  more  appropriate  will  hereafter  bring  it  up  to  view.  The  sin- 
gle point  on  which  I  would  now  insist,  is  the  infinite  condescension 
of  Christ.  This  glorious  person  htmibled himself ,  to  behold  the  things 
which  are  done  tinder  the  sun. 

How  much  more  when  he  came  from  his  high  and  holy  place  to 
dwell  beneath  that  sun,  and  take  up  his  residence  on  his  foot-stool! 
All  this,  however,  he  was  pleased  to  do.  He  emptied  himself,  took 
upon  himself  the  form  of  a  servant,  and  was  born  in  the  likeness 
of  men. 

What  were  the  views  which  Angels  formed  of  this  new  and  as- 
tonishing event?  Easily  may  we  imagine,  that  all  heaven  was  lost 
in  wonder,  and  buried  in  silence,  to  behold  this  transition  from 
infinite  glory  to  supreme  humiliation,  from  the  throne  of  the  uni- 
verse to  a  tenement  of  clay.  How  instinctively  ought  we,  uniting 
with  Angels  in  the  same  views  and  the  same  emotions,  to  behold, 
wonder,  and  adore  ! 

2dly.  What  a  pattern  of  condescension  is  here  set  before  us  for  our 
imitation!  St.  Paul  mokes  tliis  practical  use  of  the  doctrine  under 
consideration  :  Let  the  same  mind  be  in  you,  says  he  to  the  Philip- 
pians,  zt)^2c/i  was  also  in  Christ. 

Condescension  is  here  enforced  on  the  race  of  man  with  an  au- 
thority, and  example,  literally  infinite.  The  Divine  Wisdom  dic- 
tated the  condescension  of  Christ ;  and  the  Divine  Goodness 
carried  it  into  execution.  In  it  we  see  the  manner,  in  which  the 
Infinite  Mind  is  pleased  to  act;  and  which  boundless  Excellence 
approves,  and  loves.  This,  then,  is  a  character  and  conduct,  to 
which  we  are  urged  by  the  highest  of  all  considerations,  the  ap- 
probation, and  example  of  God.  Would  we,  then,  be  like  God; 
would  we  be  perfect  as  He  is  perfect;  would  we  obtain  his  appro- 
bation;  would  we  inherit  the  blessings,  which  he  confers  on  those 
who  are  approved  by  him ;  would  we  become  really  excellent  and 
lovely  ;  we  shall  give  all  diligence,  that  the  same  mind  may  be  in 
us,  which  was  also  in  Christ.  We  shall  condescend  to  men  of  low 
degree ;  be  meek  and  lowly  of  heart ;  be  satisfied  with  humble 
stations,  offices,  and  employments ;  and  feel,  that  no  human  in- 
terest is  beneath  our  notice,  and  no  human  business  unfit  for  us 
to  perform,  when  we  are  called  to  perform  it,  and  when  others  by 
the  performance  can  be  relieved,  disposed  to  virtue,  or  made 
happy. 

But  how  different  is  the  usual  conduct,  and  the  prevailing  char- 
acter of  Man  !  All  men  sigh  to  be  rich ;  and  none  are  contented 
with  humble  circumstances.  All  men  pant  to  be  great ;  and  none 
are  satisfied  with  a  lowly  condition.     The  rich  despise  the  poor ; 


C2  INCARNATION  OF  CHRIST.  [SER.  XLIl. 

ihc  great  trample  on  the  small.  When  we  become  rich,  we  sigh 
for  atlditioiial  riches.  When  we  become  great,  we  toil,  and  watch, 
and  weary  ourselves  through  life,  to  become  greater.  All,  beneath 
us  in  these  mere  accidents,  we  overlook,  contemn,  insult,  and  style 
the  dirt  and  scum  of  the  earth. 

Christ,  on  the  contrary,  became,  voluntarily,  not  only  a  man, 
but  a  poor  man;  a  lowly  man;  the  son  of  a  carpenter;  humble 
in  his  station;  without  place,  or  power,  or  wealth  ;  and  perfectly 
satisfied  to  be  without  them  all.  His  friends,  his  disciples,  his 
Apostles,  were  selected  from  the  poor  and  lowly ;  and  he  alleged 
it  as  one  unanswerable  proof  of  his  Messiahship,  that  by  him  the 
poor  had  the  Gospel  preached  unto  them.  This  was  the  character 
of  Him,  whom  Angels  worship,  and  whom  the  Universe   obeys. 

Christ  descended  to  these  lowly  men,  and  to  these  humble  cir- 
cumstances, from  the  throne  of  the  heavens.  Shall  not  we,  then,  be 
wilhng  to  let  ourselves  down  from  the  side,  or  even  the  summit,  of 
our  mole-hill,  to  visit  our  fellow-emmets  at  the  bottom  ?  How  small 
the  descent  at  the  utmost!  How  silly,  how  base,  how  contradictory 
to  common  sense,  the  pride,  which  refuses  to  make  it ! 

Often,  very  often,  the  men,  whom  we  despise  as  greatly  beneath 
us,  are  better,  wiser,  and  more  excellent  in  the  sight  of  God,  than 
ourselves.  Always  we  are  odious  to  him,  and  conlemptilile  in  the 
eye  of  Reason,  for  this  very  pride.  Let  every  proud  man,  then, 
feel,  that  for  this  very  character,  which  he  so  fondly  cherishes,  he 
is  hateful  in  the  sight  of  God,  and  justly  contemptible  in  that  of 
men ;  that  the  character,  which  he  despises,  is  the  very  character 
in  which  Christ  chose  to  appear ;  and  that  the  men,  whom  he  treats 
with  abuse  and  insolence,  are  of  that  very  class,  out  of  which 
Christ  selected  his  friends  and  Apostles. 


SERMON  XLIII. 


COVENANT    OF    REDEMPTION. 


Isaiah  liii.  10 — 12. —  When  Ihou  shall  make  his  soul  an  offering  for  sin,  he  shall  see 
his  seed  ;  he  shall  prolong  his  days,  and  the  pleasure  of  the  Lord  shall  prosper  in 
his  hand.  He  shall  see  of  the  travail  of  his  soul,  and  shall  be  satisfied  :  by  his 
knowledge  shall  my  righteous  Servant  justify  many  ;  for  he  shall  bear  their  ini- 
quities. Therefore  will  I  divide  him  a  portion  with  the  great,  and  he  shall  divide 
the  spoil  with  the  strong  ;  because  he  hath  poured  out  his  soul  unto  death  ;  and  he 
was  numbered  with  the  transgressors ;  and  he  bare  the  siji  of  many,  and  made 
intercession  for  the  transgressors. 


"  If  his  soul  shall  make  a  propitiatory  sacrifice,  he  shall  see  a  seed,  which  shall  pro- 
long their  days  ;  and  the  gracious  purpose  of  Jehovah  shall  prosper  in  his  hands. 
Of  the  travail  of  his  soul  he  shall  see  (the  fruit)  and  be  satisfi,ed :  by  the  knowledge 
of  him  shall  my  Servant  justify  many  ;  for  the  punishment  of  their  iniquities  he 
shall  bear.  Therefore  will  I  distribute  to  him  the  many  for  his  portion  ;  and  the 
mighty  people  shall  he  .yhnre  for  his  spoil :  because  he  poured  out  his  soul  unto 
death,  and  was  numbered  with  the  transgressors  :  and  he  bare  the  sin  of  many  ; 
and  made  intercession  for  the  transgressors.'' 

LOVVTH. 

In  the  first  chapter  of  the  Epistle  to  the  Ephesians,  St.  Paul 
declares,  that  God  hath  chosen  us  in  Christ,  before  the  foundation 
of  the  world;  having  predestinated  us  to  the  adoption  of  children, 
by  Jesus  Christ,  to  himself;  according  to  the  good  pleasure  of  his 
will ;  to  the  praise  of  the  glory  of  his  grace,  zoherein  he  hath  made 
us  accepted  in  the  Beloved. 

The  manner,  in  which  this  transaction  took  place,  and  in  which 
the  purposes  of  it  were  accomplished,  is  recorded  in  the  text. 
The  Person,  who  speaks  in  the  text,  is  unquestionably  God  the 
Father;  as  is  evident  from  the  fact,  that  he  calls  Christ  in  the 
11th  verse  my  Servant.  The  Context,  as  you  well  know,  is  an 
eminent  and  remarkable  prophecy  concerning  the  birth,  life,  and 
sufferings  of  Christ ;  and  has  been  acknowledged  as  such,  so  far 
as  my  information  extends,  by  both  the  Jewish  and  Christian 
churches  universally,  in  every  age,  since  it  was  written.  Almost 
the  whole  of  it  is  occupied  by  an  account  of  his  humiliation  and 
sufferings,  described  with  such  a  degree  of  minuteness,  and  exact- 
ness, as  to  wear  the  appearance  rather  of  a  history,  than  of  a 
prophecy. 

In  the  text,  a  covenant  is  made,  on  the  part  of  the  Speaker, 
with  the  Person  of  whom  he  speaks ;  or,  on  the  part  of  God  the 
Father,  with  the  Son.  In  the  tenth  verse,  the  first  of  the  text,  it 
is  proposed,  conditionally,  in  the  following  terms  :  When  thou  shall 
make  his  soul  an  offering  for  sin,  he  shall  see  his  seed  ;  he  shall 


64  COVENANT  OF  REDEMPTION.  [SER.  XLIII. 

prolong  his  days  ;  and  the  pleasure  of  the  Lord  shall  prosper  in  his 
hand.     In  the  translation  of  Bishop  Lowth,  which  differs  from  the 
common  one  only  by  being  more  correct  and  exphcit,  it  is,  "  If 
his  soul  shall  make  a  propitiatory  sacrifice^  he  shall  see  a  seed  which 
shall  prolong  their  days  ;  and  the  gracious  purpose  of  Jehovah  shall 
prosper  in  his  hands.^^     The  difference   lies,  principally,  in   the 
second  clause,  "  He  shall  see  a  seed,  which  shall  prolong  their 
days."     It  could  not,  I  think,  with  propriety  be  promised,  as  a 
reward  to  Christ  for  his  sufferings,  that,  in  any  sense,  he  should 
prolong  his  own  days ;  but  with  the  most  perfect  propriety,  that 
he  should  see  a  seed,  which,  in  a  sense  hereafter  to  be  explained, 
should  prolong  their  days.     The  days  of  Him,  who  is  the  same 
yesterday,  to-day.,  and  for  ever  ;  the  Alpha  and  the  Omega,  the  be- 
ginning and  the  ending,  could  not  in  any  sense  be  prolonged  in 
consequence   of  his  sufl'erings,  or  of  any  other   possible  event. 
The  word  his,  supplied  by  the  Translators,  is  supplied  errone- 
ously :   since  in  the    present   translation   it   presents   a  meanmg, 
which  plainly  cannot  be  admitted.     The  justice  of  these  remarks 
will  be  further  evident  from  the  repetition  of  the  same  covenant  in 
the  eleventh  verse.     He  shall  see  of  the  travail  of  his  Soul ;  that  is, 
as  explained  by  Lowth,  "  Of  the  travail  of  his  Soid  he  shall  see  the 
fruit  and  be  satisfedf''  By  his  knowledge,  or  as  Lowth  more  cor- 
rectly renders  it,  "  By  the  knowledge  of  him,  shall  my  Servant  jus- 
tify many.''''     The  justif  cation  of  the  many,  here  spoken  of,  con- 
nected with  its  consequences,  is  the  very  reward,  promised  in  the 
preceding  verse,  in  the  words.  He  shall  see  a  seed,  which  shall  pro- 
long thnr  days  :  and  here  the  reward,  promised,  is  no  other,  than 
the  justif  cation  and  consequent  eternal  life  of  those,  who  should 
become  interested  in  his  death. 

Still  further  is  this  interpretation  evinced  to  be  just  by  the  repe- 
tition of  the  promise  in  the  twelfth  verse ;  or  third  of  the  text ; 
Therefore  I  will  divide  him  a  portion  with  the  great,  and  he  shall 
divide  the  spoil  with  the  strong  ;  because  he  hath  poured  out  his  soul 
unto  death ;  or,  as  more  happily  rendered  by  Bishop  Lowth,  There- 
fore I  will  distribute  to  him  the  many  for  his  portion;  and  the 
mighty  people  shall  he  share  for  his  spoil,  because  he  poured  out  his 
soul  unto  death.     It  is  not  true,  that  Christ  has  a  portion  divided  to 
him  with  the  great,  or  a  spoil  divided  to  him  with  the  strong.     He 
trod  the  wine  press  alone,  and  of  the  people  there  was  none  loith  him. 
Nor  is  there  any  one  to  share  with  him  the  reward  of  his  suffer- 
ings ;  but  he  was  alone  in  the  sufferings,  and  the  reward,  alike. 
Accordingly,  in  the  Septuagint  this  passage  is  rendered,  "  For  this 
cause  shall  he  receive  many  for  his  inheritance,  and  shall  share 
spoils  of  the  strong.''^ 

Finally,  the  same  thing  is  abundantly  evinced  in  Psalm  Ixxxix ; 
where,  also,  the  same  covenant  is  recorded.  Once  have  I  sworn 
by  my  holiness,  that  I  will  not  lie  unto  David.  His  seed  shall  en- 
dure for  ever,  and  his  throne  as  the  sun  before  me.     And  again,  His 


SER.XLIII]  COVENANT  OF  REDEMPTION.  Cj 

seed  also  will  I  make  to  endure  for  ever,  and  his  throne  as  the  days 
of  Heaven.  It  is  to  be  observed,  that  in  all  these  passages  the  re- 
ward, promised,  to  Christ,  consists  in  giving  persons  to  him  ^  as 
seed  j  the  many  ;  the  mighty  people.  These  are  undoubtedly  no 
other  than  the  general  assembly  and  church  of  the  frst  horn  ;  styled 
elsewhere  the  children  of  Gob  ;  little  children ;  sojis  and  daughters. 
They  are  his  own  people  ;  those,  in  whom  he  has  a  peculiar  proper- 
ty ;  persons  justified,  who  in  this  manner  have  become  his  portion  ^ 
his  spoil ;  his  seed.  The  reward  of  his  Sufferings,  here  promised, 
is  to  consist  of  these. 

It  is  not  however,  to  consist  in  the  persons  only,  but  in  their 
circumstances  also.  It  is  not  promised,  merely,  that  they  shall 
be  given  to  him  as  a  possession,  but  that  they  shall  be  given 
to  him  in  a  peculiar  manner;  attended  with  one  circumstance, 
at  least,  which  in  the  eye  of  the  Promiser  was  considered,  as 
materially  important  to  the  nature  of  the  gift.  He  shall  see  a 
seed,  which  shall  prolong  their  days;  or,  as  in  the  corresponding 
passage,  shall  endure  for  ever.  The  meaning  of  this  phraseology 
is  to  be  sought  in  the  use  of  it,  in  parallel  passages,  found  in  the 
Scriptures.  In  the  15th  Psalm,  David  inquires.  Lord,  wlio  shall 
abide  in  thy  tabernacle  ?  who  shall  dwell  in  thy  holy  hill  ?  and  im- 
mediately answers,  He  that  walketh  uprightly,  and  workcth  right- 
eousness. In  the  49th  Psalm  and  12th  verse,  he  says  of  the  wicked. 
That,  being  in  honour,  they  abide  not,  but  are  like  the  beasts  that 
perish.  In  the  125th  Psalm  and  1st  verse,  he  says.  They  that  trust 
in  the  Lord  shall  be  as  mount  Zion,  which  cannot  be  removed,  but 
abideth  for  ever.  In  John  10th  and  15th,  our  Saviour  saith  to  his 
disciples,  If  ye  keep  my  commandments ,  ye  shall  abide  in  my  love, 
even  as  I  have  kept  my  Father'' s  commandments,  and  abide  in  his 
love.  In  1st  of  John  2d  and  17th,  it  is  said,,  And  the  world passeth 
away,  and  the  lust  thereof;  but  he  that  doel'h  the  7vill  of  God  abideth 
for  ever.  In  Psalm  102d  and  28th,  it  is  said,  The  children  of  thy 
servants  shall  continue,  and  their  seed  shall  be  established  before  thee. 

We  are  now  prepared  to  settle  the  meaning  of  the  phrase  under 
consideration.  To  prolong  their  days,  To  endure  for  ever,  is  to 
abide  in  the  tabernacle  of  Gob,  in  his  holy  hill,  in  the  heavens  ;  to 
abide  in  the  love  of  Christ,  as  he  abides  in  his  Father'' s  love,  for 
ever  :  to  abide,  when  the  World  has  passed  away,  and  the  lust  there- 
of: to  be  established  before  God,  or  in  his  presence.  In  a  word,  it 
is  to  dwell  for  ever  in  heaven,  amid  the  enjoyments  of  a  happy  im- 
mortality. This  is  what  the  Scriptures  consider  as  abiding,  endur- 
ing, and  being  established ;  whenever  this  language  is  applied  to 
men.  In  opposition  to  this,  the  wicked  are  said  to  be  cut  off,  and  to 
perish;  to  be  as  the  grass,  to  be  destroyed,  to  be  no  more  ;  and  their 
candle  is  said  to  go  out.  This  part  of  the  promise,  then,  is  no  other, 
than  that  the  seed  of  Christ  shall  enjoy  a  blessed  eternity. 

In  the  passages,  quoted  from  the  89th  Psalm,   an   additional 
promise  is  made  in  the  same  covenant.     It  is  there  said,  that  his 

Vol.  II.  9 


^e  COVENANT  OF  REDEMPTION.  [SER.  KLIir. 

seed  shall  endure  for  ever,  and  his  throne,  that  is,  his  dominion 
over  I  hem  particularly,  as  the  days  of  heaven.  The  same  thing  is 
also  covenanted,  in  ditierent  phraseology,  in  Isaiah  ix.  6th  and 
7th,  For  unto  us  a  child  is  born,  unto  us  a  son  is  given  ;  and  the 
government  shall  be  upon  his  shoulder ;  and  his  name  shall  be 
called  Wonderful,  Counsellor,  the  Mighty  God,  the  Father  of  the 
everlasting  age,  and  the  Prince  of  Peace.  And  of  the  increase 
of  his  government,  and  peace,  there  shall  be  no  end.  Here  we  are 
taught,  that,  of  the  increase  of  the  government  of  Christ,  that  is,  of 
its  splendour  and  glory,  and  of  the  peace,  or  prosperity,  of  his  sub- 
jects, accomplished  by  it,  there  shall  be  no  end :  in  other  words, 
that  the  glory  of  his  government,  and  the  happiness  of  his  church, 
shall  increase  for  ever. 

The  condition,  on  his  part,  to  which  these  rewards  are  promised, 
is  that  he  shall  make  his  soul  an  offering  for  sin;  or  a  propitiatory 
sacrifice.  Another  condition  is  also  specified,  as  the  procuring 
cause  of  the  reward,  in  the  last  verse  :  and  therefore  was  undoubt- 
edly included,  although  not  expressed,  in  the  two  former  verses. 
This  is,  that  he  made  intercession  for  the  transgressors. 

In  this  passage,  then,  we  have  the  substance  of  the  Mediation 
of  Christ,  draLwn  out  in  the  essential  particulars:  his  humiliation, 
atonement,  and  intercession.  The  reward  also,  that  is,  the  great 
object,  which  was  his  inducement  to  undertake  this  Mediation,  is 
distinctly  expressed :  viz.  that  he  should  see  a  seed,  which  should 
prolong  their  days,  and  that  the  gracious  purpose  of  Jehovah 
shoidd  prosper  in  his  hands.  This  in  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews  is 
by  St.  Paul  styled  the  joy,  set  before  him  ;  that  is,  set  before  him 
in  this  promise,  or  covenant ;  for  which,  he  informs  us,  Christ  en- 
dured the  cross,  and  despised  the  shame. 

In  the  text,  also,  we  are  taught  the  means,  by  zohich,  on  their 
part,  mankind  become  his  seed,  expressed  in  the  following  declara- 
tion :  By  the  knowledge  of  him  shall  my  Servant  justify  many. 
By  the  knowledge  of  Christ  here,  we  are  unquestionably  to  under- 
stand that  knowledge  of  God  the  Father,  and  Jesus  Christ,  whom 
he  hath  sent,  which  in  John  17th  and  3d  he  declares  to  be  life 
eternal;  and  which  in  the  8th  verse  he  speaks  of  as  being  the 
same  with  evangelical  faith.  They  have  known  surely,  that  I  have 
come  out  from  thee  ;  and  they  have  believed,  that  thou  didst  send  me. 
By  this  faith,  as  you  well  know,  we  are  abundantly  declared  in  the 
Scriptures,  to  be  justified.  The  declaration  of  Paul  to  Peter, 
when,  at  Antioch,  he  separated  himself  from  the  Gentiles,  through 
fear  of  them  that  were  of  the  circumcision,  and  was  therefore  to  be 
blamed,  may  stand  in  the  place  of  all  other  passages  on  this  point, 
IVe,  7oho  are  Jews,  and  not  sinners  of  the  Gentiles,  knowing  that  a 
man  is  not  justified  by  thezoorks  of  the  Law,  but  by  the  faith  of  Jesus 
Christ,  even  we,  have  believed  in  Jes^ls  Christ,  that  ive  might  be 
justified  by  the  faith  of  Christ,  and  not  by  the  works  of  the  Law  :  for 
by  the  works  of  the  law  nofiesh  shall  be  justified.     The  faith  of  the 


SER.  XLIII]  COVENANT  OF  REDEMPTION  67 

Gospel  is,  therefore,  the  knowledge,  by  which,  it  is  said  in  the  text. 
Christ  shall  justify  many.  The  reason  why  it  is  called  knowledge 
here,  and  elsewhere,  is,  that  it  involves  views  so  just,  extensive, 
and  lirmly  established  concerning  this  glorious  Person  :  Whereas, 
in  the  same  mind  no  such  views  existed,  antecedently  to  the  exer- 
cise of  this  faith.  For  Christ,  like  every  other  spiritual  object,  can 
onl}'  be  spiritually  discerned. 

All  these  things,  also,  are  exhibited  to  us  in  the  form  of  a  cove- 
nant. To  this  covenant,  as  to  every  other,  there  are  two  parties  : 
God.  who  promises,  and  his  Servant,  who  was  to  justify  many.  A 
coudition  is  specified,  to  which  is  annexed  a  promise  of  reward. 
Th'/  condition  is,  that  Christ  shoidd  make  his  soul  an  offering  for 
sin,  and  make  intercession  for  the  transgressors  ;  or,  in  otlicr  words, 
execute  the  whole  office  of  a  Priest  for  mankind.  The  reward  is, 
that  he  should  receive  the  many  for  his  portion,  and  that  they  should 
prolong  their  days,  or  endure  for  ever.  It  is  remarkable,  that  this 
covenant,  on  the  part  of  God  the  Father,  like  that  made  with 
J^oah,  and  that  made  with  Abraham,  and  various  others  recorded 
in  the  Scriptures,  is  in  the  89th  Psalm  exhibited,  as  a  promissory 
oath  :  Once  have  I  sworn  by  my  holiness,  that  I  zoill  not  lie  unto 
David ;  His  seed  shall  endure  for  ever,  and  his  throne  as  long  as 
the  Sun. 

I  have  dwelt  minutely  on  the  explanation  of  this  passage  of 
Scripture,  because  I  have  not  seen  it  discussed  in  this  manner ;  or 
with  a  reference  to  what  is  the  main  subject  of  it ;  and  because  I 
believed,  that  a  minute  examination  was  necessary  to  a  distinct  and 
satisfactory  knowledge  of  what  is  contained  in  it. 

If  this  explanation  be  admitted,  the  text  contains  the  following 
doctrine.  That  God  the  Father  entered  into  a  Covenant  with  Christ, 
in  which  he  promised  him,  on  condition  that  he  shoidd  become  a  Pro- 
pitiation, and  Intercessor,  for  sinners,  as  a  rezvard  of  his  labours  and 
suffering,  the  future  possession  of  a  Church,  which  under  his  govern- 
ment should  be  glorious  and  happy  for  ever. 

Concerning  this  Covenant,  usually  called  the  Covenant  of  Re- 
demption, I  make  the  following  observations. 

1st.   This  Covenant  was  made  from  Eternity.  ^ 

In  the  first  chapter  of  the  Epistle  to  the  Ephesians,  St.  Paul, 
speaking  of  himself  and  his  fcllow-christians,  says,  Blessed  be  the 
God  and  Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  who  hath  blessed  us 
with  all  spiritual  blessings  in  heavenly  places,  in,  or  through  Christ, 
according  as  he  hath  chosen  us  in  him  before  the  foundation  of  the 
•world,  that  we  shoxdd  be  holy,  and  without  blame,  before  him  in 
love^  having  predestinated  us  unto  the  adoption  of  children,  by 
Jesus  Christ,  to  himself,  according  to  the  good  pleasure  of  his  will. 
In  this  passage  St.  Paul  teaches  us,  that  God  blesses  his  Church, 
or  Christians,  with  all  spiritual  blessings ;  or,  as  in  the  Original, 
with  every  spiritual  blessing  ;  through  Christ,  according  as  he  hath 
chosen  us  in  him  before  the  foundation  of  the  world  :  and  that  he 


68  COVENANT  OF  REDl-MPTION.  [SER.  XLIII 

has  predesfinfitccl  us,  particularly,  unto  (he  adoption  of  (  hildrcn 
unto  himself,  through  Ciirist  also.  This  choice  of  his  church,  then, 
this  predestination  of  it  to  the  adoption  of  children  through  Christ, 
existed  before  the  foundation  of  the  world.  But  this  choice,  this 
predestination  of  the  church  to  the  adoption  of  children  unto  him- 
self, through  Chi-ist,  is  the  very  same  thing  which,  in  another  form, 
is  declared  in  the  text.  The  covenant,  mentioned  in  the  text,  was 
therefore  a  transaction,  existing  before  the  foundation  of  th.e  world; 
or,  as  this  phraseology  uniformly  means  in  the  Scriptures,  from 
Eternity. 

The  text  itself  was  written  seven  hundred  years  before  Christ. 
It  will  not  be  supposed,  that  the  transaction  recorded  in  it,  was 
then  first  admitted  into  the  counsels  of  God  ;  or  that  he,  with  whom 
is  no  variableness,  nor  shadow  of  turning,  changed  his  mind  in  the 
days  of  Isaiah  concerning  this  mighty  object.  If  any  person  should 
be  at  a  loss  concerning  this  fact,  let  him  remember,  that  this  cove- 
nant contains  the  very  same  promises,  which  were  made  to  David, 
Abraham,  and  our  first  parents  ;  to  all  of  whom  the  same  Avonder- 
ful  transaction  was,  in  terms  less  exjilicit,  disclosed.  The  transac- 
tion itself,  and  the  objects  which  it  involved,  were  unquestionably 
the  most  important  parts  of  the  pi'ovidence  of  God  towards  this 
world.  It  cannot,  therefore,  be  believed,  that  it  was  left  unpro- 
vided for,  Avhen  the  system  was  originally  formed.  Undoubtedly 
it. was  the  object,  which  was  chieHy  in  view,  in  the  providence  of 
(ioD,  and  was  an  original  part  of  the  system.  Accordingly,  St. 
Peter  aays,  concerning  Christ,  that  he  was  foreordained  before  the 
foundation  of  the  world ^  and  St.  John  calls  him  the  Lamb,  slain 
from  the  foundation  of  the  world;  and  Christ  himself,  at  the  day 
of  Judgment,  styles  the  state  of  glory  and  happiness,  destined  for 
the  righteous,  the  kingdom,  prepared  from  the  foundation  of  the 
world.  Come,  ye  blessed  of  my  Father,  inherit  the  kingdom  prepar- 
ed for  you  from  the  foundation  of  the  world.  But  this  kingdom, 
and  the  Church,  which  inherits  it,  is  the  very  subject  of  the  cove- 
nant, contained  in  the  text. 

2dly .  This  covenant  was  the  basis,  on  which  was  founded  the  whole 
system  of  providential  dispensations  towards  the  Church. 

Out  of  this  covenant  arose  the  Mediation  of  Christ ;  his  incar- 
nation, life,  preaching,  miracles,  humiliation,  sutibrings,  and  glo- 
rification. Out  of  this  covenant  arose  the  Mission  of  the  Spirit  of 
Grace ;  who  came  into  the  world,  to  execute  the  purposes  of 
Christ's  redemption.  Out  of  this  covenant  arose  the  Gospel ;  or 
the  Scriptures  of  the  Old  and  New  Testament,  which  that  Spirit 
taught  to  j[he  Prophets  and  Apostles,  and  which  communicates  to 
us  all  the  knowledge,  which  we  possess,  of  the  will  of  God,  con- 
cerning the  salvation  of  mankind.  Out  of  this  covenant  arise  the 
renovation  and  purification  of  the  human  soul ;  the  light,  comfort, 
peace,  hope,  and  joy,  which  it  receives  in  the  present  world;  and, 
m  the  end,  its  admission   into  the   heavens.     Finally,  out  of  this 


3ER.  5^Lm.]  COVENANT  OF  REDEMPTION.  60 

covenant  will  arise  the  glory,  peace,  and  happiness,  which  will  be 
found  in  that  pure  and  exalted  world  by  the  whole  assemblif  of  the 
first  born.  All  these,  and  all  things  pertaining  to  them,  result, 
obviously,  from  the  wonderful  transaction,  recorded  in  the  text. 

3dly.  The  Church,  thus  promised  to  Christ,  as  the  reioard  of  his 
mediation,  is  formed  of  a  great  multitude  of  mankind. 

It  will  not  be  necessary  for  me  to  inquire,  at  the  present  time, 
either  in  what  manner  this  multitude  will  be  gathered,  or  of  whom 
it  will  be  composed.  It  is  sufficient  for  the  pi'f'sent  purpose,  that 
the  assertion,  which  I  have  made,  is  expressly  contained  in  the 
text.  By  the  knozoledgc  of  him  shall  my  Servant  justify  Many,  1 
zoill  distribute  the  Many  to  him  for  his  portion,  and  the  Mighty  peo- 
ple, that  is,  a  great  multitude,  shall  he  share  for  his  spoil.  Accord- 
ingly, St.  John  informs  us,  that  he  saw  in  the  heavens  a  great  mul- 
titude, which  no  man  could  number,  of  all  nations,  and  kindreds, 
and  people,  and  tongues,  staiiding  before  the  throne,  and  before  the 
Lamb,  clothed  with  white  robes,  and  palms  in  their  hands  ^  crying 
with  a  loud  voice,  and  saying.  Salvation  to  our  God,  zvho  sitteth  on 
the  throne,  and  unto  the  Lamb. 

4thlv.  Li  this  covenant  a  rezcard  zoas  promised  to  Christ,  suffi- 
ciently great  to  induce  him  to  undergo  all  the  humiliation  and  suffer- 
ings of  his  Mediatorial  character. 

This  we  know  by  the  fact.  In  accordance  with  this  covenant 
he  actually  assumed  this  character,  and  voluntarily  underwent  all 
its  sufferings.  But,  were  we  at  a  loss  concerning  this  subject 
otherwise;  we  are  directly  assured  by  St.  Paul,  that  Christ,  for 
the  joy,  set  before  him,  endured  the  ci'oss,  and  despised  the  shame. 
What  the  joy  of  Christ  was,  he  himself  has,  I  apprehend,  express- 
ly declared  to  us  in  the  8th  chapter  of  Proverbs.  His  words  are. 
When  he  appointed  the  foundations  of  the  earth,  then  was  I  by  him, 
as  one  brought  7ip  with  him  ;  I  was  daily  his  delight,  rejoicing  al- 
way  before  him ;  Rejoicing  in  the  habitable  part  of  his  earth,  and 
my  delights  were  with  the  sons  of  men :  that  is,  with  his  Church  ; 
the  glorious  reward,  which  was  promised  to  him  from  the  begin- 
ning. 

From  these  summary  observations,  concerning  the  Covenant  ot 
Redemption,  I  derive,  by  way  of  inference,  the  following 

REMARKS. 

In  the  1st  place.  The  salvation  of  the  Church  of  God,  that  is,  of 
all  righteous  men,  was  an  original  part  of  the  system  of  Gju'^ 
providence  towards  the  inhabitants  of  this  world. 

If  the  observations,  made  in  the  progress  of  this  discourse,  ;ut 
just;  then  it  follows  by  irresistible  consequence,  that  the  salvation 
of  the  righteous,  or  of  all  who  will  be  ultimately  saved,  was  con- 
templated, and  resolved  on,  by  God,  from  the  beginning,  or  from 
everlasting.     It  was,  also,  made  the  subject  of  a  solemn  Covenant 


70  COVENANT  OF  REDEMPTION.       [SER.  XLIU. 

between  the  Father  and  the  Son.     It  was  not,  therefore,  in  any 
sense  a  thing,  which  grew  out  of  a  contingency ;  according  to  the 
scheme  of  Dr.  Price  and  others  ;  a  remedy,  provided  for  evils  un- 
foreseen; a  thing,  grafted  upon  the  fall  of  man,  which  ilicy  consid- 
er as  an  accident,  springing   out  of  that  liberty  of  contingency, 
which  they  suppose  indispensable  to  the  free  volitions  of  a  moral 
being.     St.  Paul  teaches  us  that  God,  the  Father,  created  all  things 
by  Jesus   Christ ;    to  the  intent,  that   now  unto  principalities,  and 
powers,  in  heavenly  places  might  be  know7i  by  the  Church,  the  man- 
ifold wisdom  of  God :  According  to  the  eternal  purpose,  which  he 
purposed  in  Christ  Jesus  our  Lord.     Here  it  is  declared  to  be  a 
part  of  the  eternal  purpose  of  God  in  Jesus   Christ,  to  create  all 
things  by  him,   to   the  intent    that  principalities   and  powers  might 
know,  by  means  of  the  Church,  that  is,  by  means  of  his  dispensa- 
tions to  the  church,  the  manifold  wisdom  of  God.     Of  course,  the 
existence  of  the  Church  was  an  essential  part  of  his  eternal  purpose. 
Of  course,  also,  the  existence  of  the  church  was  foreknown,  and 
resolved  on,  as  a  part  of  this  purpose.     Its  existence,  therefore, 
was  in  no  sense  contingent;  in  no  sense  accidental ;  in  no  sense 
dependent  on  any  thing,  by  which  it  could  be  prevented.     In  ac- 
cordance with  this  declaration,  St.  Paul  says,  2  Tim.  i.  9,   Who 
hath  saved  us,  and  called  us  with  an  holy  calling,  not  according  to 
our  works,  but  according  to  his  own  purpose,  and  grace,  which  was 
given  us,  before  the  world  began.     In   this  passage  Christians  are 
said  to  be  saved  according  to  the  purpose  and  grace  of  God,  given 
to  them,  in  the  strong  figurative  language  of  the  Apostle,  before  the 
world  began;  that  is,  in  simpler  language,  resolved  on,  established 
for  them,  given  in  the  counsels  of  God  ;  so  as  to  be  indefeasible 
by  any  subsequent  event.     Thus  is  this  passage  explained  in  the 
corresponding  one  of  Titus  1st  and  2d,  In  the  hope  of  eternal  life, 
which  God,  that  cannot  lie,  promised  before  the  rvorld  began.     Here 
the  grace  and  salvation,  said  in  the  passage,  last  quoted,  to  be  giv- 
en, is  called  eternal  life,  and  is  declared  to  be  promised  before  the 
world  began.     The  existence  of  the  Church,  the  eternal  life  of  its 
members,  and  the  grace  by  which  that  life  is  attained,  were   all 
promised  before  the  7vorld  began  :  promised,  I   apprehend,  in  the 
Covenant  which  we  have  been  contemplating;  and  plainly  an  es- 
sential part  of  the  providential  system,  relating  immediately  to  the 
.  inhabitants  of  this  world. 

2dly.  The  salvation  of  the  righteous  is  Certain. 
If  the  salvation  of  the  righteous  was  an  original,  and  essential 
part  of  the  providential  system  ;  if  it  was  contemplated,  purposed, 
and  resolved  on  ;  if  it  was  promised  to  Christ,  as  the  reward  of  his 
labours  and  sufferings  ;  if  it  was  the  condition  on  the  part  of  the 
Father  in  a  covenant  with  the  Son  ;  then  it  is  perfectly  evident,  that 
it  cannot  fail ;  but  will  certainly  be  accomplished.  The  language 
of  God  on  this  subject  is,  My  counsel  shall  stand,  and  I  will  do  all 
iny  pleasure. 


SER.  XLIIL]  COVENANT  OF  REDEMPTION.  71 

As  the  salvation  of  the  church  is  thus  certain ;  the  salvation  of 
every  righteous  man  is  for  the  same  reason  equally  certain.  Every 
righteous  man  is  a  part  of  the  church ;  one  of  the  Many,  thus 
promised  to  Christ  in  the  covenant  of  Redemption,  and  assured  of 
the  certain  attainment  of  eternal  life  by  the  unchangeable  promise 
of  God.  Let  no  such  man  indulge  a  moment's  apprehension,  that 
he  shall  be  forgotten  of  God,  either  in  this  hfe,  or  in  death,  or  at 
the  resurrection,  or  at  the  judgment,  or  at  the  final  entrance  of  the 
Church  into  Heaven.  He,  who  has  given  a  cup  of  cold  water  to  a 
disciple,  in  the  name  of  a  disciple  ;  he,  who  has  consecrated  two 
mites  to  the  service  of  God  ;  he,  who  has  willingly  befriended  the 
least  of  Christ'' s  brethren,  is  absolutely  certain  of  his  reward. 

3dly.    We   arc  taught  by    this  doctrine,    that   the  Mediation  of 
Christ  furnishes  a  complete  foundation  for  our  acceptance  withGoD. 

The  Mediation  of  Christ  was  the  condition  of  our  acceptance, 
which  God  himself  proposed,  and  proceeding  from  his  own  good 
pleasure.  It  was,  therefore,  originally,  and  absolutely,  pleasing  to 
him.  He  is  the  same  yesterday,  to-day,  and  for  ever.  It  will,  of 
course,  be  alway,  and  equally,  pleasing.  We  are  not,  therefore, 
left  to  the  necessity  of  debating,  or  even  inquiring,  whether  the 
satisfaction  of  Christ  is  sufficient  for  all  men,  that  is,  whether  there 
is  a  quantum  of  merit,  mathematically  estimated ;  on  w^hich  every 
man  may  rely,  because  it  is  so  great,  as  to  rise  to  any  definite,  or 
supposed  limit.  Independently  of  all  discussions  of  this  nature, 
every  man  is  assured,  that,  if  he  is  interested  in  this  covenant  by 
becoming  one  of  the  seed,  or  followers,  of  Christ,  by  possessing 
that  knowledge,  or  faith,  which  is  the  condition  of  justification  5  he 
Avill  certainly,  also,  be  accepted  of  God  ;  as  being  one  of  those, 
whom  this  promise  included. 

The  number,,  and  the  greatness,  of  the  sins,  committed  by  any 
man,  and  the  degree  of  guilt,  which  he  has  accumulated,  however 
discouraging,  or  overwhelming,  it  may  prove  in  the  hour  of  deep 
contrition,  ought  in  no  wise  to  persuade  the  penitent  to  doubt,  even 
for  a  moment,  of  the  sufficiency  of  Christ  as  an  expiation  for  him- 
One  sin,  only,  is  mentioned  in  the  Scriptures,  as  admitting  of  no 
atonement :  viz.  blasphemy  against  the  Holy  Ghost.  Others  are  in- 
deed exhibited  as  peculiarly  dangerous  ;  because,  acquiring  pecu- 
liar strength  by  habit,  they  conduct  men,  with  few  exceptions,  to 
final  impenitence  and  immoveable  hardness  of  heart.  But  none  of 
these  is  declared  to  be  in  itself,  beyond  the  reach  of  forgiveness. 
For  the  sin  against  the  Holy  Ghost,  repentance  never  existed.  He 
therefore,  who  has  good  reason  to  believe,  that  he  is  the  subject  of 
faith  in  the  Redeemer,  and  repentance  towards  God,  has  equal  rea- 
son to  believe,  that  his  sins  are  blotted  out,  and  his  soul  accepted, 
through  the  atonement  of  Christ ;  sufficient  for  him,  and  for  all 
others  who  are  like  him. 

With  the  same  confidence  may  the  anxious,  trembling  sinner 
rely  on  the  same  righteousness  as  the  ground  of  his  own  future  ac- 


72  COVENANT  OF  REDEMPTION.  [SER.  XLIIl 

ccptance  with  God.  The  language  of  God  on  ihis  subject  is.  Him 
thai  cometh  tmto  mc,  that  is,  in  this  manner,  zvill  I  in  no  zoisecast  out. 
The  sole  concern  of  eveiy  sinner  ougtit,  therefore,  to  be  the  attain- 
ment of  this  evangelical  cliaracter;  the  very  thing,  which  is  intend- 
ed by  coming  to  God;  anil  not  curious  nujuiries,  nor  anxious 
doubts,  concerning  a  point,  so  easily  settled  in  this  manner,  and  so 
clearly  decided  by  the  Scriptures. 

4thly.   The  salvation  of  the  Church  is  here  shown  to  be  an  object 
oj" inestimable  greatness  and  importance. 

It  has,  1  trust,  been  proved,  that  this  event  was  a  primary  part 
of  the  providential  system  of  God  towards  mankind,  and  the  sub- 
ject of  a  solemn  covenant  between  the  Father  and  the  Son  in  the 
ages  of  Eternity.  For  the  accomplishment  of  it,  as  one  primary 
object,  this  world  was  created ;  and  a  mysterious  and  most  won- 
derful system  of  Providence  carried  into  execution.  For  die  ac- 
complishment of  it  the  Son  of  God  condescended  to  be  born,  to 
lead  a  life  of  humiliation  and  sufiering,  to  die  on  the  cross,  and  to 
be  buried  in  the  tomb.  For  the  accomplishment  of  it  he  rose 
again  from  the  dead  on  the  third  day;  ascended  into  Heaven;  sat 
dozon  on  the  right  hand  of  the  Majesty  on  high;  and  makes  an  un- 
ceasing and  effectual  intercession.  For  the  same  end  the  Spii'it  of 
Truth  came  into  the  world  on  a  divine  and  benevolent  mission ; 
and  here  renews  and  purifies  the  souls  of  men,  and  conducts  them 
to  the  heavenly  world.  For  the  same  end  the  world  itself  will  be 
consumed  with  fire  ;  the  visible  heavens  pass  azvay  with  a  great 
noise;  they  that  are  in  the  graves  hear  the  voice  of  the  Son  of  God, 
and  come  forth  ;  the  judgment  be  set  ;  angels  and  men  be  tried, 
and  sentenced  to  their  respective  rewards;  nev)  heavens  and  a  new 
earth  be  created,  wherein  righteousness  shall  dwell  for  ever :  while, 
at  the  same  time,  the  ransomed  of  the  Lord  shall  return,  and  come  to 
Zion  zoith  songs,  and  everlasting  joy  upon  their  heads :  they  shall 
obtain  joy  and  gladness,  and  sorrow  and  sighi/ig  shall  Jlee  away. 

Each  of  these  things  declares  in  a  forcible  maimer  the  import- 
ance of  this  mighty  object  in  the  sight  of  God.  In  his  providence 
the  Means  are  never  greater,  more  numerous,  or  more  splendid, 
than  the  nature  of  the  End  will  amply  justify.  The  means,  which 
I  have  recited,  are  the  most  magnificent  and  awful  events,  of  which 
we  have  any  knowledge.  The  greatness  of  the  end  is  proportion- 
al. Accordingly,  St.  Paul  in  a  most  sublime  exhibition  of  this  sub- 
ject, in  the  eighth  chapter  of  the  Epistle  to  the  Romans,  declares, 
that  the  earnest  expectation  of  the  Creature  (in  the  Greek,  Creation) 
waitethfor  the  manifestation  of  the  Sons  of  God :  and  that  the  zvhole 
Creation  groaneth,  and  travailclh  together  in  pain,  with  this  divine 
and  most  wonderful  birth. 

If,  then,  the  salvation  of  the  Church  holds  this  high  place  in  the 
divine  estimation  ;  it  ought  unquestionably  to  hold  the  same  place 
in  ours.  By  each  of  us  it  ought  to  be  regarded  as  an  event  of  in- 
comprehensible magnitude,  of  transcendent  glory,  and  of  an  im- 


SER.  XLIII.]  COVENANT  OF  REDEMPTION.  73 

portance,  sufficient  to  reward,  with  propriety,  the  labours  asid  suf- 
ferings of  the  Son  of  God. 

Of  proportional  importance  is  the  salvation  of  each  of  the  Indi- 
viduals, of  which  this  assembly  of  the  righteous  is  composed. 
Lord  Shaftesbury  has  decided,  that  no  conduct,  in  which  future 
good  to  one's  self  is  the  motive  of  action,  can  be  virtuous.  Proofs 
of  the  soundness  of  this  decision  his  Lordship  has  not  however 
furnished,  and  plainly  was  not  able  to  furnish :  for  it  is  a  decision, 
contradicting  alike  the  voice  of  common  sense,  and  the  voice  of 
God.  God  by  commanding  us  iojiee  from  the  wrath  to  come,  and 
to  lay  hold  on  eternal  life,  has  assured  us  of  the  rectitude  of  this 
conduct.  In  the  observations,  contained  in  this  discourse,  we  have 
seen  ample  reason  for  this  command ;  and  ample  proof  of  the  rec- 
titude of  the  conduct,  which  it  requires.  If  the  salvation  of  the 
Church  was  so  great  and  glorious  a  thing  in  the  sight  of  God  ;  the 
salvation  of  each  individual,  which  it  contains,  is  proportionally 
important :  a  thing  in  itself  great  and  good  ;  incomprehensibly 
great  and  good  ;  deserving  our  supreme  attention,  most  anxious 
labours,  and  most  fervent  prayers.  The  attainment  of  it,  in  every 
instance,  is  pleasing  to  our  Creator ;  makes  man  lovely  in  his 
sight ;  and  diffuses  a  peculiar  joy  over  that  happy  world,  where  all 
the  virtuous  are  assembled  together.  Let  every  one  of  us,  there- 
fore, with  all  humility  of  mind,  with  strong  crying,  and  many  tears, 
begin,  and  carry  on,  this  prime  business  of  life,  unseduced  by  so- 
phistry, unwarped  by  temptation,  unbroken  by  discouragement; 
and  by  a  patient  continuance  in  all  well-doing,  seek  so  faithful!}  /or 
glory,  honour,  and  immortality,  as  to  obtain  in  the  end  everlasting 
life. 


Vol.  II.  Id 


SERMON  XLIV. 

CHRIM'   A   PROPHET. HIS   PERSONAL  PREACHIXO. 


liUKE  xxiv.  19. — .^11(1  lie  said  unto  them,  What  Ihivcrs  ?  And  they  said  unio  him,  Con- 
cerning Jc.iiis  of  Nnznrdh,  who  teas  a  Prophet,  mighly  in  deed  and  word,  before 
God,  and  all  the  people. 

IN  the  preceding  discourse  I  considered,  at  some  length,  the 
Covenant  of  Rrdcinption.  la  the  terms  of  this  covenant,  1  observed, 
was  contained  the  substance  of  Christ'' s  employment^  as  the  Media- 
tor between  God  and  man,  and  the  reward.,  which  He  was  to  receive 
in  this  character.  By  the  substance  of  his  employment,  I  intend 
the  thins;s.  which  he  did,  and  suffered,  alike,  while  in  the  execution 
of  the  JM'^diatorial  office.  These  things  naturally  follow  the  cove- 
nant of  Redemption,  in  a  system  of  Theology,  and  therefore,  natur- 
ally demand  our  next  examination. 

In  the  Scriptures,  Christ  is  frequently  spoken  of,  as  the  Prophet. 
Priest^  and  King,  of  mankind.  This  distribution  of  his  Mediatorial 
character  into  three  great  and  distinguishing  parts  is,  undoubtedly, 
the  most  proper,  which  can  be  made ;  and  is  amply  authorized  by 
the  Spirit  of  God  :   it  will,  therefore,  be  followed  in  these  discourses. 

The  first,  and  at  the  same  time  the  most  remarkable,  designation 
of  the  Redeemer,  as  a  Prophet,  is  found  in  the  1 8th  chapter  of  Deu- 
teronomy, In  the  15th  verse,  Moses  says  to  the  Israelites  :  The 
Lord  thy  God  will  raise  up  unto  thee  a  Prophet  from  the  midst  of 
thee,  of  thy  brethren,  like  unto  me  ;  unto  him  ye  shall  hearken.  This 
promise,  we  learn  from  the  verses  immediately  following,  was  given 
lo  the  Israelites,  in  answer  to  their  petition,  at  the  foot  of  Mount  Ho- 
reb  :  Let  us  not  hear  again  the  voice  of  the  Lord,  our  God  ;  neither 
let  us  see  this  great  fire  any  more  ;  that  zoe  die  not.  In  answer  to 
this  petition,  the  Lord  said  unto  Moses  :  They  have  well  spoken  that 
7ohich  they  have  spoken.  I  zvill  raise  litem  up  a  Prophet  from  among 
their  brethren,  like  unto  thee  ,•  and  will  put  my  words  in  his  mouth  j 
and  he  shall  speak  unto  them  all  that  I  shall  command  him.  And  it 
shall  come  to  pass,  that  whosoever  will  not  hearken  unto  my  words, 
which  he  shall  speak  in  my  name,  I  will  require  it  of  him. 

In  this  very  remarkable  prediction  we  are  taught, 

1st.  That  a  Prophet  should,  at  some  subsequent  period,  be  raised 
up.,  in  the  Jewish  Church  ;  and  of  that  nation ;  who  should  be  like 
7inlo  Moses  ;  that  is,  one  who,  like  Moses,  introduced  a  neio  dispen- 
sation, to  stand  in  the  place  of  the  Mosaic  j  as  that,  at  the  time  of 
this  prophecy,  7oas  introduced  into  the  place  of  the  Patriarchal  Dis- 
pensation. In  the  last  chapter  of  Deuteronomy  written,  not  im- 
probably, by  several  hands,  and  closed,  perhaps,  by  Ezra,  it  is 


SER.  XLIV]  PERSONAL  PREACHING  OF  CHRIST.  7^ 

said:  There  arose  not  a  Prophet  since  in  Israel,  like  unto  Moses. 
If  this  was  really  written  by  Ezra,  it  is  a  direct  testimony,  that  the 
Prophet,  marked  out  in  this  prediction,  did  not  arise  until  after  the 
captivity.  In  John  i.  19 — 21,  we  are  informed,  that  the  Jews,  to 
wit,  the  Sanhedrim^  to  whom  belonged  the  right  of  inquiring  into 
the  authority  and  commissions  of  Prophets,  sent  a  solemn  delega- 
tion to  John  the  Baptist,  to  demand  of  him  an  account  of  his  char- 
acter. They  first  asked  hina,  particularly,  Art  thou  Elias  ?  and, 
upon  his  answering  in  the  negative,  asked  him  again,  Art  thou  that 
Prophet  .^^'0  T^ocpTiTiis  :  the  Prophet  by  zoay  of  eminence.  In  John 
vi.  14,  the  five  thousand  Jet/js,  whom  Ciirist  fed  with  five  loaves 
and  two  fishes,  under  the  strong  impression  of  that  wonderful  mir- 
acle said  concerning  Christ,  This  is  of  a  truth  that  Prophet,  that 
should  come  into  the  world.  In  John  vii.  40,  we  are  told,  that  the 
muhitude  of  the  Jews  in  the  temple,  after  hearing  the  discourses 
of  Christ,  recorded  in  this  chapter,  said.  Of  a  truth,  this  is  the 
Prophet. 

The  first  of  these  passages  assures  us,  that  in  the  judgment  of 
the  Sanhedrim,  the  Prophet,  foi-etold  by  Moses,  who  was  to  be  like 
unto  him,  had  not  arisen,  when  John  the  Baptist  began  to  preach: 
and  the  two  last  assure  us  of  the  same  fact,  according  to  the  judg- 
ment of  the  Peojile  at  large.  Of  course,  it  is  fairly  presumed  to 
have  been  the  belief  of  every  preceding  age.  The  two  last  pas- 
sages also  teach  us,  that  Christ  appeared  in  a  character  so  like 
that  of  the  expected  Prophet,  as  to  be  repeatedly  acknowledged  in 
this  character  by  the  Jewish  people. 

2dly.  This  Prophet  was  to  appear  with  a  divine  commission,  as 
an  inspired  teacher  from  God.  I  will  put  my  words  in  his  mouth, 
and  he  shall  speak  unto  thtm  all  that  I  command  him. 

3dly.  His  appearance  was  to  he  such,  as  not  to  alarm,  or  terrify, 
the  People  of  the  Jews. 

This  is  evident  from  the  fact,  that  he  was  promised  in  answer  to 
a  petition  of  that  people,  in  which  they  requested,  that  they  might 
no  more  hear  the  awful  voice  of  God,  nor  see  the  fire,  by  which 
Mount  Sinai  was  surrounded.  God,  approving  of  the  request,  an- 
swers, that  he  will  raise  them  up  a  Pro})het  from  the  midst  of  them  , 
One,  who  should  be  of  their  brethren  ;  One,  of  course,  who  was  to 
be  like  themselves  ;  a  man,  conversing  with  them,  as  friend  with 
friend,  who  should  not  cry,  nor  lift  up,  nor  cause  his  voice  to  be 
heard  in  the  streets  ;*  but  who  should  be  anointed  by  the  Spirit  of 
the  Lord  to  preach  good  tidings  to  the  meek  ,•  and  to  proclaim  the 
acceptable  year  of  the  Lord,]  with  the  still,  small  voice  of  wisdom, 
truth,  and  righteousness. 

From  these  things  it  is  evident,  that  no  other  prophet  sustained 
all  these  characteristics,  but  Christ ;  even  his  enemies  themst  Ives 
being  the  judges.     That  Christ  sustained  them  all  is  unanswerably 

*  Isaiah  xlii.  2  f  Isaiah  Ixi.  1,  2 


76  PERSONAL  PREACHING  OF  CHRIST.  [SEE.  XLIV. 

certain  ;  particularly,  that  he  wrought  mighty  signs^  and  wonders, 
and  that  he  loas  hioivn  of  God  face  to  face.  St.  Peter  in  his  ser- 
mon to  the  Jews,  Acts  iii.  has,  by  directly  applying  this  prophecy 
to  Christ,  assured  us,  that  he  was  the  prophet  intended  •,  and, 
theiclbre,  precluded  the  necessity  of  any  further  inquiry. 

In  the  text,  the  same  character  is  attributed  to  him  by  Cleophas  : 
as  he  himself  decisively  informs  us,  by  adding  in  a  following  verse, 
fVe  trusted,  that  it  had  been  he,  who  shoidd  have  redeemed  Israel. 
At  the  same  time,  the  text  furnishes  us  witli  a  summary  account  of 
the  manner,  in  which  the  Redeemer  discharged  his  prophetical 
office,  by  declaring,  that  he  was  a  prophet  mighty  in  deed  and 
word,  before  God  and  all  the  people.  To  discuss  this  subject,  is  the 
design  of  the  following  discourse. 

Prophecy  may  naturally  be  divided  into  two  parts :  The  com- 
munication of  the  zvill  of  God  to  mankind,  concerning  their  duty  and 
salvation;  and  the  prediction  of  future  events. 

The  power,  by  which  both  these  were  done,  was  no  other  than 
Inspiration:  for  Man  is  as  unable  to  divine  the  will  of  God,  as  to 
foresee  future  events.  Both  these  parts  of  the  prophetical  cha- 
racter, Christ  sustained  in  the  most  perfect  degree  :  But  the  reve- 
lation of  the  will  of  God  to  mankind,  the  original,  and  far  the  most 
important,  part  of  the  business  of  a  Prophet,  and  that  which  is 
alike  pointed  out  in  the  text,  and  in  the  prediction  of  Moses,  is  the 
characteristic  of  the  Redeemer,  especially  intended  to  be,  at  this 
time,  the  subject  of  consideration. 

In  J\''e7oton\s  dissertations  on  the  prophecies  may  be  found  an 
ample  illustration  of  the  nature,  and  extent,  of  Christ's  predictions. 

The  prophetical  Instruction,  or  preaching,  of  Christ,  is  in  the 
Scriptures  distributed  into  that,  which  he  commwvicated  in  his  own 
person:  and  that,  lohich  he  communicated  by  his  Apostles.  The 
former  of  these  shall  be  first  considered. 

In  an  examination  of  the  Pei'sonul  Preaching  of  Christ,  the  fol- 
lowing thiii,u;s  d'.^inand  our  attention  : 

I.  The  J^tcessity  of  his  executing  the  office  of  a  preacher, 

II.  The  things  which  he  taught. 

III.  The  Manner,  in  which  he  tavght :  and, 

IV.  The  Consequence  of  his  Preaching. 

1.  I  shall  consider  the  necessity  of  Christ^s  assuming  the  office  of 
a  Preacher. 

It  is  obvious  to  every  man,  that  Christ  might  have  appeared  in 
the  world  in  the  humble  character,  in  which  he  actually  appeared; 
have  wrought  the  miracles,  recorded  of  him ;  suffered  the  death  of 
the  cross;  and  generally,  have  done  every  thing  recorded  of  him, 
either  as  an  act  or  a  suflering;  and  then,  instead  of  teaching  man- 
kind the  way  of  life  and  salvation  with  his  own  mouth,  might  have 
taught  it  to  his  Apostles  bv  the  inspiration  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  and 
commissioned  them  to  j)ublish  it  to  mankind. 

This  course,  however,  he  did  not  pursue.     On  the  conli'ary, 


SER.  XLIV.]  PERSONAL  PREACHING  OF  CHRIST.  7f 

he  has  chosen  to  teach  it  extensively  in  his  own  person.  For 
this  conduct  of  his  there  were,  doubtless,  very  substantial  reasons. 
Some  of  them  were  probably  withholden  from  mankind.  Others 
are  discernible  with  sufficient  clearness.  Even  these  are  not,  in- 
deed, very  often  called  up  to  view ;  and  by  most  men  are  proba- 
bly unknown  and  un thought  of.  Yet,  so  far  as  they  can  be  known, 
they  are  capable  of  being  highly  useful,  and  means  of  no  small  sat- 
isfaction to  a  serious  mind.  Among  them  the  following  may,  I 
think,  be  mentioned,  as  possessing  a  real,  and  sufficiently  obvious, 
importance. 

1.  Christ  may  be  fairly  believed  to  have  assumed  the  office  of  a 
Preacher  ;  (or  that  branch  of  the  prophetical  office,  which  I  have 
specified  as  the  subject  of  discourse)  that  the  Gospel  might  appear 
plainly^  and  undeniably,  to  be  His. 

Christ  is,  and  from  everlasting  was  designed  to  be,  the  great, 
and  visible,  agent  in  all  things,  pertaining  to  the  present  world. 

In  Col.  i.  14,  &LC.  we  have  the  following  account  of  his  charac- 
ter :  In  whom  we  have  redemption  through  his  blood,  even  the  for- 
giveness of  sins.  Who  is  the  image  of  the  invisible  God;  the  first- 
boryi  of  every  creature.  For  by  him  were  all  things  created,  that 
are  in  heaven,  and  that  are  in  earth,  visible  and  invisible,  whether 
they  be  thrones,  or  dominions,  or  principalities,  or  powers  ;  all 
things  were  created  by  him,  and  for  him.  And  he  is  before  all 
things  ;  and  by  him  all  things  consist.  And  he  is  the  head  of  the 
body,  the  church ;  who  is  the  beginning,  the  frst-born  from  the 
dead ;  that  in  all  things  he  might  have  the  pre-eminence.  For  it 
pleased  the  Father,  that  in  him  should  all  fulness  dzvell.  In  this 
passage  Christ  is  declared  to  be  the  Image,  or  manifest  Represent- 
ative of  the  invisible  God  ;  the  First-born,  or  Head,  of  the  whole 
creation  ;  the  Creator  of  all  things,  existing  before  all  things  ;  the 
Upholder  of  all  things;  and  the  First-born  from  the  dead;  a  char- 
acter, which  he  is  said  to  hold,  that  in  all  things  he  might  have  the 
pre-eminence :  because,  as  the  Apostle  adds.  It  was  well-pleasing'^' 
to  the  Father  that  iti  him  all  fulness  shoidd  dwell.  Now  it  is  evi- 
dent, that  it  was  a  necessary,  as  well  as  proper,  part  of  this  great 
design,  not  only  that  he  should  be  the  Author  of  the  Gospel ;  but 
that  this  fact  should  be  completely  proved,  and  perfectly  known. 
The  publication  of  the  Gospel  to  mankind  is  evidently  one  of  the 
chief  dispensations  of  divine  providence  in  the  present  world.  As, 
therefore,  it  was  the  good  pleasure  of  the  Father  that  in  all  things 
he  should  have  the  pre-eminence ;  so  it  was  peculiarly  proper  that 
he  should  be  pre-eminent  in  a  thing,  so  important,  and  glorious,  as 
the  publication  of  the  Gospel. 

St.  James,  in  the  4th  chapter  and  10th  verse  of  his  Epistle,  in- 
forms us,  that  in  the  Church  of  God  there  is  one  Lawgiver,  who  is 
able  to  save  and  to  destroy;  that  is  Christ.      Christ,  then,  being 


78  PERSONAL  PREACHING  OF  CHRIST.  [SER.  XLIV. 

the  only  Lawgiver  in  his  Church,  it  seems  to  be  indispensable,  that 
the  Gospel,  which  contains  his  Laws,  should  be  seen  to  be  his; 
that  all,  who  read  it,  may  know  his  pleasure  with  certaint}- ;  and 
never  be  left  to  doubt  whether  any  given  doctrine,  or  precept, 
was  given  by  him,  or  was  derived  from  the  comments  of  others. 
The  difference  between  these  two  cases  cannot,  I  suppose,  need 
any  explanation. 

But  if  Christ,  instead  of  preaching  the  Gospel  in  person,  had  left 
it  to  be  published  by  the  Apostles  only ;  the  question,  whether  it 
was  his  Gospel,  would  have  instantly  been  raised  up  against  its  ac- 
ceptance by  mankind.  Infidels  would  have  boldly  donied  it  to  be 
his ;  and  Christians  would  have  been  perplexed,  not  only  concern- 
ing the  proper  answer  to  this  denial,  but  also  concerning  their  own 
Faith  and  Duty.  Even  now.  Unitarians,  as  well  as  Infidels,  hold 
out  a  distinction  between  the  Gospel;  that  is,  as  they  intend,  the 
personal  Instructions  of  Christ ;  and  the  Epistles,  which  they  con- 
sider as  the  mere  Comments  of  Christ's  followers.  Thus  Lord 
Bolingbroke  declares  the  system  of  religion,  both  Natural  and  Re- 
vealed, to  be  excellent,  and  plainly  taught;  as  it  was  taught  by 
Christ,  and  recorded  by  his  Evangelists  :  "  a  complete  system  to 
all  the  purposes  of  Religion."*  Nay,  he  speaks  of  it  directly,  as 
revealed  by  God  himself,  t  "  Christianity,  genuine  Christianity,"  he 
says  again,  "  is  contained  in  the  Gospel,  it  is  the  Word  of  God."  J 
At  the  same  time,  Lord  Bolingbroke  declares,  that  St.  Paid  has 
preached  another  Gospel ;  and  that  the  New  Testament  contains 
two  Gospels.  In  the  same  manner  Mr.  Chnbb  declares,  that  St. 
Paul  preached  another  Gospel,  which  was  rontradictorij  to  that  of 
Christ.  Unitarians,  also,  are  plainly  unwilling  to  allow  the  same 
respect,  and  confidence,  to  be  due  to  the  Apostolic  writings,  which 
they  appear  to  consider  as  due  to  the  words  of  Christ ;  and,  like 
the  Infidels  above  mentioned,  admit,  that  the  Gospels  possess  a 
higher  character  than  the  Epistles. 

To  what  a  length  this  scheme  of  thought  would  have  been  car- 
ried, had  Christ  never  preached  at  all,  and  how  far  the  character 
of  the  New  Testament,  as  an  undoubted  Revelation,  would  have 
been  acknowledged,  if  the  doctrines  and  precepts,  which  it  con- 
tains, had  been  declared  by  the  Apostles  only,  it  is  ditficult  to 
divine.  From  the  nature  of  the  subject,  the  facts  just  recited,  and 
others  like  them,  it  may  be  easily  believed,  that  the  character  of 
the  New  Testament  as  inspired,  would  have  been  seriously  affect- 
ed ;  and,  with  respect  to  multitudes  who  now  admit  it  uncondi- 
tionally, overthrown ;  and  that  the  character  of  Christ,  as  the 
Lawgiver  of  the  Church,  would  have  been  obscured.  In  some 
instances  it  would  have  been  doubted,  and  in  others  denied  ;  and 
his  pre-eminence  in  this  important  particular  would,  to  a  great 
extent,  have  been  unseen,  and  unregarded. 

•  Leland,  Vol.  2,  p.  163,  164.  t  p  169.  I  Ibid. 


SER.  XLIV]  PERSONAL  PREACHING  OF  CHRIST.  79 

II.  It  was  necessary  that  Christ  should  preach  the  Gospel^  that 
he  might  sanction  its  Doctrines,  Precepts,  and  Ordinances,  with  his 
OTon  authority. 

The  Doctrines,  Precepts,  and  Ordinances  of  the  Gospel,  are 
rules  of  the  faith,  practice,  and  worship,  of  all,  to  whom  it  is  made 
known.  Whenever  a  rule  of  this  nature  is  published  to  any  man, 
the  great  question,  naturally  asked  by  him,  is  always  :  "  By  what 
authority  am  I  required  to  conform  to  this  rule  ?"  In  matters  of 
conscience,  even  an  ignorant  man  knows,  that  no  being,  except 
God,  has  any  right  to  prescribe  to  him  rules  of  obedience.  When 
God  prescribes  to  him,  the  prescription  is  a  law  :  When  man  pre- 
scribes to  him,  it  is  only  advice.  But  between  law  and  advice  the 
difference,  in  this  case,  is  infinite. 

Christ,  as  has  been  remarked,  is  the  only,  and  the  rightful  Law- 
giver to  his  Church.  Had  he  not  declared  the  Gospel  in  his  own 
person,  the  question,  whether  it  was  his  Gospel,  would  have  arisen, 
not  only  against  its  claims  to  be  a  Revelation,  but  also  against  its 
authority,  and  consequent  obligation.  The  Authority  of  the  Apos- 
tles, as  men,  is  certainly  less  than  that  of  Christ,  as  a  man ;  for  he 
was  a  wiser  and  better  man  than  they. 

According  to  every  scheme  of  Christianity,  even  according  to 
that  of  the  Socinians,  the  authority  of  the  Gospel  terminates  in 
Christ,  as  the  original  Publisher  of  it  to  mankind;  and  in  this  view 
is  of  more  import,  and  higher  obligation,  than  if  it  had  terminated 
in  the  Apostles.  The  Apostles  might,  indeed,  have  been  admitted 
as  upright  and  unexceptionable  witnesses  of  facts  ;  and  full  credit 
might  have  been  given  to  their  testimony.  But  when  they  pre- 
scribed rules  of  faith  and  practice,  their  authority  would  easily 
have  been  questioned:  for  in  this  case  they  would  have  needed 
not  only  an  unexceptionable  character,  but  a  divine  commission. 
Had  the  Apostles  told  us,  (as,  if  Christ  had  not  personally  preach- 
ed the  Gospel,  they  must  have  told  us)  only,  that  Christ  was  born, 
lived  and  died, at  such  a  time,  and  in  such  a  manner;  it  is  not  easy 
to  conceive  how  they  would  have  proved,  satisfactorily  to  mankind, 
their  reception  of  such  a  commission  from  him.  The  mind  would 
instinctively,  fondly,  and  anxiously,  have  asked,  "  whether  this 
distinguished  person  did  not,  while  in  the  world,  teach  those 
around  him  the  superior  wisdom,  which  he  possessed.  If  he  did 
not ;  why  did  he  not  ?  If  he  did ;  why  were  not  his  instructions 
recorded  ?" 

The  absolute  want  of  an  answer  to  these  questions  would,  I 
think,  have  left  this  subject  in  a  state  of  obscurity,  not  only  dis- 
tressing, but  perplexing,  and  dangerous. 

Of  this  obscurity,  Infidels  would  not  have  failed  to  avail  them- 
selves ;  as  they  now  do  of  every  seeming  difficulty,  and  disadvan- 
tage, under  which  they  suppose  Christianity  to  labour.  They 
would  have  asked  triumphantly,  "  how  does  it  appear  that  these 
doctrines,  precepts,  or  ordinances,  are  Christ's  ;  and  not  merely 


30  l»EftSONAL  PREACHING  OF  CHRIST.  [SER.XLIV. 

the  dictates  of  his  followers  ?  In  many  instances  we  acknowledge 
them  to  be  true  doctrines,  sound  and  useful  precepts,  and  harmless 
ordinances;  such  as  may  be  believed,  and  obeyed,  reasonably 
enough;  but  where  is  the  proof,  that  they  were  intended  to  be 
laws  of  faith  and  conduct,  binding  the  consciences  of  men?  If 
this  had  been  their  character,  would  not  Christ,  the  source  of  this 
system,  have  declared  it,  during  his  residence  on  earth  ?  The  fact, 
that  he  did  not,  to  say  the  least,  renders  the  point  doubtful ;  and, 
of  course,  releases  mankind  from  any  obligation  to  obey." 

What  Infidels  would  thus  have  boldly  advanced,  Socinians  would 
probably  have  readily  admitted;  and  multitudes  of  cold  and  timid 
believers  would,  as  probably,  have  followed  in  their  train.  In 
this  manner,  the  whole  system  might  have  assumed  a  new  face, 
and  the  whole  Church  a  ditlerent  character. 

AH  these  things  would,  also,  have  required  peculiar  strength, 
and  consistency,  from  the  fact,  that  the  Apostles  attrihvtc  the  Gos- 
pel wholly  to  Christ;  as  being  originally,  and  exclusivilu,  his. 
"  Where,"  it  would  be  asked,  "  is  the  proof  of  this  great  fact  ?  No 
record  is  left  of  the  Instructions  of  Christ  himself,  to  indicate  his 
pleasure.  This  certainly  is  strange ;  and,  if  it  was  really  his  will 
that  we  should  obey  these  precepts  and  receive  these  doctrines, 
unaccountable.  In  a  case  of  such  importance,  he  cannot  be  be- 
lieved to  have  left  us  in  any  doubt;  much  less  in  so  serious  a 
perplexity.  His  absolute  silence,  therefore,  in  a  matter  of  this 
magnitude,  furnishes  no  small  reason  to  believe,  that  he  intended 
and  required,  no  conformity,  or  obedience,  of  this  nature,  on  our 
part." 

From  these  objections  and  others  like  them,  the  Church,  and 
those,  individually  and  successively,  of  whom  in  every  period  it 
was  to  be  formed,  would  undoubtedly  have  experienced  many 
difficulties  and  perplexities,  in  the  way  of  their  faith  and  obedi- 
ence. Nor  would  the  powerful  arguments,  derived  from  the  lives, 
and  the  miracles,  of  the  Apostles,  be  able  to  remove  these  difficul- 
ties. In  spite  of  these  arguments,  difficulties  even  now  exist, 
sufficiently  perplexing  to  stumble  the  weak,  and  ensnare  the 
unguarded.  It  is  hardly  necessary  to  add,  that  by  the  supposed 
silence  of  Christ  all  these  would  be  mightily  enhanced. 

The  Gospel  is  probably  reverenced  by  those,  who  reverence  it 
at  all,  in  a  degree,  generally  proportioned  to  their  views  concern- 
ing its  Author.  Trinitarians  regard  it  with  the  highest  veneration ; 
jirians  with  a  less  degree ;  and  Sociyiians,  particularly  the  follow- 
ers of  Doctor  Priestly,  with  the  least.  Even  these,  however, 
regard  Christ  with  more  respect,  than  they  render  to  the  Apostles. 
Had  the  Gospel  been  preached  by  the  Apostles  only,  there  is 
reason  to  fear  that  by  every  one  of  these  classes  of  men,  it  would 
have  been  regarded  with  a  still  lower  degree  of  veneration.  To 
believe  its  doctrines,  to  obey  its  precepts,  and  to  celebrate  it» 
ordinances,  would  have  been  felt  to  be  a  duty,  less  powerfully 


SER.  XLIV.]  PERSONAL  PREACHING  OF  CHRIST.  31 

incumbent  on  mankind,  less  obligatory,  and  less  necessary  to  the 
attainment  of  salvation. 

It  ought  here  to  be  remarked,  that  the  Scriptures  themselves 
furnish  a  solid  foundation  for  this  distinction.  St.  Paul,  Heb.  ii. 
1 — 3,  says.  Therefore^  (that  is,  on  account  of  the  exalted  Charac- 
ter of  Christ,  displayed  in  the  preceding  chapter)  toe  ought  to  give 
the.  more  earnest  heed  to  the  things  which  we  have  heard,  lest  at  any 
time  we  should  let  them  slip.  For,  if  the  word  spoken  by  Angels 
was  steadfast,  and  every  transgression  and  disobedience  received  a 
just  recompense  of  reward;  How  shall  we  escape,  if  we  neglect  so 
great  salvation  ;  which  at  the  first  began  to  he  spoken  by  the  Lord, 
and  was  confirmed  unto  us  by  those  that  heard  him?  In  the  pre- 
ceding chapter,  the  Apostle  had  proved  the  entire  and  infinite 
superiority  of  Christ  to  Angels.  From  this  character  of  the  Saviour 
he  derives  the  inference,  just  read ;  viz.  the  utter  hopelessness  of 
escape  to  such,  as  neglect  the  salvation,  which  He  published  with 
his  own  mouth.  The  justice  of  the  Inference  he  proves  by  the 
fact,  that  even  those,  who  disobeyed  the  word  spoken  by  Angels, 
were  uniformly,  and  equitably  punished.  Those,  therefore,  he 
says,  cannot  possibly  escape  punishment,  who  neglect  the  word 
spoken  by  Christ,  a  person  so  much  greater  and  better  than 
Angels. 

Again,  Chap.  x.  28,  29,  He  says.  He  that  despised  Moses^  law, 
died  without  mercy.  Of  how  much  sorer  punishment,  suppose  ye, 
shall  he  he  thought  zoorthy,  who  hath  trodden  under  foot  the  Son  of 
God?  In  both  these  instances  the  Apostle  evidently  considers 
the  guilt  of  disobeying  Christ  as  greater  than  that  of  disobeying 
other  publishers  of  the  Word  of  God ;  and  of  course  attributes  to 
Christ,  as  a  preacher  of  the  Gospel,  an  authority,  superior  to  that 
of  any  other  person.  These  very  passages,  had  they  been  writ- 
ten, as  substantially  they  might  have  been,  would  perhaps  have 
been  quoted  against  the  Apostles  themselves,  if  Christ  had  not 
preached  the  Gospel  in  person. 

III.  It  was  necessary  that  Christ  should  preach  the  Gospel,  that 
he  might  appear  in  the  world,  as  a  Preacher  of  Truth  and  Right- 
eousness. 

The  importance  of  Christ's  assumption  of  this  character  will  be 
evident  from  the  following  particulars. 

1st.  The  importance  of  the  Character  itself. 
No  intellectual  character  is  so  great,  or  so  important,  as  this.  The 
highest  wisdom  and  authority  are  here  united,  and  exhibited  with 
unrivalled  lustre.  The  subjects  unfolded  are  the  most  interesting 
in  the  Universe  :  The  character,  pleasure,  and  works,  of  God  ; 
the  nature,  and  destiny,  of  Man ;  the  nature  of  holiness  and  sin  5 
the  laws,  by  which  our  duty  is  prescribed  and  regulated ;  the 
means,  by  which  eternal  life  is  obtained ;  the  termination  of  this 
earthly  system  ;  and  the  introduction  of  another,  wholly  new,  ini' 
mortal,  and  divine. 

Vol.  II.  11 


82  PERSONAL  PREACHING  OF  CHRIST.  [SER.  XLIV 

In  the  assumption  of  this  character  Christ  became  the  Lawgiver, 
and  Teacher  of  a  World,  and  indeed  of  the  Universe;  unfolded  all 
the  wisdom,  and  all  the  holiness,  attainable  by  mankind  throughout 
endless  duration  ;  and  disclosed  the  perfect  attributes  and  immea- 
surable glories,  of  Jehovah.  Angels  in  his  instructions  saw  what 
all  the  splendours  of  the  heavenly  system  had  never  illuminated ; 
and  found  a  wisdom,  displayed  on  the  footstool  of  the  Creator, 
which  their  own  exalted  world,  notwithstanding  the  perfection  with 
which  it  is  arrayed,  had  never  ushered  into  light.  In  this  charac- 
ter, then,  it  was  suitable  to  the  glory  of  Christ,  that  he  should  have 
the  pre-eminence, 

2dly.    The  lustre  which  it  shed  upon  his  life. 

Christ  is  the  only  Teacher,  ever  found  in  this  world,  whose  life 
exactly,  and  perfectly,  accorded  with  his  instructions.  No  object 
is  so  edifying,  as  this  accordance.  The  perfect  holiness  of  the  Re- 
deemer would  have  been  less  clearly  seen  and  less  deeply  felt,  if 
we  could  not  have  compared  his  actions  with  the  perfect  rules  of 
life,  uttered  by  his  own  mouth.  This  truth  needs  no  other  evi- 
dence, except  the  continual  appeal  to  the  fact,  made  by  all  Chris- 
tians in  their  conversation  and  writings;  an  appeal,  showing  more 
forcibly  than  arguments  can  do,  the  strong  imj>ressions,  made  by 
this  fact  on  their  minds.  The  peculiar  excellence  and  dignity  of 
Christ  is  here  seen  with  the  highest  advantage  ;  as  being  seen  in 
the  strongest  light,  and  seen  alone. 

3dly.  The  proof,  zohich  it  furnished,  that  all  his  precepts  are  ca- 
pable of  being  obeyed,  with  a  suitable  disposition,  by  a  human  being. 

Christ  was  a  man,  as  well  as  God  ;  differing  from  other  men  only 
in  wisdom,  and  excellence.  In  this  character  he  perfectly  observ- 
ed every  precept,  which  he  uttered,  so  far  as  it  was  applicable  to 
himself.  In  this  manner  he  taught,  unanswerably,  that  other  teach- 
ers, and  all  other  men,  would  do  the  same,  if  they  possessed,  and 
so  far  as  they  possessed,  the  same  disposition.  The  precepts, 
therefore,  are  reasonable  in  themselves ;  and  all  the  difficulty, 
found  by  us  in  obeying  them,  arises  from  our  disinclination.  Had 
Christ  left  the  Gospel  to  be  preached  by  the  Apostles  only;  this 
trait  in  his  character  would,  at  the  best,  have  been  dimly  seen,  and 
feebly  regarded. 

4thly.  The  Example,  which  he  thus  furnished  to  all  future  preach' 
ers  of  the  Gospel. 

The  example  of  Christ  in  this  respect  is  perfect.  A  particular 
display  of  its  excellencies  will,  however,  be  more  advantageously 
made  hereafter.  Suffice  it,  now,  to  observe,  that  it  was  an  exam- 
ple indispensably  necessary  for  men  in  every  period  of  time,  and 
peculiai'ly  at  the  time  when  it  was  furnished.  The  Gospel  then 
began  to  be  preachfd ;  and  the  manner,  in  which  it  ought  to  be 
preached,  all  future  preachers  needed  to  know,  for  their  direction : 
the  gentleness,  meekness,  candour,  patience,  clearness,  sim])licity, 
firmness,  boldness,  and  unwavering  integrity,  which  every  preacher 


SER.  XLIV.]  PERSONAL  PREACHING  OF  CHRIST.  83 

ought  to  display;  which  Christ  alone  has  perfectly  displayed;  but 
which  thousands  of  preachers  have  exhibited  in  far  higher  degrees 
than  they  would  ever  have  reached,  if  they  had  not  been  presented 
with  this  glorious  Example,  to  direct  and  animate  them,  in  this 
great  duty. 

The  Examples  of  this  nature,  actually  existing  at  that  time  in 
the  world,  were  such,  as  only  to  mislead,  and  corrupt,  those  who 
followed  them.  The  pride  of  both  Jewish  and  Heathen  Teachers  ; 
the  dissoluteness  of  their  lives ;  their  covetousness ;  their  sickly 
love  of  human  applause ;  the  blind  devotion  of  the  former  to  the 
silly  and  immortal  traditions  of  the  Elders ;  and  the  theoretical 
spirit,  the  sophistry,  and  the  empty  declamation,  of  the  latter; 
rendered  a  new  example,  free  from  all  these  deplorable  defects,  in- 
dispensable to  all  future  teachers,  who  wished  to  benefit  their  fel- 
low-men. 

IV.  It  was  necessary,  that  Christ  should  preach  the  Gospel,  in  or- 
der to  the  authoritative  abolition  of  the  peculiarities  of  the  Mosaic 
system. 

These  peculiarities  are  called  by  St.  Peter,  Acts  xv.  10,  a  Yoke, 
which  neither  our  fathers,  nor  we,  (that  is,  the  Jews)  were  able  to 
bear.  For  the  Gentiles  at  large  it  would  have  been  not  only  an  in- 
supportable yoke,  but  a  system  of  rites  and  duties,  with  which  their 
accordance  would,  in  many  cases,  have  been  impossible.  Still  all 
these  were  sanctioned  by  an  authority  confessedly  divine.  Equal 
authority  was  necessary  to  abrogate  them.  Yet  this  abrogation 
was  absolutely  necessary  to  the  success  of  the  Gospel.  The  au- 
thority of  the  Apostles  would  not,  I  think,  in  this  case,  have  been 
submitted  to  by  the  Jews^  nor  easily  have  been  placed  in  their  es- 
timation above,  nor  in  an  even  balance  with,  that  of  Moses  /  but 
would  probably  have  been  classed  with  that  of  the  Prophets,  who 
succeeded  Moses,  and  who  were  universally,  and  justly,  consider- 
ed as  possessing  an  authority  inferior  to  his. 

The  Jews  were  taught  to  expect  the  only  material  change,  which 
would  ever  exist  in  the  Mosaic  system,  from  that  Prophet,  whom  the 
Lord  their  God  was  to  raise  up  unto  them,  like  unto  Moses.  This 
Prophet  not  one  of  the  Apostles  could  claim  to  be.  Not  one  of 
them,  therefore,  could  arrogate  to  himself  the  authority,  by  which 
that  system  was  to  be  changed.  This  belonged  exclusively  to 
Christ,  the  Prophet  thus  foretold ;  the  Prophet,  from  whom  the 
Scriptures  themselves  taught  the  Jezvs  to  expect  material  alterations 
in  their  religion. 

Had  Christ,  then,  been  silent  on  this  subject,  it  is  not  easy  to 
conceive  how  the  Jews  could  have  been  persuaded,  that  the  system 
was  to  be  changed  at  all ;  nor,  if  they  had  not  been  persuaded, 
how  the  Gentiles  could  either  have  realized,  or  maintained,  this 
important  fact. 

V.  It  was  necessary,  that  Christ  should  preach  the  Gospel,  to  fur- 
nish an  opportunity  of  faith,  and  conversion,  to  the  Jews,  who  lived 
at  that  time. 


84  PERSONAL  PREACHING  OF  CHRIST.  [SER.  XnV. 

Although  Christ,  as  a  preacher,  was  less  successful  than  his 
Apostles,  yet  we  learn  from  the  Scriptures,  that  several  hundreds, 
and,  if  I  mistake  not,  that  in  all  probability  thousands,  believed  his 
word.  The  importance  of  this  event  needs  no  explanation,  so  far 
as  the  salvation  of  these  believers  only  is  considered.  But  there 
is  another  point  of  view,  in  which  this  subject  demands  an  explan- 
ation at  the  present  time.  The  persons,  converted  by  the  preach- 
ing of  Christ,  were  themselves  the  only  Preachers  of  the  Gospel, 
whom  at  his  ascension  he  left  behind  him  in  the  world.  From  his 
preaching  they  derived  their  own  conversion,  and  their  qualifica- 
tions for  the  business  of  converting  others.  The  existence  of 
these  Preachers,  since  all  Christians  become  converts  by  means  of 
the  truths,  contained  in  the  Gospel,  was  absolutely  necessary  to  the 
conversion  of  their  fellow-men  ;  and  the  preaching  of  Christ  was 
equally  necessary  to  the  conversion  of  themselves. 

When  we  remember,  that  in  the  number  of  the  Preachers  of  the 
Gospel  the  Apostles  are  included,  the  importance  of  this  article 
will  appear  in  its  proper  light.  To  them  the  whole  Christian  world, 
throughout  the  past,  present,  and  future,  ages  of  time,  confessedly 
owes  its  redemption  from  Spiritual  darkness,  and  its  introduction 
into  the  marvellous  light  of  Christ's  kingdom. 

But  it  is  only  indebted  to  them  in  the  immediate  sense.  Ulti- 
mately, this  immense  blessing  is  owing  to  the  preaching  of  the  Re- 
deemer himself.  The  importance  of  his  preaching,  therefore,  may 
be  faii'ly  estimated  from  the  greatness  of  the  blessing. 

VI.  //  vxis  necessary  that  Christ  should  preach  the  Gospel,  for  the 
purpose  of  furnishing  important  evidence  of  its  divine  origin. 

Interesting  evidence  of  the  divine  origin  of  the  Gospel  is  deriv- 
ed from  the  fact,  that  it  was  preached  by  Christ ;  and  that  in  two 
ways. 

1st.  //  cannot  be  rationally  supposed,  that  a  mere  man,  educated 
as  he  WAS  without  any  advantages,  beside  those  enjoyed  by  the  poor 
people  of  the  Jczvish  nation,  generally,  coidd  have  devised  the  Gospel 
by  the  strength  of  his  own  rnind. 

The  Jeios,  asked,  with  the  utmost  good  sense,  this  question  con- 
cerning our  Saviour :  How  knowcth  this  man  letters,  having  never 
learned}'  John  vii.  15.  The  only  rational  answer  to  this  inquiry 
is,  that  what  they  meant  by  letters,  viz.  the  wisdom  which  he  taught, 
he  received  immediately  from  God.  It  is  plainly  impossible,  that 
he  should  have  devised  this  wisdom,  had  he  been  ever  so  advanta- 
geously educated,  either  from  the  frivolous  and  superstitious  doc- 
trines of  his  countrymen,  or  from  the  vain,  gross,  erring,  and  self- 
contradictory  philosophy  of  the  Heathen.  Scarcely  any  thing  can 
be  imagined  more  unlike  the  Gospel  of  Christ,  than  the  instruc- 
tions, given  by  both  these  classes  of  men.  But  Christ  was  not  thus 
educated.  On  the  contrary,  he  was  in  the  proper  sense  an  un- 
learned man.  That,  which  he  taught,  sprang  up,  therefore,  origin- 
ally in  his  own  mind.   But  no  other  such  mind  ever  appeared  in  this 


SER.  XLIV]  PERSONAL  PREACHING  OF  CHRIST.  85 

world.  Nor  was  such  wisdom  ever  taught,  here,  by  any  man, 
whether  learned  or  unlearned.  That  it  should  be  taught  by  a  man 
unlearned,  as  he  was,  from  the  mere  force  of  his  own  mind,  is  a  far 
more  improbable  counteraction  of  those  laws,  which  regulate,  and 
limit,  the  nature  of  man,  than  a  Revelation  from  God  can  be,  of 
any  supposable  laws  of  nature. 

2dly.  Christ  proved  the  Gospel  to  be  from  God  by  his  life  and 
miracles. 

Christ  asserted  his  Doctrine  to  be  derived  immediately  from 
God.  To  prove  the  truth  of  this  assertion  he  wrought  a  multitude 
of  wonderful  miracles;  and  appealed  to  them,  as  decisive  evidence, 
that  it  was  true.  A  miracle  can  be  wrought  by  none  but  God  ;  for 
no  other  being  can  suspend,  or  counteract,  that  infinite  power, 
which  is  unceasingly  employed  in  bringing  events  to  pass,  accord- 
ing to  those  which  are  called  the  laws  of  nature.  But  God  cannot 
work  a  miracle,  to  support  a  falsehood :  for  this  would  be  no  other 
than  a  declaration,  that  the  falsehood  was  true.  The  miracles  of 
Christ,  therefore,  were  an  unquestionable  proof  that  his  Gospel  is 
a  Revelation  from  God. 

The  holiness  of  his  life  is  another  proof  of  the  divine  origin  of 
the  Gospel:  a  proof  not  less  sohd,  although,  perhaps,  less  frequent- 
ly allowed  its  full  force.  No  miracle  is  a  more  palpable  contra- 
diction to  the  laws,  which  respect  the  nature  of  man  in  this  world, 
than  the  perfect  holiness  of  Christ.  At  the  same  time,  this  char- 
acter forbids,  as  absurd  and  contemptible,  the  supposition,  that  he 
was  capable  of  uttering  a  known  falsehood. 

But  Christ  declared  that  his  Gospel  was  from  God.  Coming 
fi'om  such  a  person,  the  assertion  cannot,  without  perfect  irration- 
ality, be  called  into  question. 

Had  not  these  proofs  of  the  divine  origin  of  the  Gospel  been 
furnished  by  Christ,  the  evidence  on  this  subject  would  undoubted- 
ly stand  on  very  different  ground,  and  want  not  a  little  of  its  present 
strength  and  completeness. 

VII.  It  was  necessary  that  Christ  should  preach  the  Gospel,  in 
order  to  the  fulfilment  of  numerous  prophecies,  which  foretold  this 
part  of  his  character. 

One  of  these,  contained  in  Isaiah  Ixi.  and  applied  by  Christ  to 
himself,  Luke  iv.  18,  19,  may  stand  in  the  place  of  all  others. 
The  spirit  of  the  Lord  is  upon  me,  because  he  hath  anointed  me  to 
preach  the  Gospel  to  the  poor  ;  he  hath  sent  me  to  heal  the  broken- 
hearted, to  preach  deliverance  to  the  captives,  and  recovering  of 
sight  to  the  blind  ^  to  set  at  liberty  them  that  are  bruised^  to  preach 
the  acceptable  year  of  the  Lord.  The  predictions  of  the  Scriptures 
were  not  written,  merely  that  they  might  be  fulfilled ;  but,  when 
they  were  written,  it  became  indispensable,  that  they  should  be 
fulfilled.  The  prophetical  character  of  Christ  was  predicted,  be- 
cause it  was  an  event  determined  on  by  infinite  Wisdom  ;  be- 
cause of  its  own  intrinsic  importance,  and  utility  to  the  universe ; 


01  PERSONAL  PREACHING  OF  CHRIST.  [SER.  XLIV 

and  because  the  prediction  itself,  also,  was  in  many  respects  useful 
and  important.  After  it  was  once  written,  those  who  hear  me,  will, 
without  the  aid  of  an  explanation  discern  with  a  glance,  that  its 
fulfilment  became  indispensable. 

For  all  these  reasons,  and  some  others  which  we  can  compre- 
hend, and  undoubtedly  for  others,  which  lie  beyond  our  reach,  it 
was  necessary  that  Christ  should  assume,  and  execute,  the  office 
of  a  preacher  of  the  Gospel.  It  is  hoped  that  this  attempt  to 
elucidate  a  subject,  so  interesting  in  itself,  of  such  magnitude  in 
the  scheme  of  redemption,  and  yet  so  rarely  an  object  of  investi- 
gation, or  even  of  attention,  will  not  be  unedifying  to  those  per- 
sons, who  regard  the  Mediation  of  Christ  with  reverence  and  com- 
placency. 


SERMON  XLV. 


CHRIST  A    PROPHET. HIS    PERSONAL    PREACHING. THE    THINGS 

WHICH    HE    TAUGHT- 


John  vii.  46. —  The  officers  answered,  Never  man  spake  like  this  Man. 

In  the  last  discourse,  I  proposed  to  consider  the  Character  of 
Christ  as  a  Prophet ;  or  as  the  great  Preacher  of  Truth  and  Right- 
eousness j  under  the  following  heads. 

I.  The  Necessity  of  his  preaching  the  Gospel : 

II.  The  Things  zohich  lie  taught: 

III.  The  Manner  of  his  preaching:  and, 

IV.  The  Consequences  of  his  preaching' 

The  first  of  these  subjects  I  discussed  at  that  time.  I  shall  now 
proceed  to  an  Examination  of  the 

II.  Viz.   The  Things  zohich  he  taught. 

In  the  context  we  are  informed,  that  the  Sanhedrim  sent  officers 
to  take  Christ,  as  he  was  preaching  in  the  temple,  and  bring  him 
before  them.  When  they  returned  without  him,  they  were  asked 
by  the  Sanhedrim,  why  they  had  not  brought  him.  They  answer- 
ed in  the  words  of  the  text :  Never  man  spake  like  this  man ;  (that 
is)  "  The  things  which  he  said,  and  the  manner  in  which  he  said 
them,  were  such,  as  never  before  were  exhibited  by  any  human 
being." 

These  words  were  uttered  by  Jezvs,  his  enemies ;  by  officers  and 
dependents  of  the  Sanhedrim,  his  most  bitter  enemies  ;  by  those 
officers,  when  commissioned  to  seize  him  for  trial  and  punishment ; 
by  those  officers,  therefore,  when  under  the  strongest  motives  to 
take  him,  as  being  exposed  to  danger  and  punishment,  if  they  did 
not  take  him  ;  and,  finally,  are  uttered,  as  containing  the  only  rea- 
son why  they  did  not  take  him.  All  these  facts  teach  us,  that  the 
things  which  Christ  spoke,  and  the  manner  in  which  he  spoke  them, 
were  singularly  excellent  and  impressive ;  so  excellent  and  im- 
pressive, as  to  induce  these  Jews  to  allege  it  as  the  only  reason 
why  they  had  not  performed  their  official  duty.  It  is  not  easy  to 
conceive  how  a  more  convincing  testimony  could  have  been  given 
to  the  unrivalled  excellency  of  Christ's  preaching.  Particularly 
will  this  appear,  if  we  remember  that  the  doctrines  and  precepts 
of  Christ  violated  all  the  prejudices  of  the  human  heart;  especially 
oiJews ;  and  that  there  was  nothing  in  his  manner,  of  the  kind  which 
is  usually  called  popular  ;  or  calculated  to  catch,  for  the  moment, 
the  applause  of  his  audience,  and  produce  a  favourable  bias  to- 
wards the  Speaker.  In  the  consideration  of  this  and  the  following 
heads,  we  shall  have  opportunity  to  examine,  in  some  measure, 


$8  PERSONAL  PREACHING  OF  CHRIST.  [SER.  XLIV. 

how  far  the  things,  recorded  of  Christ,  will  warrant  us  to  entertain 
the  same  opinion. 

Among  other  things  taught  by  Christ,  I  shall  mention 

I.    The  Abolition  of  the  peculiarities  of  the  Mosaic  system. 

The  Mosaic  system  consisted  of  three  great  parts ;  the  Moral, 
the  Judicial  or  Political,  and  the  Ceremonial.  All  the  peculiarities 
of  this  system  belong  to  the  two  last ;  the  first  being  in  its  own 
nature  applicable  to  mankind,  generally,  in  all  circumstances. 
That  these  peculiarities  were  one  day  to  be  abolished  was  often 
indicated  by  the  prophets  of  the  Old  Testament,  from  the  days  of 
Moses  down  to  those  of  Malachi.  This  seems  to  be  sufficiently 
indicated  by  our  Saviour  himself  in  his  discourse  to  the  disciples, 
going  to  Emmaus.  Lukexxiv.  25,  &;c.  Then  he  said  unto  them, 
O  fools,  and  slow  of  heart  to  believe  all  that  the  Prophets  have  spoken. 
Ought  not  Christ  to  have  suffered  these  things,  and  to  enter  into  his 
glory  ?  And  beginning  at  Moses  and  all  the  Prophets,  he  expounded 
unto  them,  m  all  the  Scriptures,  the  things  concerning  himself.  The 
things  concerning  Christ  are  here  asserted  to  have  been  spoken 
by  Moses  and  all  the  prophets  :  viz.  his  life,  death,  and  exaltation. 
But  with  these,  we  know,  was  interwoven  a  change  in  the  Mosaic 
system;  a  change,  therefore,  more  or  less  exhibited  by  Moses,  and 
all  the  succeeding  prophets-,  by  some  of  them  expressly;  by  oth- 
ers only  in  hint,  allusion,  or  inference. 

St.  Paul,  who  informs  us,  that  Christ  hath  blotted  out  his  hand- 
writing of  ordinances,  which  zvas  against  us,  and  contrary  to  us  ; 
taken  it  out  of  the  way,  and  nailed  it.  to  his  cross,  who  declares  that 
Christ  hath  made  botJi  Jews  and  Gentiles  one;  and  broken  down  the 
middle  loall  of  partition,  abolished  in  his  flesh  the  enmity  between 
them,  even  the  law  of  commandments,  C07itained  in  ordinances  ; 
argues  this  fact,  also,  at  length,  as  declared  by  the  Prophet  Jere- 
miah. For,  saith  he,  if  that  first  Covenant  had  been  faultless,  then 
should  noplace  have  been  sought  for  the  second.  But  finding  fault, 
he  saith.  Behold  the  days  come,  saith  the  Lord,  when  I  will  complete 
a  new  Covenant  with  the  house  of  Israel  and  the  house  ofJudah,  &LC. 
By  saying  A  new  Covenant,  he  hath  made  the  former  old.  Now 
that  which  decayeth,  and  waxeth  old,  is  ready  to  vanish.*  See 
Jer.  xxxi.  31,  <Sic.     Heb.  viii.  7,  <Sic. 

The  Mosaic  system,  therefore,  was  originally  designed  in  part, 
(viz.  that  part  of  it,  which  consisted  of  the  commandments  contain- 
ed in  Ordinances)  to  be  abolished,  at  some  future  period.  It  was 
also  to  be  abolished,  when  the  J^ezo  Covenant  was  to  be  completed; 
the  Covenant,  originally  published  to  Abraham,  but  completed  un- 
der the  Christian  dispensation. 

That  it  was  to  be  abolished  by  Christ  is  indicated  in  the  pro- 
phecy concerning  him,  dwelt  on  so  largely  in  the  preceding  dis- 
course.     /  will  raise  up  unto  them  a  Prophet  like  unto  thee,  that  is, 

*  Macknight. 


SER.  XLV]  THE  THINGS  WHICH  HE  TAUGHT.  89 

a  Prophet,  who,  Uke  thee,  shall  bring  into  the  Church  a  new  dis- 
pensation, and  change  whatever  needs  alteration  in  the  old ;  even 
as  thou  hast  done  with  respect  to  the  patriarchal  dispensation. 

The  same  truth  is,  also,  abundantly  declared  by  preceding  Pro- 
phets, especially  Isaiah ;  who  describes  at  large  the  very  changes, 
actually  made  by  Christ  in  this  dispensation,  almost  as  distinctly 
as  the  Apostles ;  at  least  in  several  particulars. 

Christ  published  this  abolition  of  the  peculiarities  of  the  Mosaic 
system. 

In  the  first  place,  by  teaching,  that  the  Gentiles,  as  well  as  the 
Jeros,  were  henceforth  to  be  the  people  of  God. 

And,  I,  saith  he,  if  I  be  lifted  up,  will  draw  all  men  unto  me. 
John  xii.  32.  Again ;  And  other  sheep  I  have,  which  are  net  of 
this  fold;  them,  also,  must  I  bring,  and  they  shall  hear  my  voice  ^ 
and  there  shall  be  onefold,  and  one  Shepherd. 

The  Jervs,  under  the  dispensation  of  Moses,  were  the  only  peo- 
ple of  God.  All  others,  who  became  members  of  the  Church,  be- 
came such  by  being  proselyted  to  the  Jewish  religion,  and  obeying 
the  Jewish  laws  throughout;  in  other  words,  by  becoming  Jews  in 
every  thing  except  blood.  But  Christ  here  declares,  that  the  Gen- 
tiles, as  such,  shall  become  members  of  his  Church,  and  belong  to 
his  ibid ;  hear,  and  follow  him ;  and  thus  constitute  a  part  of  the 
people  of  God. 

Secondly.  By  teaching  the  uselessness  of  external  rites. 

Christ  exhibited  in  many  ways  the  emptiness  of  external  rites : 
particularly  by  declaring,  that  meats  and  washings,  and  other 
things  of  the  like  nature,  neither  purified  on  the  one  hand,  nor  on 
the  other  defiled,  the  man ;  and  universally  by  showing,  that  in- 
ternal purity  and  integrity  constituted  the  only  object  of  the  divine 
approbation,  and  the  only  title  to  the  kingdom  of  God. 

Thirdly.  By  instituting  a  new  Ministry  in  the  Church. 

This  he  did  by  Commissioning  the  Apostles,  and  all  other  minis- 
ters. Matt,  xxviii.  18,  &c.  to  ^o  into  all  the  World,  preaching  the 
Gospel,  and  discipling  all  nations,  and  baptizing  them  in,  or  into 
the  name  of  the  Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  In 
this  Commission  he  invested  a  new  set  of  men,  in  the  place  of 
Jewish  Priests  and  Levites,  with  all  the  authority,  and  offices,  of 
ministers  in  the  future  Church  of  God.  The  Jezoish  Ministry  was 
therefore,  henceforth  done  away. 

Fourthly.  By  substituting  Baptism  and  the  Lord^s  Supper  for 
the  Jewish  Sacraments  of  Circumcision  and  the  Passover. 

Christ  made  Baptism  the  initiatory  ordinance  of  the  Christian 
Chiu-ch,  and  the  Lord's  Supper  the  confirmatory  one.  Circum- 
cision, therefore,  and  the  Passover,  ceased  of  course.  Besides, 
the  Death  of  Christ  the  Antitype  of  the  Passover,  having  taken 
place ;  the  Passover,  which  typified  it,  ceased  of  course. 

Fifthly.  By  substituting  a  new,  simple,  and  spiritual,  worship  for 
the  ceremonial  worship  of  the  Jews.    In  his  discourse  with  the  Sama- 

VoL.  II.  12 


yO  PERSONAL  PREACHING  OF  CHRIST.  [SER.  XLV 

ritan  woman,  Christ  said,  The  hour  comclh,  and  noiv  is,  when  the 
true  worhippers  shall  worship  the  Father,  in  spirit  and  in  truth  ;  for 
the  Father  seeketh  such  to  worship  him.  God  is  a  Spirit  ;  and  they 
that  worship  him  must  worship  him  in  spirit  and  in  truth. 

In  llie  parable  of  the  sower,  also,  he  declares,  that  they,  who  re- 
reived  the  seed  in  good  ground,  are  such  as  receive  the  word  in  an 
honest  and  good  heart ;  and  that  these  only  are  either  fruitful  or 
accepted. 

Sixthly.  Bi/  teaching  thai  God  was  to  be  worshipped^  acceptably^ 
wherever  he  was  sincerely  worshipped,  and  not  in  the  temple  at  Jeru- 
salem only. 

In  the  abovementioncd  conversation  with  the  Samaritan  wo- 
man, Christ  said,  Woman,  believe  me,  the  hour  cometh,  when  ye  shall 
neither  in  this  mountain,  nor  yet  at  Jerusalem,  worship  the  Father. 
He  also,  as  }  ou  well  know,  predicted  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem, 
the  temple,  and  its  services  ;  declaring,  that  not  one  stone  of  the  tem- 
ple shoidd  be  left  upon  another,  which  should  not  be  thrown  down  ; 
that  Jerusalem  should  be  trodden  down  of  the  Gentiles,  until  the  times 
of  the  Gentiles  shoidd  be  fulfilled  ;  and  that  all  these  things  should 
come  to  pass  during  the  continuance  of  the  then  existing  generation. 
In  the  mean  time,  he  declared  to  his  disciples,  that  wherever  tico  or 
three  of  them  should  be  met  together  in  his  name,  there  he  would  be  in 
the  i7iidst  of  them. 

It  needs  no  proof,  that  in  these  declarations  he  caused  the  sacri- 
fice and  the  oblation  to  cease  ;  and  put  a  final  end  to  the  peculiari- 
ties of  the  Mosaic  system. 

II.  Christ  taught  the  same  system  of  Religion,  which  was  taught 
by  JMoses, 

The  system  of  Religion,  taught  in  the  Old  and  New-Testament, 
is  one,  and  the  same.  This  Christ  has  himself  sufficiently  declar- 
ed in  his  sermon  on  the  Mount.  One  of  the  first  declarations  in  it, 
is  this  :  Think  not,  I  am  come  to  destroy  the  lazo  and  the  prophets  j 
I  am  not  come  to  destroy,  but  to  fulfil. 

The  system  o{  Natural  Religion,  taught  in  the  Scriptures,  is  one, 
and  unchangeable.  Sooner  shall  heaven  and  earth  pass  away  than 
one  jot,  or  one  tittle,  of  the  Laiw,  on  which  it  is  founded,  and  by  which 
the  duties  of  it  are  required.  As  the  Law  is  unchangeable;  so  the 
duties,  which  it  requires,  are  unchangeable  also.  The  Relations, 
on  which  this  Law  is  founded,  and  whence  these  duties  arise,  are 
eternal  and  immutable.  Of  course,  the  Law  itself,  the  duties  which 
it  requires,  and  the  conditions  of  acceptance  and  rejection,  together 
with  all  the  truths,  or  doctrines,  which  in  Natural  Religion,  or  the 
Religion  founded  on  mere  Law,  are  the  proper,  obligatory  objects 
of  Faith,  must  for  ever  be  the  same.  Accordingly,  our  Saviour, 
when  the  Lawyer  asked  him,  JVhich  is  the  first  and  great  command- 
ment of  the  Law  ?  declared,  after  reciting  the  two  great  commands, 
that  on  these  txvo  hang  all  the  Lazv  and  the  Prophets  ;  or  the  system 
of  Religion  contained  in  the  Old  Testament.     At  the  same  time,  he 


SER.  XLV]  THE  THINGS  WHICH  HE  TAUGHT.  91 

recited  these  commands,  as  being  those,  on  which  was  also  suspenck 
ed  his  own  rehgion  ;  which  were  still  in  full  force,  and  the  founda- 
tion of  all  Virtue  or  Moral  Excellence. 

Nor  is  the  Christian  system  substantially  different  in  the  New 
Testament  from  what  it  is  in  the  Old.  By  the  Christian  system  I  in- 
tend the  system  of  doctrines  and  duties^  by  means  of  which  apostate 
creatures  are  restored  to  obedience  and  favour.  The  Gospel,  says 
St.  Paul,  was  preached  to  Abraham.  It  was  also  disclosed  to  our 
first  parents.  Christ,  says  St.  Peter,  preached,  (that  is,  by  the 
Voice  of  Noah)  to  the  spirits  in  prison  :  viz,  the  rebellious  world, 
imprisoned  under  the  divine  sentence,  during  one  hundred  and  twen- 
ty years  preceding  the  Deluge.  Your  father  Abraham,  says  our  Sa- 
viour to  the  Jeios,  rejoiced  to  see  my  day  ;  and  he  saw  it,  and  was  glad. 
All  these,  says  St.  Paul,  speaking  of  the  Old  Testament  Witnesses 
from  Abel  to  Daniel  and  his  companions,  died  in  Faith  :  that  is,  the 
Faith  of  the  Gospel.  Now  therefore,  says  the  same  Apostle  again 
to  the  Ephesian  Christians,  Ye  are  no  more  strangers  and  foreigners, 
but  fellow-citizens  with  the  saints,  and  of  the  household  of  God :  And 
are  built  upon  the  foundation  of  the  Apostles  and  Prophets  ;  Jesus 
Christ  himself  being  the  chief  corner-stone.  It  would  be  useless  to 
recite  more  passages  to  this  purpose ;  although  many  more  might 
easily  be  recited.  These  prove  in  the  most  decisive  manner,  that 
there  is  One  system  of  Religion,  only,  taught  in  the  Old  and  the  New 
Testament ;  one  LaAV,  on  which  the  whole  is  ultimately  founded  ; 
one  system  of  doctrines  and  duties  of  what  is  called  natural  religion  ; 
one  system  of  doctrines  and  duties  of  the  Christian  system,  appro- 
priately so  called  :  that  the  Gospel  was  preached  not  only  io  Abra- 
ham, but  to  the  Jeroish  and  Patriarchal  churches  in  every  age  :  that 
good  men  have  always  died  in  the  faith  of  the  Gospel:  that  the 
foundation  of  the  Prophets  and  Apostles  is  the  same  :  and  that  ot 
both,  Jesus  Christ  is  the  chief  corner-stone.  ^ 

III.   Christ  taught  all  the  fundamental  doctrines  of  this  system. 

By  the  fundamental  doctrines  of  the  Christian  system,  I  intend 
those,  which  are  necessary  to  be  believed,  and  obeyed,  in  order  to 
the  attainment  of  salvation.  Such,  for  example,  are  the  existence 
and  perfections  of  the  one  God  ;  the  law  of  God  ;  its  righteous  and 
reasonable  character ;  the  rebellion,  apostacy,  and  corruption,  of 
man;  the  impossibility  of  justification  by  the  works  of  the  Law; 
Christ's  own  divine  character  as  the  Son  of  God,  and  the  Saviour 
of  men;  justification  by  faith  in  him  ;  the  nature  and  necessity  of  re- 
generation, faith,  repentance,  and  holiness  of  heart  and  life  ;  a  fu- 
ture state  ;  a  judgment ;  and  a  recompense  of  reward  to  the  right- 
eous and  the  wicked  beyond  the  grave. 

I  will  not  say,  that  the  belief  of  every  one  of  these  is  indispensa- 
ble to  salvation,  but  they  are  all  essential  parts  of  one  system  ;  and 
within  this  list  is  found  whatever  is  thus  necessary  to  be  believed. 
That  Christ  taught  all  these  things  will  not,  I  suppose,  be  question- 
ed by  any  man,  who  admits  that  they  are  at  all  taught  in  the  Scrip- 
tures. 


92  PERSONAL  PREACHING  OF  CHRIST  [SER.  XLV. 

IV.  Christ  taught  the  religion  of  the  Scriptures  more  plainly  and 
perfectly^  than  those  who  zvent  before  him. 

In  a  tormcr  discourse,  I  considered  the  character  of  the  Redeem- 
er, as  the  Light  of  theioorld  ^  and  observed,  that  he  is  exhibited  in 
the  Scriptures,  as  the  source  of  all  knowledge,  natural,  revealed, 
and  spiritual,  concerning  moral  subjects.  Agreeably  to  this  gener- 
al character,  he  appeared  with  peculiar  splendour,  as  the  great 
Luminary  of  the  world,  while  executing  the  office  of  a  Preacher  of 
truth  and  righteousness.  Every  subject,  which  he  discussed,  he  il- 
lustrated, and  every  duty,  enjoined  by  him,  he  inculcated,  with  a 
force,  distinctness,  and  impression,  utterly  unrivalled  by  any  pre- 
ceding instructer. 

Particularly  ;  he  explained  the  nature  and  extent  of  the  Divine 
Law  far  more  perfectly  than  Moses  and  the  Prophets.  Of  this  truth 
his  Sermon  on  the  Mount  is  the  most  illustrious  instance,  of  which 
we  are  able  to  form  a  conception.  In  this  wonderful  discourse  he 
inverted  some,  and  subverted  others,  of  the  Jew  ish  opinions,  esta- 
blished a  long  time  before  he  commenced  his  ministry,  concerning 
the  substance  of  the  Mosaic  religious  system;  explained  the  extent 
and  comprehensiveness  of  the  law  ;  and  taught  the  wonderfully  va- 
rious, minute,  and  exact,  manner,  in  which  its  precepts  are  applica- 
ble to  the  moral  concerns  of  mankind.  David  had  formerly  said, 
while  addressing  himself  to  the  Most  High,  Thy  commandmejit  is 
exceeding  broad.  But  Christ  first  unfolded  the  extension  of  the 
divine  law  to  every  thought  and  affection,  as  well  as  to  every  word 
and  action,  of  mankind.  At  the  same  time,  he  exhibited  the  nature 
of  genuine  obedience  in  a  light,  new,  and  altogether  nobler  than 
had  before  been  imagined;  presenting  to  the  eyes  of  mankind  this 
obedience,  otherwise  termed  holiness,  or  virtue,  as  more  expanded, 
more  dignified,  more  refined,  and  formed  for  a  destination  superior 
to  what  was  found  in  the  instructions,  given  by  the  wisest  men  un- 
der the  Mosaic  dispensation.  Whatever  was  limited,  and  merely 
Jewish,  he  took  away ;  cleansing  the  intellect  from  every  film, 
which  had  bedimmed,  or  narrowed,  its  views  ;  and  releasing  the 
heart  from  every  clog,  which  had  checked  the  progress  of  its  af- 
fections. The  soul,  therefore,  freed  in  this  manner  from  its  former 
corporeal  incumbratices,  was  prepared  by  his  instructions  to  renezu 
its  strength,  to  mount  vp  toith  zoings  as  an  eagle,  to  run  in  the 
Christian  course  and  not  be  rueary,  to  walk  and  not  faint. 

In  the  same  perfect  manner,  and  to  a  consiilerable  extent  in  this 
very  discourse,  as  well  as  more  fully  in  his  discourses  at  large,  he 
explained  the  Gospel  to  mankind.  The  scheme  of  salvation  to 
apostates  through  a  Redeemer  was  very  imj:)erfectly  taught  by  Mo- 
ses,and  was  left  in  no  small  degree  of  obscurity  even  by  David  and 
Isaiah.  It  was  reserved  for  Christ,  by  whom  came  grace  and  truth, 
to  make  the  xvay  of  holiness  a  highway,  in  which  wayfaring  men, 
though  fools,  were  by  no  necessity  compelled  to  err.  So  fully,  so 
distinctly, so  completely,  has  Christ  pointed  out  the  way  to  eternal 


SER.  XLV.]  THE  THINGS  WHICH  HE  TAUGHT.  93 

life,  that  we  often  see  heathens,  savages,  slaves,  and  even  little 
children,  as  well  as  unlettered  men  in  Christian  countries,  entering 
into  it,  and  walking  safely  onward  to  the  end. 

Among  the  things  which  Christ  has  thus  clearly  explained  to 
mankind,  I  have  selected  the  following. 

1st.  He  taught  mankind^  that  the  heart  is  the  seat  of  all  virtue 
and  vice,  or,  in  Scriptural  language,  of  holiness  and  sin. 

Matt.  XV.  16,  Jesus  said  to  his  disciples  :  Are  ye  also  yet  without 
understanding  ?  Do  not  ye  yet  understand,  that  whatsoever  entereth 
in  at  the  mouth  goeth  into  the  belly,  and  is  cast  out  into  the  draught!' 
But  those  things  zvhich  proceed  out  of  the  mouth  come  forth  from 
the  heart ;  ayid  they  dcfle  the  man.  For  out  of  the  heart  proceed 
evil  thoughts,  murders,  adulteries,  fornications,  thefts,  false  witness, 
blasphemies.  These  are  the  things  which  defile  a  man  ;  btit  to  eat 
zoith  unwashen  hands  defilcth  not  a  man.  And  again,  Matthew  xii. 
34,  He  said  to  the  Pharisees,  0  generation  of  vipers  !  how  can  ye, 
being  evil,  speak  good  things?  for  out  of  the  abundance  of  the  heart 
the  mouth  speakcth.  A  good  man  out  of  the  good  treasure  of  the 
heart  bringeth  forth  good  things  j  and  an  evil  man  out  of  the  evil 
treasure  bringeth  forth  evil  things. 

By  declaring  that  the  heart  was  the  only  seat  of  good  and  evil, 
Christ  taught  us  several  lessons  of  great  importance  to  our  safety, 
an  J  well-being. 

He  taught  us,  particularly,  how  to  distinguish  with  accuracy  be- 
tween moral  good  and  evil. 

So  long  as  men  supposed  moral  good  and  evil  to  lie  either  whol- 
ly, or  partially,  in  their  external  actions,  it  was  impossible,  that 
they  should  make  this  distinction  with  any  degree  of  accuracy: 
for  the  very  same  external  actions,  so  entirely  the  same  as  to  he 
distinguishable  by  no  human  eye,  proceed  from  principles  directly 
opposite,  and  are  intended  to  promote  directly  opposite  ends.  In 
the  actions  themselves,  therefore,  there  is  no  difi'erence  ;  and,  of 
course,  no  foundation  for  any  distinction  in  their  moral  character. 
But,  when  the  good  and  evil  are  referred  to  the  heart,  the  intention, 
the  accordance  with  different  motives,  we  cannot  fail,  unless  through 
an  unnecessary,  and  therefore  criminal,  negligence,  to  discern 
whether  we  form  good  or  bad  intentions,  and  whether  we  accord 
with  good  or  evil  motives.  In  this  manner  our  duty,  and  our  dis- 
obedience also,  are  in  ordinary  cases,  to  say  the  least,  made  plain 
and  obvious  ;  and  we  are  saved  from  that  perplexity  and  sus- 
pense, whose  only  influence  is  to  delay,  bewilder,  and  distress  the 
mind. 

In  this  manner  also,  Christ  has  taught  us  where  our  principal  safe- 
ty lies  ;  (viz.)  in  carefidly  watching  our  thoughts. 

David,  in  those  golden  precepts  recited  by  Solomon  in  the  4lh 
chapter  of  Proverbs,  had,  long  before  our  Saviour's  incarnation, 
said,  Keep  thy  heart  with  all  diligence  j  for  out  of  it  are  the  issues  of 
life.     But  this  precept  seems  to  have  been  imperfectly  understood. 


94  PERSONAL  PREACHING  OF  CHRIST.  [SER.  XLV. 

and  little  insisted  on,  and  its  importance  imperfectly  realized,  by 
those  who  preceded  the  Redeemer.  He,  on  the  contrary,  by 
showing  that  the  heart  was  the  only  seat  of  good  and  evil,  and 
teaching  that  the  nature  of  the  streams  was  derived  solely  from 
the  fountain,  taught,  also,  in  a  manner  which  could  not  be  misap- 
prehended, that  the  supreme  duty  and  interest  of  man  lay  in  guard- 
ing the  fountain  itself  from  every  impurity.  As  all  good  and  all 
evil  commence  here  ;  to  watch  the  state  of  the  thoughts  and  af- 
fections becomes  a  duty  of  immeasurable  importance.  Pro})or- 
tionally  important  is  the  lesson,  by  which  this  duty  is  taught  and 
enjoined. 

In  the  same  manner  also,  Christ  taught  the  emptiness  of  external 
and  ceremonial ptrformances. 

Many  of  the  JfHJs,  and  all  the  Heathen,  placed  the  whole  of  their 
religion  in  such  performances.  Christ  struck  at  the  root  of  this 
fruitful  stem  of  falsehood  ;  a  production,  not  unnaturally  cherished 
by  the  splendid  ceremonies  of  \\\e  Mosaic  ritual. 

Although  the  religion  of  the  heart  w  as  actually  taught,  and  taught 
with  great  force  and  propriety,  in  the  Mosaic  system;  yet  the  splen- 
dour of  the  worship  which  it  enjoined,  and  the  strong  impressions 
made  on  the  imagination  by  tlie  nature,  and  multitude,  of  its  rites, 
easily  drew  off  the  attention  of  gross  and  careless  minds  from  the 
thing  typified  to  the  type  ;  from  spiritual  worship  and  real  duty  to 
a  mere  external  observance. 

For  several  ages  before  Christ  appeared,  the  Jews,  and  among 
them  the  teachers  of  their  law,  had  leaned  more  and  more  tow  ards 
an  unqualified  approbation  of  mere  external  rites,  and  a  general 
substitution  of  mere  external  conduct  for  the  duties  enjoined  by 
Religion.  To  the  opinions  of  these  men  Christ,  on  many  occa- 
sions, opposed  himself  in  form,  and  with  irresistible  efficacy. 
Whatever  stress  may  be  laid  upon  them  by  others,  it  is  impossible 
for  his  disciples  to  regard  them  as  being  virtuous,  even  in  the  re- 
motest sense ;  or  as  being  of  any  moral  use,  except  as  occasional 
aids  and  means  of  virtue. 

2dly.  Christ  taught  mankind,  that  virtue  ro7isists  solely  in  loving 
God  with  all  the  heart,  and  our  neighbour  as  ourselves. 

On  these  two  commands,  said  he  to  the  scribe,  hang  all  the  law 
and  the  prophets.  Out  of  these  commands  arise  all  the  precepts, 
taught  by  Moses  and  the  Prophets  ;  precepts,  which  have  no  other 
nature,  nor  end,  but  to  explain,  and  enjoin,  this  universal  law  of 
God.  He  who  keeps  these,  therefore,  keeps  them  all.  Of  course, 
he  is  the  subject  of  that  obedience,  which  God  has  required  ;  of 
moral  excellence ;  of  real  aniiableness  in  the  sight  of  his  Maker. 

The  distinction  between  virtue  and  vice,  exhibited  under  the 
first  head,  as  so  successfully  made  by  the  doctrine  there  specified, 
was  here  completed.  When  virtue  is  made  to  consist  wholly  in  love, 
and  love  itself  is  at  the  same  time  so  exactly  defined ;  all  the  facil- 
ity is  given,  which  can  be  desired,  for^the  purpose  of  discriminating 
between  virtue  and  sin. 


SER.  XLV]  THE  THINGS  WHICH  HE  TAUGHT.  95' 

3dly.  Christ  taught  that  the  meek  and  lowly  virtues,  as  they  are 
called,  or  in  other  words  exercises  of  virtue,  are  superior  in  their 
excellency  to  any  others. 

Mankind  have  universally  admired  magnanimity,  active  courage, 
contempt  of  danger  and  death,  and  other  exercises  of  a  bold  and 
vigorous  spirit.  Nay,  so  gready  have  they  admired  them,  not  only 
as  to  regard  with  a  forgiving  eye  those  who  have  exhibited  them, 
even  in  the  midst  of  crimes  and  excesses,  but  to  yield  to  them, 
when  guilty  of  every  enormity,  their  universal  and  unqualified  ap- 
plause. I  do  not  deny  that  these  may  be  indications  and  exercises 
of  virtue.  There  are  undoubtedly  occasions,  on  which  we  are 
required  to  be  strong,  and  of  a  good  courage ;  and,  when  we  as- 
sume this  character  from  a  sense  of  duty,  and  for  just  and  benev- 
olent purposes,  we  are  really,  and  may  be  eminently,  virtuous. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  meek  and  lowly  exercises  of  this  spirit ; 
such  as  meekness,  humility,  patience,  submission,  gentleness,  pla- 
cability, moderation,  and  forgiveness  ;  although,  perhaps,  by  most 
persons  allowed  to  be  virtuous,  are  yet  by  almost  all  unadmired  and 
unesteemed.  Still,  our  Saviour  has  unquestionably  exhibited 
these,  both  in  his  instructions  and  in  his  example,  as  wholly  supe- 
rior to  the  others.  He  descants  on  them  oftener :  he  dwells  on 
them  more  :  he  presents  them  more  frequently  to  us  in  his  life;  or 
rather  his  whole  life  is  an  uninterrupted  exhibition  of  them.  He 
plainly  attaches  to  them  a  higher  importance,  as  they  are  in  them- 
selves :  and  he  makes  them  more  essential  to  the  character  of  a 
Christian,  and  to  the  attainment  of  salvation.  This,  it  must  be 
acknowledged,  is  a  current  of  instruction  running  directly  counter 
to  that  of  Poets,  Historians,  and  Philosophers,  in  all  ages ;  and  to 
the  general  course  of  human  feelings,  relating  to  this  subject.  It 
cannot  but  be  useful  to  examine,  for  a  moment,  how  far  this  conduct 
of  the  Redeemer  accords  with  the  decisions  of  experience  and 
common  sense. 

It  is  evident  beyond  a  debate,  that  the  meek  and  lowly  virtues 
have  in  themselves  no  tendency  to  produce  any  part  of  those  mis- 
eries, with  which  mankind  have  afflicted  each  other.  If  we  were 
humble,  we  should  never  become  the  authors  of  those  evils  which 
have  regularly  sprung  from  pride.  If  we  were  meek ;  we  should 
not  impatiently  feel  injuries,  nor  give  pain  in  those  numerous  in- 
stances  in  which  it  is  created  by  wrath.  If  we  were  gentle  ;  we 
should  not  do  injuries  to  others.  If  we  were  forgiving  ;  we  should 
not  revenge  them  on  others.  If  we  were  moderate ;  we  should 
prevent  the  evil  effects,  which  always  spring  from  ungoverned  pas- 
sions ;  particularly  from  envy,  wrath,  and  the  passion  for  pleasure. 
If  we  were  placable  ;  we  should  cut  off  the  mass  of  calamities, 
which  is  found  in  alienation  of  heart,  unrelenting  aversion,  and  ir- 
reconciloable  estrangement  of  affection ;  and  instate  in  its  ))lace 
that  serene  and  self-approved  enjoyment,  which  springs  from  the 
cordial  reconcilement  of  minds,  previously  the  seats  of  real,  though 


96  PERSONAL  PREACHING  OF  CHRIST.  [SER.  XLV. 

imperfocf.  good-will.  If  \vc  wove  jiatient-,  we  should  nciti  <  r  mur- 
mur at  God,  nor  at  each  other;  and  should  at  the  same  time  lessen 
hair  the  evils,  which  we  felt,  by  a  quiet  submission  to  the  hanil  of 
our  Creator.  Who  does  not  see,  that,  if  these  virtues  had  their  full 
and  proper  influence  on  human  hearts,  and  human  aflTairs,  Man 
would  assume  a  new  character,  and  the  world  a  new  face  ?  Who 
does  not  see,  that  a  gi'eat  part  of  the  guilt  and  misery,  now  suffered, 
would  vanish;  and  that  in  its  place  would  be  found  peace  and  hap- 
piness, transcending  all  easy  estimation? 

Equally  evident  is  it  from  experience,  that  those,  in  whom  these 
virtues  presided,  have  never  in  fact  produced  these  misri'ies. 
Often  have  they  been  among  the  principal  sufierers,  but  never  num- 
bered among  the  actors,  of  this  tragedy.  As  this  position  cannot, 
and  will  not,  be  denied;  to  insist  on  it  any  further  would  be  useless. 

On  the  other  hand,  to  that  characteristic  of  man,  which  is  styled 
heroism,  has  been  owing  a  great  part,  and  that  usually  the  most 
dreadful  part,  of  human  sufferings.  Active  courage  has  in  every 
age  filled  the  world  with  tumult,  contention,  and  bloodshed ;  de- 
stroyed the  labours  and  enjoyments,  the  peace  and  hopes,  of  men; 
overturned  temples ;  consumed  cities  with  fire ;  and  converted 
kingdoms  into  deserts.  All  these  are  causes  of  misery  only.  At 
the  same  time,  it  has  rarely  done  good,  except  by  accident ;  and, 
however  admired  and  applauded  by  the  silly  mind  of  man  ;  has 
undoubtedly  been  one  of  the  chief  curses,  which  God  has  permit- 
ted to  visit  this  unhappy  world. 

I  have  already  said,  that  I  do  not  deny  these  exercises  of  heroism 
to  be  capable,  in  certain  circumstances,  of  being  virtuous  ;  and 
even  eminently  virtuous.  Still,  it  ought  to  be  remarked,  that,  if 
the  other  class  of  virtues  were  to  have  their  proper  influence  on 
mankind,  these  would  not  exist ;  because  there  would  be  no  occasion 
for  them.  Were  no  injuries  done,  there  could  be  no  occasion  for 
resisting  them ;  and,  of  course,  no  demand  for  active  courage.  The 
exercises  of  this  spirit,  therefore,  are,  at  the  most,  of  a  secondary 
importance ;  and  can  be  called  forth  only  by  preceding  crimes. 
The  meek  and  lowly  virtues  are,  on  the  other  hand,  original  and  es- 
sential ingredients  of  happiness  in  every  world;  are  indispensable 
to  all  private  and  public  enjoyment ;  and  are,  therefore,  of  primary 
and  inestimable  value.  The  preference,  given  by  our  Saviour  to 
these  virtues,  is  of  course,  a  proof  of  real  and  divine  wisdom. 

4thly.  Christ  in  the  same  complete  m,anncr  taught  the  ivoy.  m 
which  fallen  beings  may  again  become  virtuous  and  happy. 

He  explained  his  own  character,  as  the  Propitiation  for  sin,  and 
the  Saviour  of  sinners :  the  willingness  of  God  to  pardon,  justify, 
and  accept,  them  on  account  of  his  righteousness,  through  faith  in 
him  ;  accompanied  by  repentance,  and  followed  by  holiness  of 
heart  and  life.  He  taught  mankind,  that  their  character  by  nature 
is  sinful  and  odious  to  God  ;  and  that  their  own  obedience  can 
never  be  accepted  as  an  expiation  for  their  sin,  or  a  ground  of  their 


SER.  XLV]  PERSONAL  PREACHING  OF  CHRIST.  97 

justification ;  that,  unless  they  are  born  again  of  the  Spirit  of  God, 
and  possess  a  new  and  spiritual  character,  they  cannot  see  the 
kingdom  of  God  ;  and  that  in  acquiring  this  character  they  become 
his  disciples  indeed,  and  prove  themselves  to  be  such  by  doing 
whatsoever  he  hath  commanded.  All  these  things,  united,  constitute 
that  character,  which  being  assumed,  those,  who  before  were  apos- 
tates, return  to  God,  and  to  their  obedience  of  his  will ;  and  may 
evangelically  claim,  through  his  promise,  a  tide  to  eternal  lile. 

5thly.  Christ  established  his  church  in  a  new  form,  appointed  in 
it  new  ministers,  constituted  a  new  discipline,  and  directed  anew  the 
peculiar  duties  of  both  its  officers  and  members. 

The  Church,  under  the  Mosaic  dispensation,  was  properly  a  na- 
tional one  ;  consisting,  with  the  exception  of  such  as  became  pro- 
selytes, and  thus  in  a  sense  Israelites,  of  those  only,  and  of  all  those, 
who  were  descended  from  Abraham,  Isaac,  and  Jacob.  Christ  con- 
stituted the  Church  of  the  Spiritual  children  of  Abraham ;  who 
were  Jews  inwardly,  though  not  according  to  the  flesh ;  and  whose 
praise  was  not  of  Man,  but  of  God.  Instead  of  the  Priests,  who 
were  ministers  of  the  Jewish  Church,  he  appointed  ministers  of  the 
Gospel  to  be  officers  in  the  Christian  Church.  Its  discipline,  also, 
ceased  to  be  the  severe  and  dreadful  system  of  proceedings,  en- 
joined under  the  Mosaic  di'^pensation  ;  and  became  a  course  of  ad- 
vice, reproof,  and,  in  cases  of  irreclaimable  obstinacy,  a  solemn  sep- 
aration from  the  offender :  all  administered  with  the  most  prudent 
care,  the  tenderest  good-will,  and  the  most  exemplary  moderation. 
The  peculiar  duties  of  Christians  towards  each  other  were  summa- 
rily directed  by  the  J^ew  Commandment ;  which,  to  the  common 
benevolence,  required  by  the  moral  law  towards  all  men,  superadds 
brotherly  love  ;  or  the  exercise  of  complacency  towards  the  evan  • 
gelical  character  of  their  fellow-Christians.  The  peculiar  duties 
of  Ministers,  as  enjoined  by  Christ,  are,  generally,  to  preside  over 
the  worship  and  discipline  of  the  Church;  to  preach  the  Gospel; 
to  dispense,  and,  together  with  their  fellow-Christians,  whose  duty 
it  is  also,  to  receive,  the  Sacraments  of  the  New  Testament. 

6thly.  Christ  taught  also  the  great  doctrines  concerning  a  future 
state  of  being. 

These  are  the  separate  existence  of  the  Soul  after  death ;  the 
Resurrection  from  the  dead;  the  final  Judgment;  the  misery  of 
the  wicked;  and  the  happiness  of  the  righteous,  throughout  eternity. 
Concerning  these  great  subjects  the  Heathen  only  formed  conjec- 
tures, supported  by  very  imperfect  arguments.  The  Jewish  Scrip- 
tures, also,  although  really  containing  these  doctrines  in  substance^ 
exhibited  them  in  dim  and  distant  view.  Life  and  Immortality 
were  brought  to  light,  that  is,  were  clearly  shown,  and  fully  proved 
by  Christ  alone.  To  him  the  world  is  indebted  for  its  certain  know- 
ledge, and  extensive  views,  of  things  beyond  the  grave ;  things,  in 
comparison  with  which  all  that  exists  in  the  present  life  is  nothing, 
less  than  nothing,  and  vanity. 

Vol.  II.  ^         13 


^3  PERSONAL  PREACHING  OF  CHRIST.  [SER.  XLV. 

From  this  summary  view  of  the  Instructions  of  Christ,  it  is  evi- 
dent, that  he  has  taught  every  thing,  necessary  for  the  knowledge 
of  our  duty,  the  attainment  of  holiness,  and  the  best  conduct  of  a 
virtuous  life;  has  established  his  Church  on  anew  and  happier 
foundation;  instituted  a  simpler  and  purer  worship;  suited  its 
whole  economy  to  the  circumstances  of  all  nations  ;  prepared  it  to 
extend  easily,  and  happily,  throughout  the  world ;  furnished  man- 
kind with  the  best  means  of  obtaining  salvation  ;  and  engaged  them 
by  the  most  cogent  motives,  placed  before  their  eyes,  to  seek  ef- 
fectually a  glorious  and  blessed  immortality. 


A- 


SERMON  XL VI. 

CHRIST    A    PROPHET. THE    MANNER    OP    HIS    PREACHING* 


John  vii.  46. — JVever  man  spake  like  this  Man. 

In  my  last  discourse  I  considered  the  second  division  of  the 
proposed  examination  of  Christ's  prophetical  character,  viz.  the 
Things  which  he  taught.     I  shall  now  proceed  to  consider 

III.   The  Manner  of  his  preaching. 

Concerning  this  subject  I  observe,  that  Christ  preached, 

1st.  With  perfect  Plainness  and  Simplicity. 

By  the  plainness  of  Christ's  preaching  I  intend  generally,  that 
he  preached  in  such  a  manner,  as  to  be  easily  understood  by  all, 
who  were  willing  to  understand  him. 

Particularly,  he  used  the  plain,  common,  language  of  mankind; 
and,  on  no  occasion,  the  technical  language,  customarily  used  by 
men  of  science,  and  extensively  used  at  that  period  by  all  the  vota- 
ries of  the  fashionable  philosophy.  That  he  has  never  used  this 
language  will  undoubtedly  be  admitted  by  those,  who  read  his  in- 
structions ;  there  being  not  even  a  solitary  instance  of  it  in  all  his 
discourses. 

That  Christ  acted  with  entire  wisdom,  in  this  particular,  is  mani- 
fest from  many  considerations.  The  common  language  of  men  is 
the  only  language,  which  men,  generally,  can  understand.  If 
Christ  had  used  any  other  language,  particularly  technical  lan- 
guage, scarcely  one  of  a  hundred  of  those  who  heard  him,  or  of 
those  who  read  his  discourses,  would  have  been  able  to  know  what 
he  meant.  To  all  these  the  book,  containing  his  instructions, 
would  have  been  a  sealed  book;  and  almost  every  man,  who  read 
it,  would  have  been  obliged  to  say,  I  cannot  understand  it,  for  I  am 
unlearned. 

Nor  would  technical  language  have  been  of  much  real  use  to 
learned  men.  In  Natural  and  Mathematical  science  this  language 
has,  I  acknowledge,  been  employed  with  success ;  and  that^  to  a 
considerable  extent.  But  in  Moral  science,  which  involves  all  the 
instructions  of  Christ,  the  same  thing  cannot  be  said  without  many 
abatements.  The  subjects  of  Moral  science  are,  generally,  less 
distincdy  and  definitely  conceived  of,  than  those  of  Natural,  par- 
ticularly of  Mathematical,  science ;  and  on  this  account,  and  be- 
cause we  have  no  sensible,  exact  standard,  to  which  we  may  refer 
them,  the  terms  of  Moral  science  are,  to  a  great  extent,  used  at 
first  indefinitely ;  and  are  afterwards  rendered  still  more  indefinite 


lOQ  CHRIST  A  PROPHET.  [SER.  XLVI. 

by  the  looseness  and  imperfection  of  thinking,  in  succeeding  wri- 
ters. 

At  the  same  time,  moral  subjects  are  so  important,  so  deeply 
interest  the  feelings,  and  awaken  so  many  biasses  and  prejudices, 
that  where  our  discernment,  left  to  itself,  might  enable  us  to  fasten 
on  definite  ideas,  and  to  choose  proper  terms  to  express  them,  our 
biasses  still  lead  them  into  error;  and  prevent  us  pardy  from  per- 
ceiving the  true  import  of  the  language,  used  by  others,  and  partly 
from  a  willingness  to  accord  with  it,  when  perceived. 

From  these  causes,  and  others  like  them,  the  technical  language 
of  moral  science  has  generally  been  loose  and  indefinite,  to  a 
greater  degree  than  the  common  language  of  men :  and  such  must 
have  been  the  language  used  by  our  Saviour,  if  he  had  adopted 
the  technical  language  of  his  time.  This  language,  also,  originally 
difficult  to  be  understood,  would  have  been  rendered  still  more 
obscure  by  every  attempt  to  translate  it  into  the  languages  of  other 
nations.  Terms  of  this  kind  have  often  no  customary  use,  which 
can  be  appealed  to,  to  fix  their  signification ;  and,  being  used  only 
by  some  individual  author,  or  in  a  peculiar  sense  by  that  author, 
it  must  be  left  to  criticism,  and  often  to  conjecture,  to  determine 
their  meaning.  When  used  by  several  authors,  they  are  commonly 
used  with  some  variation  of  sense,  either  slight,  or  serious.  In 
this  case  their  signification  becomes  more  doubtful,  and  the  dis- 
courses, in  which  they  are  found,  more  perplexed.  If  I  mistake 
not,  no  terms  in  ancient  authors  are  so  doubtful,  as  those  appro- 
priated to  philosophy;  many  of  which  seem  to  have  their  meaning 
scarcely  settled  even  at  the  present  time.  With  these  sources  of 
doubt  before  them,  translators  would  have  been  extremely  per- 
plexed, and  would  have  perplexed  their  readers  still  more  by  their 
own  terms,  chosen,  often  erroneously,  to  express  the  doubtful 
meaning  of  their  originals.  But  the  language,  used  by  our  Saviour, 
was  suited  to  all  men  ;  the  best  language  for  Philosophers  them- 
selves ;  the  only  language  for  other  men.  All  men  can  understand 
it  better  than  any  other;  most  men  can  understand  no  other. 

The  plainness  of  our  Saviour's  manner  is  conspicuous,  also,  in 
the  obvious  nature  of  his  allusions  and  illustrations.  These  were 
all  derived  from  objects,  familiar  to  the  apprehension  of  mankind 
at  large ;  according  to  the  rule  of  Eloquence,  in  this  respect,  laid 
down  by  Cicero.  Every  reader  of  our  Saviour's  discourses  must 
have  observed  this  fact.  The  city  set  on  a  hill;  the  salt  of  the 
earth ;  the  candle,  which  is  not  to  be  set  under  a  bushel,  but  on  a 
candlestick  ;  the  vitie,  and  the  branches;  the  Shepherd,  and  the 
sheep ;  are  instances,  which  cannot  be  forgotten.  These,  and 
others  of  the  like  nature,  arc  the  happiest  of  all  allusions,  and  the 
best  of  all  illustrations.  They  are  natural,  but  forcible;  every 
where  offering  themselves,  and  every  where  beautiful ;  familiar, 
but  possessed  of  sufficient  dignity  ;  and  attended  always  with  this 
high  recommendation,  that  they  are  easily  understood  by  men  in 
every  situation  of  life. 


SER.  XLVI]  THE  MANNER  OF  HIS  PREACHING.  101 

The  plainness  of  our  Saviour's  manner  is  remarkably  evident, 
also,  in  his  parables.  Instruction  appears  to  have  been  communi- 
cated in  allegorical  discourses,  generally  resembling  these,  from 
the  earliest  ages.  But  no  instructer  ever  formed  them  so  happily, 
as  Christ.  The  subjects,  alluded  to,  are  chosen  with  supreme 
felicity ;  and,  the  allusions  are  conducted  with  the  utmost  skill  and 
success.  The  allegorical  part  of  the  story,  is  always  just  and  im- 
pressive ;  commonly  beautiful ;  not  unfrequently  sublime ;  and  in 
several  instances  eminently  pathetic.  The  meaning,  which  it  is 
intended  to  convey,  is  at  the  same  time  definite,  clear,  and  obvi- 
ous. The  parable,  instead  of  shading  the  thought,  illumines  it  5 
and  instead  of  leaving  the  reader  in  doubt,  contributes  not  a  little 
to  the  satisfaction  of  his  inquiries.  When  we  consider  the  per- 
plexed, enigmatical  manner,  in  which  both  Jewish  and  Gentile 
teachers,  at  that  time,  conveyed  many  of  their  most  important  in- 
structions; we  shall,  on  the  one  hand,  see  this  characteristic  of  our 
Saviour's  discourses  in  a  stronger  light ;  and,  on  the  other,  shall 
be  led  to  admire,  suitably,  the  wisdom  with  which,  in  this  respect, 
he  taught  mankind. 

Nearly  allied  to  the  plainness  of  our  Saviour's  instruction  is  their 
Simplicity.  By  simplicity,  in  this  case,  I  mean  that  general  cha- 
racteristic of  discourse,  in  which  both  thoughts  and  words  appear 
to  have  been  adopted  without  the  effort  of  selecting,  and  merely 
because  they  offered  themselves  ;  and  to  follow  each  other  in  the 
order  in  which  they  offered  thg'mselves,  without  contrivance,  and 
in  the  manner  most  remote  from  either  study  or  affectation.  Of  this 
important  characteristic,  as  critics  universally  agree,  the  ancient 
writers  furnish  more  numerous,  and  more  perfect,  examples  than 
the  moderns.  Among  ancient  writers,  those  who  penned  the  Scrip- 
tures hold,  by  general  acknowledgment,  also,  the  first  place.  But 
amid  these,  as  well  as  all  other  instructers  of  mankind,  Christ,  as 
a  pattern  of  perfect  simplicity,  stands  unrivalled.  His  discourses, 
though  fraught  with  doctrines  of  the  most  profound  and  wonderful 
wisdom,  and  sentiments  of  the  highest  sublimity  and  beauty,  ap- 
pear still,  as  if  neither  the  words,  nor  the  thoughts,  were  the  re- 
sult of  the  least  study  ;  but  sprang  up  spontaneously  in  his  liiind, 
and  flowed  from  his  tongue  in  a  sense  instinctively ;  in  a  manner, 
strongly  resembling  that  of  children.  The  impression  made  by  the 
manner  in  which  they  are  dehvered,  is,  that  they  are  the  result  of 
mere  unadulterated  nature,  prompting  the  speaker  with  an  unresist- 
ed impulse ;  as  if  he  knew  how  to  speak  in  no  other  manner.  The 
effect  of  this  manner  of  discoursing  is  undoubtedly  in  an  eminent 
degree  happy ;  whatever  may  be  the  subject,  or  the  drift,  of  the 
discourse.  When  this  is  didactic,  simplicity  gives  the  teacher  the 
most  desirable  aspect  of  artlessness,  candour,  and  sincerity.  When 
it  is  historical,  beside  presenting  the  speaker  as  invested  with  these 
important  characteristics,  it  lends  the  utmost  beauty  and  impressive- 
ness  to  his  narration.     When  it  is  sublime,  or  pathetic,  it  presents 


102  CHRIST   A  PROPHET.  [SER.  XLVI. 

the  objects  which  excite  those  emotions,  in  the  strongest  light ;  and 
excites  the  emotions  themselves  in  the  highest  degree,  which  is  pos- 
sible. As  examples,  illustrating  in  the  most  perfect  manner  the 
truth  of  all  these  observations,  1  allege,  particularly,  Christ's  Ser- 
mon on  the  mount ;  his  Parabolic  sermon,  recorded,  Matt.  xiii. ; 
several  of  his  discourses  with  the  Jews,  recorded  by  St.  John; 
those  addressed  to  his  disciples,  commencing  with  the  xiv.  chap- 
ter ;  his  Intercessory  prayer  in  the  xvii.  of  that  Evangelist ;  the 
Lord's  prayer;  the  parables  of  the  Prodigal  son,  the  rich  man  and 
Lazarus,  and  the  good  Samaritan ;  and  his  discourses  concerning 
the  destruction  of  J^'n/o^a/em,  and  the  final  judgment,  in  the  xxiv. 
and  XXV.  of  Matthew.  The  parable  of  the  prodigal  Son  particular- 
ly, may  be  alleged  as  the  first  example  of  beautiful  and  pathetic 
simplicity,  which  has  been  ever  given  to  mankind  ;  as  without  a 
rival,  and  without  a  second. 

2dly.  Christ  exhibited  in  his  manner  of  instructing  the  most  per- 
fect Modesty  and  Delicacy. 

Both  Jewish  and  Heathen  teachers,  before  the  time  of  Christ, 
were  remarkable  for  pride,  vanity,  and  of  course  for  boasting. 
Pharisaical  and  Stoical  pride  have  been  proverbial  for  near  two 
thousand  years.  The  Grecian  Philosophers  exhibited  to  the  world 
their  true  character,  in  this  respect,  by  calling  themselves  2;o(poi,  or 
Wise  men.  Those  of  the  East  assumed  denominations  equally  ar- 
rogant and  contemptible.  The  pride  and  vanity,  which  they  ex- 
hibited in  this  manner,  they  manifested,  also,  in  every  other  form, 
and  on  every  convenient  occasion.  Like  a  disagreeable  odour, 
this  unbecoming  character  eludes  every  attempt  to  conceal  it ;  and 
forces  itself  upon  the  mind,  wherever  the  writer  becomes  the  sub- 
ject of  his  own  thoughts. 

In  direct,  and  perfect,  opposition  to  them  all,  Christ,  though 
teaching  with  a  wisdom  and  greatness  of  character  altogether  unri- 
valled, has  not  suffered,  T  need  not  say  a  proud  or  vain  thought, 
but  even  the  most  distant  appearance  of  such  a  thought,  to  escape 
from  his  lips.  Though  more  frequently,  than  any  other  teacher, 
compelled  by  the  nature  of  his  Mediatorial  office,  the  tenor  of  his 
discourses,  and  the  disputes  in  which  he  was  engaged  with  the  Jews, 
to  become  the  subject  of  his  instructions  to  them  •,  and  although 
doing,  and  saying,  that,  which,  far  more  than  any  thing  ever  done 
or  said,  must  awaken  the  conviction  of  personal  greatness  and  su- 
periority; yet  he  has  never  even  in  the  most  remote  hint,  or  allu- 
sion, intimated  a  single  indulgence  of  either  pride,  or  vanity,  in 
his  own  mind.  No  resemblance  of  boasting  can  be  found  in  all  his 
discourses.  Himself,  as  an  object  of  admiration,  or  applause,  is 
for  ever  out  of  sight,  and  out  of  remembrance. 

Delicacy  is  the  kindred,  the  ally,  of  modesty;  and  an  attribute 
of  instruction,  as  well  as  an  excellency  of  character,  which  appears 
to  have  been  very  imperfectly  known  to  the  teachers,  both  Jewish 
»nd  Heathen,  who  lived  at,  or  befo.T,  the  time  of  our  Saviour. 


SER.  XLVI]  THE  MANNER  OF  HIS  PREACHING.  103 

From  them  all  he  is  perfectly  distinguished  by  the  most  complete 
exhibition  of  this  excellence.  Not  a  sentiment,  not  a  word,  has 
fallen  from  his  lips,  which  can  give  pain,  in  this  respect,  to  a  mind 
of  the  most  finished  refinement  and  virtue  ;  not  a  word,  not  a  senti- 
ment, fitted  to  awaken  one  improper  thought,  or  to  allure  in  the 
least  degree  to  any  unbecoming  action. 

odly.  Christ  taught  with  entire  Boldness  and  Integrity. 

These  highly  honourable  characteristics  of  our  Saviour's  instruc- 
tion are  every  where  visible,  and,  so  far  as  I  know,  universally 
acknowledged.  Particularly  are  they  conspicuous  in  his  open,  in- 
trepid attacks  on  the  Pharisees  and  Sadducees ;  the  men,  who  at 
that  time  held  the  whole  power  of  the  Jewish  Government,  and  the 
Avhole  influence  over  the  Jewish  nation.  These  sects,  also,  were 
the  leaders  of  that  nation  in  all  their  bigotry,  their  miserable  su- 
perstition, and  their  deplorable  devotion  to  a  mere  outside  morality 
and  worship.  They  corrupted  them  in  their  moral  and  religious 
principles,  and  introduced  a  sensual,  loose,  and  nearly  atheistical 
system  of  doctrine  and  practice.  To  these  men  Christ,  with  no 
defence  but  his  own  wisdom,  innocence  and  purity,  opposed  him- 
self with  uniformity,  vigour,  and  immovable  firmness  :  exposing 
the  unsoundness  of  their  wretched  doctrines,  the  futility  of  their 
arguments,  the  hypocrisy  of  their  professions,  and  the  enormous 
turpitude  of  their  lives.  All  this  he  did  with  such  clearness  of  evi- 
dence, and  such  pungency  of  reproof,  that  they  themselves  often 
shrunk  from  the  detection,  and  trembled  for  the  very  existence  of 
their  principles  and  their  power. 

At  the  same  time,  and  in  the  same  manner,  he  reproved,  and 
exposed,  all  the  popular  prejudices  of  his  Country.  Gentle,  mod- 
est, and  humble,  beyond  example,  he  united  with  this  character 
an  unyielding  fixedness  of  principle  and  deportment,  and  a  perfect 
destitution  of  that  love  of  popularity,  and  that  desire  of  applause, 
which  are  such  prominent  traits  in  the  character  of  most  of  those, 
who  have  attempted  the  instruction  of  mankind.  There  is  not  in 
his  instructions  a  single  instance  of  the  least  concession  to  any  re- 
ligious, civil,  or  personal,  prejudice  of  his  Countrymen.  On  the 
contrary,  he  resisted  them  all  openly,  uniformly,  and  ahke.  Even 
their  favourite  doctrine,  that  they  were,  and  were  ever  to  be,  the 
peculiar  people  of  God,  together  with  all  the  mischievous  conse- 
quences which  they  derived  from  it,  he  resisted  on  many  occasions, 
and  in  many  forms ;  declaring,  that  they  were  not,  in  the  true  and 
scriptural  sense,  the  children  of  Abraham  ;  and  showing  them,  that 
their  natural  descent  from  this  patriarch  would  not,  by  itself,  be 
the  least  advantage  to  them ;  while  the  abuse  of  their  privileges 
would  only  increase  their  guilt,  and  enhance  their  final  condem- 
nation. 

Nor  was  Christ  less  direct  and  severe  in  reproving  his  friends. 
In  them,  notwithstanding  all  the  gentleness  and  tenderness,  with 
which  he  taught  them,  he  allowed  no  variation  from  truth,  or 


104  CHRIST  A  PROPHET.  [SER.  XLVl. 

duty ;  and  reproved  them  on  every  occasion  for  their  prejudices, 
bigotry,  unbehef,  contentions,  faults,  and  foHies  of  every  kind. 
Exact  truth,  and  unwarping  holiness,  apjiear  evidently  to  have 
been  the  objects,  whicii  he  made  the  standard  of  all  his  instruc- 
tions, as  well  as  of  his  life.  No  tenderness,  friendship,  or  gentle- 
ness of  disposition  ;  no  fear  of  the  populace,  or  the  powerful ;  pre- 
vented him  from  reaching  this  standard  on  every  occasion.  No 
zeal  transported  him  beyond  it.  He,  and  he  alone,  among  those 
who  have  taught  mankind,  knew  how  to  make  all  the  affections  of 
man  perfectly  accordant  with  truth  and  duty,  and  perfectly  sub- 
servient to  the  establishment  of  them  in  the  world. 

4thly.  Christ  taught  mankind  with  an  Authority  peculiar  to  himself. 

This  characteristic  of  Christ's  teaching  was  two-fold  : 

First.  The  authority  derived  from  the  weight  of  his  precepts. 
and  the  manner  in  which  they  were  inculcated.  This  I  take  to  be 
especially  what  is  intended  by  St.  Matthew  in  the  following  pas- 
sage :  And  it  came  to  pass,  when  Jesus  had  ended  these  sayings, 
(that  is,  the  sayings  contained  in  his  Sermon  on  the  Mount)  the 
people  were  astonished  at  his  doctrine,  for  he  taught  them  as  one 
having  authority,  and  not  as  the  Scribes.  In  the  authority  of  this 
kind,  Christ  far  excelled  every  other  instructer.  No  precepts  are 
so  important  as  his;  no  manner  of  teaching  is  so  dignified,  and  so 
commanding.  When  we  remember,  that  he  appeared  as  a  poor 
man,  without  friends,  or  influence,  without  power  or  splendour; 
that  he  proposed  a  new  system  of  religion  and  morals  ;  that  he 
attacked,  in  many  respects,  the  former  system,  the  bigotry  with 
which  it  was  regarded,  the  prejudices  of  the  multitude,  and  the 
enormous  wickedness  of  the  great :  when  we  further  remember, 
that  in  the  minds  of  many,  he  overset  them  all,  and  in  the  minds 
of  many  more,  shook  them  to  their  foundations :  we  cannot  hesi- 
tate to  acknowledge,  with  the  Jewish  officers,  that  in  this  particular, 
never  man  spake  like  this  man. 

Secondly.  Christ  taught  mankind  with  a  singular  Official  au- 
thority. 

This  is  conspicuous  in  two  things. 

The  first  is,  that  he  uttered  neither  opinions  nor  advice. 

All  the  dictates  of  Christ's  teaching  are  of  the  kind,  which  the 
Greeks  called  Dogmas,  that  is,  positions  peremptorily  asserted 
without  any  doubt  expressed,  any  wavering,  any  uncertainty,  any 
suggestion  of  the  possibility  of  error. 

Every  doctrine  is  exhibited  as  an  absolute  law  of  faith ;  and  ev- 
ery precept,  as  a  positive  rule  of  practice.  Every  thing,  which  he 
uttered,  carries  with  it  evidently,  the  assurance,  that  his  doctrines 
are  true  and  certain ;  that  his  precepts  are  just  and  reasonable  ; 
and  that  himself  is  invested  with  full  authority  to  prescribe  both, 
as  obligatory  rules  of  faith  and  practice. 

The  second  is,  that  Christ  taught  in  his  own  name,  and  without 
appealing  to  any  authority  but  his  own. 


SER.  XLVL]  THE  MANNER  OF  HIS  PREACHING.  ]05 

This  fact  was  mentioned  in  a  former  discourse ;  but  it  will  be 
proper  briefly  to  consider  it,  also,  at  the  present  time.  All  the 
prophets  of  the  Old  Testament  prefaced  their  Instructions  with 
77ms  sailk  the  Lord.  Christ  commenced  his  Ministry  with  ex- 
plaining, altering,  and  annulling,  many  things,  said  by  them  under 
this  authority,  and  acknowledged  by  him  to  be  thus  said.  His 
own  instructions,  however,  he  never  prefaced  in  this  manner  ;  but 
merely  said,  /  say  unto  you;  or,  on  solemn  occasions,  Amen; 
Verily,  I  say  unto  you.  The  authority,  here  assumed  by  him,  was 
such,  as  to  warrant  him  in  repealing  that,  which  had  been  spoken 
by  prophets  in  the  Name,  and  by  the  Authority,  of  God ;  and  was, 
therefore,  an  authority  equal  to  that,  under  which  these  prophets 
had  spoken. 

In  this  exercise  of  Authority,  Christ  stands  alone  ;  being  whol- 
ly distinguished  from  all  other  teachers,  both  sacred  and  profane. 
The  Apostles,  it  will  be  remembered,  taught  only  in  the  name  of 
Christ. 

Sthly.  Christ  taught  with  uniform  and  singidar  Patience,  Gen' 
tleness,  and  Kindness. 

I  have  grouped  these  excellencies  of  our  Saviour's  manner  of 
teaching  as  I  have  several  of  those,  already  mentioned,  on  account 
of  the  intimate  relation,  which  they  bear  to  each  other. 

To  dwell  on  this  subject  with  minuteness  cannot  be  necessary. 
All  readers  of  the  Gospel  know  how  often  Christ  bore  with  the 
dullness,  prejudices,  and  unbelief  of  his  disciples ;  how  often  he 
reiterated  the  same  instructions;  how  patiently  he  removed  their 
prejudices ;  how  frequently  he  had  occasion  to  pronounce  them 
of  little  faith ;  and  how  universally,  and  how  often  without  re- 
proving them,  he  bore  with  their  numerous  infirmities.  There  is 
not  an  instance  in  his  life  of  an  impatient,  petulant  word  ;  not  a 
single  expression  of  the  kind,  which  we  term  passionate ;  not  an 
occasion,  on  which  he  lost,  in  the  least  degree,  that  absolute  self- 
control,  by  which  he  was  elevated  above  all  the  children  of  Adam. 
When  the  ambitious  sons  of  Zebedee,  through  their  more  ambitious 
mother,  asked  of  him  the  privilege  of  sitting,  the  one  on  his  right 
hand,  and  the  other  on  his  left ;  he  calmly  replied.  It  is  not  mine  to 
give.  When  the  body  of  his  disciples  sti-ove,  which  of  them  should 
be  greatest ;  he  took  a  little  child,  and  set  him  in  the  midst  of  them, 
and,  when  he  had  taken  him  in  his  arms,  he  said  unto  them  :  Who- 
soever shall  receive  one  of  such  children,  in  my  name,  receiveth  me  ; 
and  whosoever  shall  receive  me,  receiveth  not  me,  but  him  that  sent 
me.  When  Peter  denied  him  in  so  shameful  and  bitter  a  manner; 
the  only  reproof,  which  he  gave  him,  is  recorded  in  these  words, 
And  the  Lord  turned,  and  looked  upon  Peter.  Over  Jerusalem,  the 
seat  of  so  much  guilt,  the  scene  of  the  messages,  and  of  the  slaugh- 
ter, of  so  many  prophets,  and  speedily  about  to  be  the  scene  of  his 
own  sufferings,  he  wept  with  inexpressible  tenderness,  and  said. 

Vol.  IT.  14 


jQ(j  CHRIST  A  PROPHET  [SER.  XLVI. 

Hoju  often  would  I  have  gathered  thy  children,  as  a  hen  gathereth 
her  chickens  under  her  wings  ;  but  ye  would  not. 

Gthly.   Christ  taught  by  his  Example. 

It  is  a  proverbial  observation,  that  example  is  far  more  instruct- 
ive than  precept :  an  observation,  verified  by  the  experience  of 
mankind  every  day,  and  in  every  place.  No  precepts  are,  indeed, 
seriously  inllucntial  on  the  mind  of  the  pupil,  unless  they  are  be- 
lieved to  have  some  good  degree  of  influence  upon  the  life  of  his 
instructer.  On  the  contrary,  where  the  instructer  is  supposed  to 
speak  with  sincerity,  and  from  the  heart,  and  to  be  himself  govern- 
ed in  his  conduct  by  the  very  principles,  which  he  recommends  to 
others ;  very  plain  instructions  have  commonly  very  great  power. 
Example,  therefore,  may  be  safely  pronounced  to  be  the  best  of 
all  instruction,  and  the  only  mode  of  consummating  the  instruction 
of  the  voice. 

In  this  kind  of  teaching  Christ  stands  alone.  The  prophets  and 
apostles  are  here  left  out  of  comparison,  and  out  of  sight.  Ag' 
for  the  heathen  philosophers,  their  example  was  a  mere  contrast 
to  their  instruction ;  I  mean,  to  such  parts  of  it,  as  were  just  and 
commendable.  What  they  taught,  of  this  nature,  they  refuted  in 
the  daily  conduct  of  their  lives.  But  Christ's  hfe  was  a  perfect 
practical  comment  on  all  that  he  taught,  and  a  perfect  illustration 
of  the  nature  and  efficacy  of  his  precepts.  Hence  his  instructions 
have  been  unrivalled  in  their  influence  on  mankind ;  and  have 
produced  eflects,  to  which  there  has  been  in  the  history  of  the 
world  no  parallel. 

I  have  here  mentioned  several  primary  characteristics  of  the 
Manner,  in  which  Christ  taught  mankind.  To  form  a  more  com- 
plete estimate  of  its  excellence,  it  will,  however,  be  necessary  to 
consider  what  he  did  not  do,  as  well  as  what  he  did.  Tlie  superla- 
tive wisdom  of  the  Redeemer  was  manifested  as  truly  in  what  he 
avoided,  as  in  what  he  accoinplished. 

On  this  subject,  I  observe,  in  the 

1st  place,  that  he  utterly  declined  to  gratify  the  mere  Curiosity 
of  man. 

Many  questions  were  proposed  to  him  by  the  Jews,  of  such  a 
nature,  as  to  demand  answers,  which  could  only  gratify  curiosity. 
Several  more,  of  the  same  kind,  Avere  addressed  to  him  by  his  dis- 
ciples. To  all  those  he  declined  the  answers,  which  were  solicited. 
There  are,  also,  very  many  subjects,  concerning  which  curiosity 
has  ever  Ijeen  awake;  and  which  not  only  are  intimately  con- 
nected with  the  Scriptural  system  of  religion,  but  are  mentioned 
by  Christ  in  many  forms,  and  in  some  particulars  extensively  dis- 
cussed. But  such  parts  of  these  subjects,  as  excite  mere  curiosity, 
he  has  invariably  left  in  silence;  and  never  tempted,  nor  satisfied 
at  all,  this  roving,  restless  propensity.  Over  all  objects  of  this' 
kind  he  has  drawn  the  curtain  of  absolute  concealment,  and  hiddefi' 
them  entirely  from  human  eyes. 


SER.  XL VI.]  THE  MANNER  OF  HIS  PREACHING.  107 

Among  these  subjects,  it  will  be  sufficient  to  mention  one.  The 
circumstances,  which  attend  a  future  state  of  happiness,  awaken, 
perhaps  as  extensively,  and  as  naturally,  the  wishes  of  the  mind 
to  be  minutely  informed,  as  any  thing  belonging  to  the  destiny  of 
man.  On  this  immense  subject,  Christ  has,  however,  taught  no- 
thing, except  what  we  plainly  needed  to  know ;  and  has  withheld 
every  thing  else  from  our  investigation.  Others  have  often  in- 
dulged a  wandering  fancy,  and,  in  the  wildest  excursions  concern- 
ing a  future  state,  have  attempted  to  explore  the  regions  of  future 
being,  as  travellers  search  distant  countries  in  the  present  world. 
But  Christ  has  chosen  barely  to  inform  us  of  the  existence  and 
general  nature  of  these  regions ;  things  which  we  are  deeply  inte- 
rested to  know ;  and  left  these  outlines  to  be  filled  up  by  our  own 
actual  experience,  when  we  shall  have  become  possessed  of  that 
happy  state  of  being.  When  we  remember  how  many  uncertain- 
ties would  have  arisen  out  of  such  a  disclosure,  had  it  been  made ; 
how  many  questions,  of  difficult  solution,  or  incapable  of  being- 
solved  ;  and,  in  a  word,  how  greatly,  and  how  often,  the  mind  would 
have  been  perplexed  concerning  subjects,  unconnected  with  its 
real  good ;  we  cannot  hesitate  to  acknowledge  the  perfect  wisdom, 
manifested  in  this  concealment. 

2dly.   Christ  taught  without  Sophistry. 

The  integrity  displayed  in  the  reasonings  of  our  Saviour,  is  equal- 
ly exact,  and  perfect,  with  that  exhibited  in  his  declarations  of  facts. 
In  the  age,  in  which  he  lived,  both  the  Jewish  and  Heathen  teach- 
ers were  distinguished  for  false  reasoning,  as  a  species  of  art.  The 
doctrines,  which  they  taught,  needed  this  defence.  Accordingly, 
we  find  it  employed  by  them  on  almost  every  occasion.  Many  spe- 
cimens of  the  subtleties  of  the  Sadducees  and  Pharisees  are  recited 
to  us  in  the  New  Testament ;  particularly  in  tiie  Gospels.  Quib- 
bles, paradoxes,  and  fetches,  were  the  custom  of  the  time ;  and 
were  shamelessly  employed  to  defend  every  favourite  opinion,  and 
attack  every  adversary.  But  false  reasoning  is  as  real  a  violation 
of  integrity,  as  false  declarations ;  is  often  as  mischievous ;  and  is 
always  a  proof  of  gross  depravity,  or  gross  inattention  to  our  duty. 
Christ,  therefore,  the  perfect  pattern  in  this,  as  in  all  other,  conduct, 
has  alleged  no  argument  but  a  real  one ;  has  given  no  argument 
any  more  force  than  it  really  possesses ;  and  has  expressed  no 
more  confidence  in  any  argument  than  he  really  felt.  The  glori- 
ous contrast,  which  he  exhibited  in  the  exact  simplicity  and  sincer- 
ity, with  which  he  reasoned  on  every  occasion,  to  the  subdety 
and  sophistry,  of  all  with  whom  he  reasoned,  and  of  a  vast  multitude 
of  other  teachers,  is  a  pattern  for  all  succeeding  reasoners  ;  which, 
if  universally  followed,  would  free  the  world  from  a  great  part  oi 
its  doubts  and  errors,  and  the  deplorable  guilt  and  misery,  by  which 
they  are  followed. 

3dly.  Christ  has  authorised  no  Intolerance. 

It  is  well  known,  that  the  Jews,  who  were  distinguished  for  their 


JOS  CHRIST  A  PROPHET.  [SER.  XLVI. 

spiritual  prido  and  bigotry,  and  who  regarded  odier  nations  with  an 
almost  absohite  intolerance,  were  never  more  strongly  marked  by 
these  characteristics,  thati  at  the  time  when  our  Saviour  appeared. 
F'vcn  the  Apostles  were  not  exempted  fi-om  a  share  of  this  charac- 
ter. Master,  said  John,  toe  saw  one  casting  out  devils  in  thy  name, 
and  zee  forbade  him,  because  he  followeth  not  with  vs.  And  Jesus 
said  unto  him,  Forbid  him  not  j  for  he  that  is  not  against  us  is  for  us. 
Again,  John  and  Jaines,  moved  with  indignation  against  the  inhab- 
itants of  a  S(i7naritan  village,  because  they  declined  to  receive 
their  Master,  said  to  him,  I^ord,  wilt  thou  that  zve  command  f  re  to 
come  down  from  heaven,  and  consume  them,  as  Elias  did!''  But  he 
turned,  and  rebuked  them,  and  said.  Ye  know  not  what  manner  of 
Spirit  ye  are  of.  For  the  Son  of  Man  is  not  come  to  destroy  men^s 
lives,  but  to  save  them.  So  intolerant  was  the  spirit  even  of  the  be- 
loved disciple  ;  and  so  benevolent,  it  ought  to  be  added,  was  that 
of  Christ. 

In  this  nation,  and  at  this  period,  was  Christ  born,  and  educated. 
But  instead  of  imbibing,  countenancing,  or  warranting,  intolerance 
and  bigotry,  he  taught,  in  all  instances,  their  odiousness  and  guilt ; 
and  enjoined,  with  respect  to  every  subject  and  person,  the  most  ab- 
solute moderation,  liberality,  and  candour;  not,  indeed,  the  fash- 
ionable liberality  of  licentious  men  in  modern  times  ;  a  professed 
indifference  to  truth  and  holiness  ;  but  a  benevolent  and  catholic 
spirit  towards  every  man,  and  a  candid  and  just  one  towards  every 
argument  and  opinion.  Distinctions  of  nation,  sect,  or  party,  as 
such,  were  to  him  nothing  :  distinctions  of  truth  and  falsehood, 
right  and  wrong,  were  to  him  every  thing.  According  to  this 
scheme  he  framed  both  his  instructions  and  his  life. 
4thly.   Christ  taught  without  Enthusiasm. 

All  the  language,  and  all  the  sentiments,  of  our  Saviour,  were  the 
language  and  sentiments  of  a  person,  perfectly  satisfied  of  the 
goodness  of  the  cause,  which  he  had  espoused,  immoveably  attach- 
ed to  it,  and  earnestly  engaged  to  promote  it  among  mankind. 
Still,  this  earnestness,  this  fixedness  of  character,  differed  greatly 
from  that  of  most  persons,  who  have  undertaken  the  reformation  of 
their  fellow  men.  In  our  own  as  in  all  preceding  ages,  those,  who 
have  assumed  the  character  of  reformers,  almost  of  course  make  a 
parade  of  their  [)iety,  and  a  merit  of  their  peculiar  devotion  to  the 
cause,  in  which  they  have  embarked  ;  and  aim  at  gaining  proselytes 
by  a  nice  scrupulosity  concerning  things  commonly  esteemed  inno- 
cent, animosity  against  those  whose  opinions  they  censure,  and  im- 
passioned addresses  to  such  as  listen  to  their  instructions.  Christ 
was  the  opposite  of  all  these.  Little  things,  always,  in  his  instruc- 
tions, appeared  little.  Harmless  things  he  regarded  as  harmless, 
Great  and  important  things,  only,  has  he  taught  us  to  regard  as 
great  and  important.  In  his  life  there  was  no  ostentation  of  any 
thing.  He  came  eating  and  drinking  like  other  men  ;  and  in  his 
human  nature,  and  appearance,  differed  from  them  in  nothing  but 


SER.  XLVl.]  THE  MANNER  OF  HIS  PREACHING.  109 

superior  wisdom  and  purity  of  character.  In  his  discourses  every 
thing  is  serious,  solemn,  and  earnest ;  but  every  thing,  at  the  same 
time,  is  uttered  with  moderation,  without  passion,  without  declama- 
tion. 

No  discourses  in  the  world  are  more  distant  from  fanatical  de- 
clamation, and  no  character  is  more  unlike  that  of  an  enthusiast, 
than  the  discourses  and  character  of  Christ.  A  spirit  of  serenity, 
of  self-possession,  of  impassioned  sweetness,  of  principled  excel- 
lence, reigns  throughout  all  his  instructions,  and  throughout  all  his 
life,  of  which,  elsewhere,  there  is  no  example. 

5thly.  Our  Saviour  sought  in  his  instructions  for  no  Applause. 

In  this  characteristic,  also,  he  was  equally  singular  and  perfect. 
The  love  of  applause  is  the  most  universal,  and  probably  the  most 
seductive,  of  all  human  passions  ;  particularly,  in  minds,  raised  by 
intelligence  above  the  common  level.  So  seductive  is  it,  that  Cice- 
ro pronounced  it  to  be  true  virtue.  But  of  this  passion  not  a  single 
trace  appears  in  the  whole  history  of  Christ.  The  good  or  ill  opin- 
ion, the  applause  or  censure,  of  his  fellow-men,  whether  friends  or 
enemies,  seem  as  if  they  had  not  been  thought  of  by  him,  and  as  if 
no  capacity  of  being  influenced  by  them  had  been  an  original  attri- 
bute of  his  mind.  With  a  magnetic  constancy,  his  thoughts  and 
discourses  were  pointed  alway  to  truth  and  rectitude  ;  and  the 
world  had  no  power  of  producing  in  them  a  momentary  variation. 

Such  was  the  manner,  in  which  Christ  taught  mankind  :  a  man- 
ner all  his  own ;  copied  from  none  who  preceded  him,  and  imper- 
fectly imitated  by  the  best  and  wisest  of  those  who  came  after  him ; 
a  manner  perfectly  suited  to  the  supreme  excellence  of  his  charac- 
ter, to  the  divine  commission,  which  he  bore  ;  to  the  illustrious  sys- 
tem of  truth,  which  he  taught ;  to  the  glorious  errand,  on  which  he 
was  sent ;  and  to  the  perfect  nature  of  that  Being,  whose  represent- 
ative he  was  to  the  children  of  men. 


SERMON  XLVIl. 

CHRIST  A  PROPHET. CONSEQUENCES    OF    HIS    PREACHING. 

John  vii.  46. — Jitid  the  Officers  answered,  saying,  Kever  man  spake  like  this  Man- 

In  the  three  preceding  discourses,  I  have  considered  the  Pro- 
phetical character  of  Christ,  under  these  three  heads:  1st.  The 
.iVecessiti^  of  his  assuming  the  office  of  a  Prophet;  2dly.  The  Things 
which  he  taught ;  and,  3dly.  The  Manner  in  zuhich  he  taught  them. 

I  shall  now  proceed  to  the  consideration  of  the  4th  head,  origin- 
ally proposed  concerning  this  subject,  viz.  The  Consequences  of  his 
preaching ;  and,  after  a  brief  examination  of  these,  shall  conclude 
my  observations  on  the  Personal  Preaching  of  Christ  with  a  few 
Remarks. 

The  Preaching  of  Christ  produced, 

1st.  A  general  astonishment  in  those  zvho  heard  him. 

And  it  came  to  pass,  says  St.  Matthew,  that  when  Jesus  had  ended 
all  these  sat/ings,  the  people  were  astonished  at  his  doctrine:  For  he 
taught  them,  as  one  having  authority,  and  not  as  the  Scribes.  Two 
things  are  here  mentioned  as  causes  of  the  astonishment,  occasion- 
ed by  Christ's  Sermon  on  the  Mount:  The  things  which  he  taught, 
and  the  manner  of  teaching.  The  people  were  astonished  at  his 
doctrine:  For  he  taught  them  as  one  having  authority,  and  not  as  the 
Scribes,  It  cannot  be  thought  strange,  that  a  scheme  of  doctrine, 
so  new;  so  solemn ;  so  simple;  so  pure;  so  amply  fraught  with 
inherent  evidence  of  its  truth ;  and,  in  all  these  respects,  so  op- 
posite to  that,  which  they  were  accustomed  to  hear  from  their 
own  teachers  ;  should  produce  an  unusual  degree  of  wonder  in 
the  minds  of  this  people.  Nor  is  it  any  more  strange,  that  such 
a  manner  of  teaching,  as  that  employed  by  Christ,  should  have 
its  share  in  producing  this  effect,  and  enhance  the  surprise,  oc- 
casioned by  his  instructions.  We,  who  hear  these  instructions 
from  the  cradle,  to  whom  they  are  presented  weekly  from  the 
desk,  and  daily  by  the  Bible,  cannot  easily  conceive  the  degree, 
in  which  they  could  not  fail  to  impress  the  minds  of  men,  when 
they  were  first  published  in  the  world.  They  were  then  new, 
and  strange;  and,  both  in  the  matter  and  the  manner,  were  in  a 
great  measure  singular.  They  were  employed  on  the  most  impor- 
tant of  all  subjects:  the  sin  and  holiness,  the  ruin  and  recovery  of 
mankind.  They  professed  to  contain,  and  communicate  the  will 
of  God  concerning  these  subjects,  and  of  course  to  be  a  message 
from  heaven. 


SER.  XLVII.]        CONSEQUENCES  OF  HIS  BREACHING.  HI 

At  the  same  time,  they  censured,  both  implicitly  and  explicitly, 
most  of  the  doctrines,  taught  by  the  Pharisees  and  Sadducees, 
most  of  their  precepts,  and  the  general  tenor  of  their  lives.  The 
doctrines  they  showed  to  be  false ;  the  precepts  unsound,  and 
immoral  ;  and  the  conduct  of  those,  who  taught  them,  to  be  un- 
worthy of  the  profession,  which  they  made,  and  contrary  to  the 
Scriptures,  which,  in  pretence  at  least,  they  believed.  These  men, 
either  alternately  or  conjointly,  had,  for  a  long  period,  held  an  en- 
tire and  commanding  influence  over  the  Jewish  nation.  Highly 
venerated  for  their  wisdom,  and  in  many  instances  for  their  appar- 
ent sanctity,  their  countrymen  scarcely  called  in  question  their 
claims  to  this  influence,  or  to  the  character,  on  which  it  was  found- 
ed. But,  when  Christ  entered  on  his  ministry,  he  stripped  oflf  the 
mask,  by  which  they  had  been  so  long  concealed ;  and  left  both 
their  folly  and  their  wickedness  naked  to  every  eye.  The  system, 
which  they  had  so  long  taught  without  opposition,  he  showed,  irre- 
sistibly, to  be  a  strange  compound  of  truths  derived  from  the  Scrip- 
tures ;  of  falsehood  and  weakness,  of  superstitious  scrupulosity 
and  fanatical  zeal,  professedly  drawn  from  the  traditions  of  the 
elders ;  and  of  gross  immorality  and  glaring  hypocrisy,  generated 
by  their  own  minds.  Their  pretended  sanctity  both  of  doctrine 
and  deportment  he  proved  to  be  a  mere  veil,  assumed  to  conceal 
their  enormous  avarice  and  ambition,  pride  and  cruelty.  As  the 
means  of  future  acceptance  with  God,  he  showed,  that  they  could 
never  avail ;  and  that,  therefore,  they  could  only  delude,  and  de- 
stroy, their  credulous  disciples.  That  such  instructions  as  these, 
dehvered  by  a  person,  whose  whole  hfe  was  a  direct  contrast  to 
that  of  those,  whom  he  thus  censured,  and  refuted ;  who  evidently 
appeared  to  be  under  the  influence  of  no  selfish  passion,  and  no 
sinister  motive;  whose  precepts  required,  and  whose  conduct  ex- 
emplified, piety  and  benevolence  without  a  mixture  ;  delivered  too 
in  a  manner  so  clear,  so  direct,  and  solemn,  so  universally  convinc- 
ing and  impressive,  should  astonish  all,  who  heard  them,  cannot  be 
thought  strange,  even  by  us.  Such  was,  indeed,  their  eft'ect ;  and 
to  such  a  degree,  as  to  induce  those,  who  heard  them,  to  pronounce 
the  teacher,  on  diflerent  occasions,  a  Prophet,  a  great  Prophet,  the 
Prophet  foretold  by  Moses,  and  the  Messiah.  When  we  remem- 
ber, that  this  teacher  appeared  in  the  character  and  circumstances 
of  a  Jewish  Peasant;  without  a  name;  without  education;  with- 
out friends  ;  we  cannot  but  perceive,  that  the  eflfect  of  his  teaching 
was,  in  this  respect,  very  great.  ■. 

2dly.  The  preaching  of  Christ  produced  great  Opposition  both  to 
himself  and  to  his  doctrines.  ,      . 

I  have  already  recited  many  causes  of  this  opposition.  There 
were  many  more.  But  ell  of  them  may  with  propriety  be  reduc- 
ed under  these  general  heads.  The  novelty  and  excellency  of  his 
doctrines ;  the  strictness  and  purity  of  his  precepts  ;  his  birth ;  his 
character;  the  justice  and  pungency  of  his  rept-oofs;  the  disap- 


112  CHRIST  A  PROPHET.  [SER.  XLVII- 

pointnicnt  of  the  expectations  of  the  Jews  concerning  the  glory 
and  .splendour  of  his  Messiahship  ;  and  the  fears  of  the  Pharisees 
and  Sadducees,  that  he  would  destroy  their  influence  and  j)o\ver. 
All  these  things  thwarted  some  selfish  passion,  of  his  hearers  ;  and 
many  of  them  thwarted  every  such  passion.  It  is  not,  therefore, 
to  be  wondered  at,  that  they  should  oppose  one,  who  taught,  and 
lived,  so  as  uniformly  to  reprove  them  for  their  whole  moral  cha- 
racter, and  daily  conduct. 

This  Opposition  commenced,  almost  with  his  Ministry,  and  wa.s 
carried  on  to  its  termination.  It  was,  however,  carried  on  with  dif- 
ferent degrees  of  vehemence  by  the  dilTerent  classes  of  Jews. 
The  Great,  Inat  is,  the  Pharisees  and  Sadducees,  hated  Christ  with 
far  more  uniformity  and  rancour,  than  the  Common  people.  The 
reasons  are  obvious.  He  exposed  their  systems  of  doctrine,  and 
modes  of  teaching  ;  refuted  their  arguments ;  reproved  their  abom- 
inable conduct ;  displayed  to  the  people  at  large  their  folly  and 
wickedness  ;  and  threatened  them  with  the  total  ruin  of  their  repu- 
tation and  authority.  These  were  oflences,  not  to  be  forgiven  by 
proud,  bigotted,  unprincipled,  and  malignant  men.  They  were 
not  jn  fact  forgiven.  Throughout  his  whole  public  life,  they  exer- 
cised the  most  furious  resentment  against  him,  and  hesitated  not  to 
adopt  every  measure  to  compass  his  destruction.  All,  that  sagaci- 
ty could  devise,  or  art  execute,  was  employed  to  ensnare,  and  en- 
trap, the  Redeemer  in  his  words  and  actions.  When  these  measures 
failed,  as  they  always  did,  resort  was  had  to  violence  and  power. 
These  at  length  succeeded  ;  and  the  most  perfect  human  malignity 
was  finally  gratified  by  seeing  the  Saviour  nailed  to  the  Cross. 

The  people  at  large  regarded  him  with  far  less  bitterness,  than 
their  leaders.  It  is  several  times  mentioned,  that  the  efforts  of  the 
Sadducees  and  Pharisees  to  destroy  Christ,  were  prevented  of  suc- 
cess by  their  fear  of  the  people.  It  is  fretjuently  testified,  in  sub- 
stance, \h2ii  the  common  people  heard  him  gladly.  It  is  also  evi- 
dent, that,  had  not  a])peals  been  made  to  their  doubts,  fears  and 
prejudices,  with  great  art  and  perseverance,  and  on  many  occa- 
sions, their  attachment  both  to  him  and  his  doctrines  would  have 
risen  still  higher,  and  much  more  nearly  accorded  with  their  inter- 
est and  duty. 

On  a  number  of  occasions,  however,  they  indulged  the  most  vio- 
lent animosity  against  him.  Almost  at  the  commencement  of  his 
preaching,  the  inhabitants  of  Nazareth  attempted  to  put  him  to  a 
violent  death,  by  forcing  him  down  the  precipice  of  the  hill,  on 
which  their  city  was  built.  Several  times,  afterwards,  their  Coun- 
trymen endeavoured  to  stone  him ;  and  in  the  end  united,  at  the 
instigation  of  their  Rulers,  in  accomplishing  his  death,  with  a  fury 
approximating  to  madness. 

3dly.  The  preaching  of  Christ  produced  the  Conversion  of  a  con- 
nderahle  number  of  his  hearers. 

The  number  of  those,  who  were  converted  by  the  preaching  of 


SER.  XLVIl.]        CONSEQUENCES  OF  HIS  PREACHING.  113 

Christ,  cannot  be  estimated  with  any  exactness.  The  eleven  Apos- 
tles, the  Seventy,  the  more  than  five  hundred  brethren,  to  whom  at 
one  time  Christ  appeared  in  Galilee,  after  his  resurrection,  are  num- 
bers mentioned  in  the  Scriptures.  The  last  not  improbably  in- 
cluded the  two  first.  To  these  we  ought,  I  think,  to  add  a  consider- 
able number  more,  since  it  is  often  said,  that  some  of  the  people, 
and  many  of  the  people,  believed  on  him.  No  reason  occurs  to  me, 
why  we  should  not,  generally  at  least,  consider  the  faith,  here 
spoken  of,  as  Evangelical.  If  this  be  fladmittcd,  the  number  of 
converts,  made  by  the  preaching  of  Christ,  must  have  greatly  ex- 
ceeded the  largest  number,  specified  in  the  Gospel. 

Still  it  is,  I  suppose,  generally  beheved,  that  the  success,  with 
which  Christ  preached  the  Gospel,  was  small,  compared  with  that 
of  the  Apostles,  and  compared  with  that,  which  we  should  natural- 
ly expect  to  follow  preaching,  of  such  singular  excellence :  espe- 
cially, when  the  perfection  of  his  life,  and  the  glory  of  his  miracles, 
are  connected  with  the  nature  of  his  preaching.  The  success, 
however,  was  upon  the  whole  such,  as  to  enable  the  Gospel  to  take 
effectual  root  in  this  sinful  world,  and  to  provide  the  means  of  sup- 
plying preachers  throughout  all  succeeding  ages,  and  of  spreading 
the  Gospel,  within  a  moderate  period,  over  a  great  part  of  the 
earth. 

I  have  now  finished  the  observations,  which  I  proposed  to  make 
concerning  the  personal  preaching  of  Christ  j  and  shall  conclude 
this  discourse  with  a  few  Remarks,  naturally  flowing  from  the  con- 
siderations, suggested  on  this  subject. 

1st.  These  considerations  call  up  to  our  viezu,  in  an  interesting 
manner,  the  Glory  and  Excellency  of  Christ  as  a  Teacher. 

From  the  things,  which  have  been  said  in  these  discourses,  it  is, 
if  I  mistake  not,  clearly  manifest,  that  both  the  matter  and  manner 
of  Christ's  preaching  were  singularly  important,  and  excellent. 
The  errand,  on  which  he  came  into  the  world,  was  the  greatest, 
which  ever  entered  into  the  conception  of  rational  beings,  or  which 
was  ever  proposed  in  the  Providence  of  God.  Of  this  vast  and 
sublime  purpose  the  preaching  of  the  Gospel  was  a  primary  and 
indispensable  part.  To  this  part  he  appeared  perfectly  equal. 
The  will  of  God  the  Father,  concerning  the  duty  and  Salvation  of 
men,  he  entirely  understood ;  and,  together  with  it,  the  character, 
the  sins,  errors,  ignorance,  and  wants,  of  those,  to  whom  he  was 
sent ;  their  hatred  of  truth,  their  opposition  to  their  duty,  and  their 
reluctance  to  be  saved.  The  same  perfect  acquaintance  he  also 
possessed  with  the  nature  and  import  of  the  preceding  Revelation  ; 
its  types,  prophecies,  and  precepts ;  the  false  glosses,  made  on  its 
various  contents  by  the  teachers,  who  went  before  him ;  and  the 
miserable  prejudices,  imbibed  by  those  whom  he  taught.  These 
errors  he  detected  and  exposed  :  these  sins  he  powerfully  reprov- 
ed :  and  the  truth  and  duty,  opposed  to  them,  he  enjoined  with  a 
force  and  evidence  wholly  irresistible.     In  this  manner,  he  taught 

Vol.  II.  15 


1 1 ,1  CHKIST  A  PROPHET.  [SER.  XLVU 

the  way  oi  life  with  such  clearness,  that  Ae  roho  ran  might  read,  and 
that  way-faring  men,  though  fools,  could  not,  necessarily,  err 
therein. 

At  the  same  time,  he  adorned  these  instructions  with  a  candour, 
frankness,  gentleness,  and  sweetness  of  demeanour,  with  a  sincer- 
ity, boldness,  and  energy  of  character,  immensely  honourable  to 
himself,  and  supremely  great  and  lovely  in  the  view  of  every  just 
and  discerning  mind.  Over  all,  his  daily  example,  as  a  moral  be- 
ing, cast  a  glorious  lustcef  at  once  transcendently  beautiful  in  itself, 
and  illuminating  in  the  strongest  manner  the  nature  and  excellence 
of  all  that  he  said. 

If  Christ  had  not  come  into  the  world;  if  he  had  not  preached 
the  Gospel ;  what  would  now  have  been  the  condition  of  mankind? 
The  Mosaic  system,  of  necessity  confined  almost  entirely  to  the 
Jewish  nation,  had,  before  the  advent  of  our  Saviour,  degenerated 
chiefly  into  a  mere  mass  of  externities.  The  moral  part  of  this 
system  was  in  a  great  measure  neglected,  or  forgotten:  the  ceremo- 
nial had  almost  wholly  occupied  its  place. 

Even  this,  also,  had  lost  its  proper  designation,  and  influence. 
The  sacrifices,  instead  of  being  regarded  as  mere  symbols  of  that 
real  and  great  Atonement,  which  taketh  away  the  sins  of  the  world, 
and  to  typify  which,  they  were  originally  instituted,  seem  to  have 
been,  at  this  time,  considered  as  expiations  in  themselves.  The 
ablutions,  which  were  intended  only  to  direct  the  eye  to  the  cleans- 
ing of  the  Soul  by  the  blood  of  Christ,  and  the  affusion  of  the 
Spirit  of  grace,  appear  to  have  lost  their  typical  character,  and  to 
have  been  exalted  by  a  gross  imagination  into  means  of  washing 
away  the  stains  of  the  soul,  and  making  it  pure  in  the  sight  of  God. 
The  oblation  of  incense  was  apparently  supposed  by  the  suppliant 
to  ascend  w  ith  his  prayers  to  the  heavens,  and  to  accompany  them 
with  a  sweet  odour  to  the  throne  of  God.  To  wear  long  clothings 
to  make  broad  their  phylacteries  y  to  pray  in  the  corners  of  the  streets j 
to  fast  twice  a  week  j  to  bow  down  the  head  like  a  bulrush;  to  sit  in 
sackcloth  and  ashes  ;  and  to  tithe  mint,  annise,  and  cummin  ;  were 
considered  as  the  price  paid  for  heaven  ;  the  price,  with  which  sal- 
vation might  assuredly  be  purchased.  In  the  mean  time,  piety  to 
God,  Justice,  judgment,  and  mercy  towards  men,  and  that  govern- 
ment of  our  passions  and  appetites,  without  which  neither  can  ex- 
ist, were  kept  out  of  sight,  and  out  of  remembrance.  Pride  and 
avarice,  cruelty  and  lust,  reigned  without  control,  and  without  op- 
position. Scarce  an  cflfort  seems  to  have  been  made,  or  even 
thought  of,  to  check  the  tide  of  declension.  The  progress  was 
rapid,  and  unimpeded,  till  the  measure  of  iniquity  became  full. 
About  forty  years  after  the  crucifixion,  the  crimes  of  the  Jewish 
nation,  according  to  the  testimony  of  Josephus,  himself  a  Jew^ 
rose  to  such  a  height,  as  to  forbid  the  longer  continuance  of  any 
civilized  state,  or  social  union,  among  this  people.  Furious  ani- 
mosity,  unexampled  pollution,  civil  war  raging   with  singular 


SER.  XLVII]        CONSEQUENCES  OF  HIS  PREACHING.  Hg 

violence,  unparalleled  treachery,  and  murder  without  bounds,  then 
became  the  prominent,  and  almost  the  only,  features  of  the  Jewish 
character. 

The  rest  of  the  world  was  absolutely  overspread  with  Polytheism, 
and  all  the  debasement,  and  all  the  miseries  to  which  it  so  frequently 
gives  birth, 

Had  not  Christ,  then,  come  into  the  world,  and  preached  the 
Gospel  to  mankind ;  the  Jews  would,  perhaps,  have  been,  substan- 
tially, what,  since  the  destruction  of  their  nation,  they  have  been 
in  fact :  reprobates  ;  outcasts  from  God  ;  possessing  hearts  harder 
than  the  nether  millstone^  impervious  to  truth  ;  impenetrable  by 
argument ;  shorn  from  the  side  of  virtue ;  vagabonds  in  the  moral, 
as  well  as  in  the  natural,  world ;  roaming  now  in  quest  of  gain,  or 
prey,  to  satisfy  immediate  lust;  now  wandering  in  a  benighted 
wilderness  through  every  by-path,  to  find  eternal  life;  and  mistaking 
the  glimmerings  of  every  ig7iis  faluus,  by  which  they  are  misled, 
for  the  light  of  heaven. 

We,  in  the  mean  time,  together  with  all  the  present  offspring 
of  the  Gentile  world,  should  have  been  prostrating  ourselves  be- 
fore calves  and  crocodiles,  dogs  and  cats,  an  image  of  brass,  or 
the  stock  of  a  tree.  Instead  of  the  churches,  which  on  a  thousand 
hills  now  stand  open  for  the  worship  of  Jehovah,  we  should,  with 
the  heathen  of  the  Old  World,  have  consecrated  to  a  multitude  of 
brutal  Gods  the  dark  groves,  and  still  darker  caves,  of  our  moun- 
tains ;  or  erected,  with  immense  expense  and  suffering,  splendid 
temples  to  the  honour  of  thieves,  strumpets,  and  murderers,  or  for 
the  inhabitation  of  blocks  and  statues.  Instead  of  the  hymns, 
which  here  daily  ascend  to  heaven,  perfumed  with  the  incense  of 
Redemption,  our  ears  would  have  been  stunned  with  the  outcries 
of  the  Priests  of  Baal,  or  the  yells  of  the  Priestesses  of  Bacchus, 
Instead  of  the  communion  table,  which  now  holds  out  the  bread 
of  life,  and  invites  us  to  eat,  and  live,  Altars  would  here  have 
smoked  with  the  offerings  of  pollution,  or  streamed  with  the  blood 
of  human  victims.  Instead  of  listening  to  the  invitations  to  re- 
nounce iniquity,  to  believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  to  lay 
hold  on  a  glorious  immortality,  given  by  God  himself,  and  an- 
nounced weekly  from  this  desk  ;  the  youths  who  are  before  me 
might,  in  some  instances  at  least,  have  been  trembling  beneath 
the  frown  of  a  Druid,  prepared  to  plunge  his  knife  into  their  bo- 
soms, as  an  offering  to  the  Gods  of  superstition ;  no  uncommon 
fate  of  bright  and  promising  young  men,  in  ancient  times,  through- 
out that  Island,  from  which  our  ancestors  emigrated  to  this  Coun' 
try. 

From  all  these  evils,  and  from  that  perfect  dissolution  of  the 
moral  character,  of  which  they  are  either  the  cause,  or  the  sub- 
stance, Christ  has  delivered  those,  who  receive  and  obey  his  in- 
structions. The  darkness,  in  which  men  groped,  and  stumbled^ 
and  fell,  in  the  pursuit  of  eternal  life,  he  has  scattered  by  the  sun- 


1H3  CHRIST  A  PROPHET.  [SER.  XLVII. 

shine  of  the  Gosjicl.  The  ol^jects  of  our  fiilh,  and  the  rules  of 
our  duty,  ho  has  written  in  hving  colours.  To  ignorant,  sori'owful, 
and  despairing  man,  despairing  of  future  enjoyment,  and  future 
being,  he  has  proclaimed  the  glad  tidings  of  life  eternal.  To  reb- 
els and  enemies  he  has  published  everlasting  peace.  To  Zion  he 
has  aimounced,  that  the  God,  who  reigns  over  heaven  and  earth, 
is  her  God.  Hoiv  beautiful  on  the  mountains  are  the  feet  of  this 
divine  Messenger,  descended  from  the  regions  of  immortality  to 
proclaim  grace,  mercy,  and  peace,  to  this  ruined  world! 

2dlv.   Christ,  as  a  Preacher,  is  a  perfect  pattern  to  every  Minister 
of  the  Gospel. 

That  he  is  such  a  pattern  in  the  substance  of  his  preaching  is  a 
truth,  which  can  need  no  comment.  Every  minister,  whatever 
may  be  his  ojjinions  in  other  respects,  will  admit,  unconditionally, 
that  what  Christ  has  said  is  the  guide,  and  the  substance,  of  all 
which  he  is  to  say.  Nor  are  many  words  necessary  to  show,  that 
he  is  a  pattern  equally  perfect,  and  equally  obligatory,  as  to  his 
manner.  It  is  not  here  intended,  that  the  characteristical  manner 
of  Christ,  by  which  he  was  distinguished  from  every  other  preach- 
er, is  demanded  of  any  minister  of  the  Gospel.  In  this  respect, 
Christ  cannot  be  copied  by  any  man.  The  style,  in  which  the 
inhabitants  of  the  East  spoke  their  discourses,  differs  materially 
from  that,  which  has  been  adopted  in  Europe,  and  in  this  country ; 
and  each  is  suited  to  the  taste  of  the  respective  inhabitants.  The 
characteristical  style  of  each  individual,  also,  differs  usually  from 
that  of  other  individuals  ;  and  that  of  each  will  ever  be  the  best 
for  himself;  and  that  which  he  will  most  advantageously  employ 
in  discoursing  with  his  fellow-men.  The  manner  of  Christ,  in  this 
respect,  is  not  here  intentionally  recjuired  of  any  preacher.  It  is 
wholly  peculiar  to  Him,  and  inimitable  by  others.  At  the  same 
time,  although  every  preacher  may  learn  the  best  lessons  from 
the  plainness  and  simplicity,  with  which  the  Redeemer  taught,  and 
is  bound  ever  to  keep  him  in  view,  as  in  this  respect  the  proper 
object  of  a  general  imitation ;  yet  it  ought  also  to  be  observed, 
that  no  preacher  is  warranted  to  assume  the  authority,  with  which 
Christ  taught,  enjoined,  and  reproved;  or  the percmptoriness,  with 
which  he  threatened  and  promised.  These  are  characteristics 
peculiar  to  himself;  which  nothing,  but  direct  inspiration,  will  au- 
thorize any  man  seriously  to  imitate;  and  which,  accordingly,  no 
Christian,  except  the  Apostles,  has  ventured  to  assume. 

The  Spirit,  discovered  by  the  Redeemer  in  this  manner  of  in- 
struction, is  the  object,  which  it  is  designed  here  to  urge  upon 
preachers  of  the  Gospel  for  their  imitation  ;  j)articularly,  the  can- 
dour, patience,  gentleness,  and  tenderiicss,  displayed  by  him  on 
every  proper  occasion.  These  are  characteristics,  which  cannot 
fail  to  adorn  every  discourse,  addressed  by  a  preacher  of  the  Gos- 
pel to  his  fellow-men.  If  a  preacher  has  any  sense  of  his  own 
guilt,  dangers,  wants,  hopes,  or  blessings ;  he  cannot  fail  to  feel 


SER.XLVII.]        CONSEQUENCES  OF  HIS  PREACHING.  II7 

in  a  corresponding  manner  those  of  others.  If  he  have  just  views 
of  the  worth  of  his  own  soul,  and  the  importance  of  his  own  salva- 
tion ;  he  cannot  but  tenderly  regard  the  souls,  and  the  salvation, 
of  others.  If  he  comprehend,  at  all,  his  own  infirmities,  and  the 
unceasing  need,  which  he  has  of  tenderness  and  patience  from  his 
fellow-men  ;  if  he  remember,  at  all,  how  persuasive  and  efficacious 
candour  and  gentleness  have  heretofore  been  in  influencing  his 
own  mind ;  he  cannot  but  discern  the  importance  of  exercising 
them  towards  his  flock. 

Nor  is  it  less  indispensable,  that  the  preacher  should  possess 
and  exhibit,  the  same  openness,  boldness,  and  integrity.  The  pos- 
session of  these  things  is  absolutely  necessary,  in  order  to  the  ap- 
pearance of  them  in  his  discourses,  and  in  his  life.  All  counterfeits 
will,  at  the  best,  be  suspicious ;  and  chiefly  fail  of  their  intended 
eflfect,  after  a  litde  period.  But  a  full  conviction  of  the  Preacher's 
unmingled  integrity;  which,  if  it  exist,  can  scarcely  fail  of  being 
distincdy  perceived ;  will  more  powerfully  persuade  his  hearers, 
than  all  the  arts  of  reasoning  and  eloquence,  attainable  by  the  hu- 
man mind.  At  the  same  time,  this  characteristic  will  aim  at  doing 
them  good  in  ten  thousand  ways,  unthought  of  by  the  insincere 
preacher.  Beyond  this,  it  will  accomplish  the  good,  where  all 
skill  and  contrivance  will  fail.  To  an  honest,  open,  undaunted 
preacher,  thoroughly  believed  to  be  such,  all  men  will  listen,  who 
will  hsten  at  all.  By  such  a  preacher  all  men  will  be  moved, 
who,  in  the  same  circumstances,  will  be  moved  at  all.  His  dis- 
courses Avill,  of  course,  appear  to  be  delivered  in  earnest :  not, 
perhaps,  with  animation,  or  eloquence,  properly  so  called :  with 
respect  to  these  his  constitutional  character  may  be  unfavourable 
and  his  habits  unhappy  :  but  with  seriousness,  solemnity,  and  the 
appearance  of  a  realizing  conviction,  that  he  is  uttering  the  mes- 
sage of  God.  Such  a  message,  so  uttered,  can  scarcely  fail  of 
making  some  useful  impression  on  the  mind.  If  not ;  it  will  be 
because  the  mind  is  not  in  a  state,  fitted  to  receive  useful  impres- 
sions. 

3dly.   The  Preaching  of  Christ  is  a  forcible  reproof  to  Ministers. 

Ministers,  if  we  may  judge  from  the  sermons  which  they  pub- 
lish, are,  in  some  instances  at  least,  guilty  of  sophistry.  Every 
preacher,  who  indulges  himself  in  this  mode  of  reasoning,  has  fail- 
ed to  propose,  or  to  remember,  Christ  as  his  pattern ;  and  when- 
ever he  solemnly  reviews  this  part  of  his  conduct,  must  feel  himself 
powerfully  reproved  by  the  open,  sincere,  and  exact  argumenta- 
tion of  his  Redeemer,  his  fair  and  candid  statements  of  the  opinions 
of  his  adversaries,  and  his  solid  answers  to  their  cavils. 

Ministers,  at  times,  are  petulant,  angry,  and  contentious  ;  not  for 
truth,  but  for  victory.  Let  him,  who  indulges  any  part  of  this 
spirit,  look  to  the  example  of  his  Saviour,  and  be  ashamed  of  his 
neglect  to  walk,  as  Christ  also  walked.  Let  him  lay  aside  the 
spirit  of  a  disputant,  and  a  champion  ;  and  resume  that  of  a  disci- 
ple of  his  glorious  Lord. 


118  '        CHRIST  A  PROPHET.  [SER.  XLVH. 

Not  a  small  number  of  preachers,  in  one  country  and  another, 
affect  a  strongly  impassioned,  fervid,  and  enthusiastic  manner  of 
writing  and  uttering  their  discourses.  Their  language  is  always 
intended  to  be  vehement,  bold,  and  highly  figurative  ;  their  tones 
loud  and  violent;  and  their  gestures  accordant  with  both.  No 
part  of  this  character  can  be  found  in  the  preaching  of  Christ. 
Not  the  most  distant  resemblance  to  enthusiasm  can  be  found  in  ^ 
any  thing  which  he  said,  or  in  the  manner  in  which  it  was  said  ; 
not  an  attempt  to  appear  impassioned  ;  not  an  eflbrt  to  dis|)lay 
what  is  customarily  called  eloquence.  When  the  subjects,  which 
he  canvassed,  inspired  warmth,  prompted  imagination,  and  led  to 
the  adoption  of  figurative  language ;  he  indulged  them,  just  as 
mere  nature  led.  But  he  never  summoned  them  to  his  assistance 
as  a  part  of  his  scheme ;  nor,  what  is  more  to  the  present  purpose, 
did  he  ever  form  the  scheme,  with  an  intention  to  give  himself  op- 
portunity of  calling  in  these  auxiliaries  to  his  discourse.  A  tem- 
perate manner ;  solemn  indeed,  and  plainly  earnest ;  far  distant 
from  that  cold  and  uninterested  mode,  sometimes  seen  in  the  desk ; 
but  still  temperate  on  all  ordinary  occasions,  and  raised  only  on 
extraordinary  ones  ;  was  the  characteristical  manner  of  the  Re- 
deemer. His  voice  was  pre-eminently  the  still,  small  voice  of 
truth  and  piety ;  and  he  did  not  strive,  nor  lift  up,  nor  cause  it  to 
be  heard  in  the  streets. 

How  different  this  pattern  from  the  eftbrts  of  separatical  preach- 
ers, and  indeed  of  many  others,  in  our  own  times  !  There  is  no 
small  reason  to  fear,  that  by  many  men  of  modern  days  Christ,  if 
now  on  earth,  would  be  thought  a  very  imperfect  example  of  the 
best  mode  of  preaching. 

Ministers  in  some  instances  employ  their  discourses  in  jninide, 
wire-drawn  disquisitions.  Such  disquisitions  can  rarely  be  neces- 
sary in  the  desk ;  and,  wherever  they  are  not  necessary,  they  are 
mischievous.  No  example  of  this  nature  can  be  found  in  the 
preaching  of  the  Redeemer.  The  minds  of  hearers  are  lost  in 
such  disquisitions  ;  their  feelings  blunted ;  and  the  truth  and  duty, 
recommended,  are  forgotten  in  the  labour  of  following  the  ingenious 
discussipns  of  the  preacher. 

The  timidity  of  ministers  is  also  forcibly  reproved  by  that  un- 
daunted firmness,  which  Christ  displayed  in  the  midst  of  his  bitter 
enemies  ;  men,  from  whom  he  could  expect  nothing  but  hatred  and 
violence.  It  is  to  be  always  remembered,  that  there  are  occasions 
on  which  some  subjects  cannot  be  urged  with  any  hope  of  success, 
and  only  with  a  prospect  of  disadvantage.  It  will,  therefore,  not 
only  be  justifiable,  but  commendable,  to  withhold  the  communica- 
tion of  certain  truths,  and  the  injunction  of  certain  duties,  in  pe- 
culiar seasons  ;  because  those  who  should  hear,  cannot  (in  the 
language  of  Christ)  bear  them  now.  But  the  preacher  is  bound  to 
withhold  them,  only  because  he  is  fairly  convinced,  that  the  com- 
munication will  do  evil,  and  not  good.     Even  here,  great  caution 


SER.XLVII.]         CONSEQUENCES  OF  HIS  PREACHING.  l]9 

is  to  be  used  ;  lest  the  preacher's  own  timidity,  and  not  the  per- 
formance of  his  duty,  be  the  governing  motive.  In  all  cases, 
where  this  duty  does  not  forbid,  (and  these  instances  are  of  course 
few)  he  is  bound  to  speak  the  truth  boldly  and  plainly,  whether 
they  will  hear,  or  whether  they  will  forbear.  Let  every  timid 
preacher,  who  shuns  to  declare  the  whole  counsel  of  God,  under  the 
influence  of  his  timidity,  fix  his  eyes  on  the  example  of  his  Sav- 
iour ;  and  he  will  see  himself  most  affectingly  reproved,  and 
most  solemnly  reminded,  that  the  fear  of  man  only  bringeth  a 
snare. 

The  love  of  applause  may  be  said  to  be  instinctive  in  the  mind 
of  man ;  and  has,  of  course,  a  seat  in  that  of  Preachers,  as  well  as 
of  other  men.  Against  this  seductive  passion,  always  ready  to  op- 
erate, and  operating  almost  of  course  with  an  unhappy  influence, 
every  Preacher  will  find  the  strongest  guard  in  the  example  of  the 
Redeemer.  No  instance  can  be  produced,  in  which  this  passion 
appeared  in  him.  To  teach  truth,  and  enforce  duty  on  his  hearers, 
was  plainly  the  whole  end  proposed  by  him  in  all  his  instructions. 
Such  ought  to  be  the  only  end  aimed  at  in  the  discourses  of  every 
Minister  of  the  Gospel. 

Finally ;  all  persons  who  assemble  to  hear  the  Gospel,  are  here 
taught  the  manner  in  which  they  are  bound  to  receive  the  truth. 
They  are  bound  to  receive  it  in  its  purity  and  simplicity,  just  as  it 
was  taught  by  Christ.  They  are  bound  to  hear  it  with  a  reverential, 
ready,  and  obedient  mind;  as  the  law  of  life,  and  the  only  means 
of  salvation.  The  Jews,  who  would  not  thus  receive  it,  perished. 
Those,  who  at  the  present  time  will  not  receive  it  in  this  manner, 
will,  unless  they  assume  a  new  character,  perish  also. 


SERMON  XL  V  111. 

CHRIST  A  PROPHET. PREACHING  OF  THE  APOSTLES. 


Mark  xvi.  15,  16,  20. — ^nd  he  saith  vnto  them,  Go  ye  mio  all  the  world  and  preaehnf^- 
the  Gospel  unto  every  creature.     He  that  btUeveth  and  is  baptized,  shall  be  sared; 
but  he  that  beiieveth  not  shallbe  damned.     And  they  went  forth,  and  preached  every 
where;  the  Lord  working  with  them,  and  confirming  the  word  with  signs  following. 
Amen. 

In  a  former  discourse,  I  proposed  to  consider  die  j)rophetical 
character  of  Christ,  as  displayed, 

1st.  Ill  his  Personal  Preaching  ;  and, 

2dly.  In  his  Preaching  by  his  Apostles. 

The  former  of  these  subjects  I  have  accordingly  considered  at 
large.  The  latter  I  shall  now  examine  with  some  attention.  In 
the  text  we  are  presented,  among  other  things,  with  a  Commission, 
given  to  his  Apostles,  and  others,  to  go  into  all  the  world,  and  preach 
the  Gospel  to  every  creature;  and  with  a7i  account  of  the  fact,  that 
under  this  Commission  they  went  forth,  and  preached  every  zchcre. 
Their  preaching,  therefore,  was  a  business  of  mere  delegation,  and 
a  mere  performance  of  a  duty,  enjoined  by  Christ.  In  other  words, 
Christ  preached  the  Gospel  by  their  Instrumentality. 

In  the  consideration  of  this  subject,  it  will  be  proper  to  show, 

I.  The  Fact  that  the  Apostles  actually  preached  the  Gospel  of 
Christ ;  or  were  inspired : 

II.  The  J^ecessity  of  their  preaching  the  Gospel: 

III.  The  Things  7uhich  they  preached:  and, 

IV.  The  Consequences  of  their  preaching' 

I.  /  shall  endeavour  to  show,  that  the  Apostles  actually  preached 
the  Gospel  of  Christ;  or  were  inspired. 

Many  Unitarians,  who  have  admitted  that  Christ  himself  was  * 
inspired,  have,  nevertheless,  both  questioned,  and  denied,  the  in- 
spiration of  his  Apostles.  As  this  is  a  subject  of  vast  importance 
in  the  Christian  scheme ;  it  cannot  but  be  necessary,  in  a  system 
of  Theology,  to  settle,  as  far  as  may  be,  just  opinions  concerning 
this  subject.  I  shall,  therefore,  consider  it  at  some  length.  It  will 
be  remembered,  here,  that  we  are  not  at  issue  with  Infidels.  The 
persons,  with  whom  we  contend,  however  unfavourable  to  the 
Scriptures  their  opinions  on  this  or  any  other  subject  may  seem, 
are  yet  professed  believers  in  Divine  Revelation.  We  are,  there- 
fore, at  full  liberty  to  bring  whatever  arguments  we  please  from 
the  Scriptures  themselves.  Nay,  the  Scriptures  are,  in  the  present 
case,  peculiarly  proper  sources  of  evidence  :  sources  to  which  our 
antagonists  can  make  no  objection.  When  Dr.  Priestly  denies 
what  he  calls  the  particular  inspiration  of  the  sevei-al  books  of  the 


SER.  XLVIII.]  PREACHING  OF  THE  APOSTLES,  121 

Bible,  he  alleges,  as  his  warrant  for  this  denial,  that  they  do  not  pre- 
tend  to  any  such  inspiration.  Whether  this  doctrine  is  true,  1  shall 
now  proceed  to  examine.     In  the 

1st  place.  The  Commission,  and  the  Fact,  recorded  in  the  text, 
prove  that  the  Apostles  were  inspired. 

In  the  text,  the  Apostles  are  commissioned  to  preach  the  Gospel, 
or  good  news  of  Salvation.  In  other  words,  they  were  commission- 
ed to  declare  the  terms,  on  which  God  will  forgive  sin,  and  restore 
sinners  to  his  favour  and  blessing.  These  terms  it  was  impos^^ible 
for  them  to  know,  except  by  means  of  immediate  revelation  to 
themselves,  or  information  from  a  person,  to  wiiom  they  were  re- 
vealed. The  Gospel,  it  is  agreed  by  all  who  believe  it,  discloses 
the  Will  of  God  concerning  this  subject.  But  this  Will  cannot  be 
known,  except  by  direct  communication  from  God.  The  know- 
ledge of  it,  therefore,  must  terminate,  of  course,  in  ultimate  reve- 
lation. If,  then,  it  was  not  revealed  immediately  to  the  Apostles,  it 
was  communicated  to  them,  verbally,  by  Christ.  But  no  power  of 
human  memory  could  enable  them  to  retain  such  a  mass  of  com- 
munications, for  any  length  of  time  ;  much  less  for  such  a  length 
of  time,  as  intervened  between  their  reception  of  them,  and  the 
publication  of  those  writings,  in  which  they  were  conveyed  to  the 
world.  If  we  consider  the  numerous  events  in  the  life  of  Christ, 
which  they  have  recorded,  and  still  more  the  numerous  discourses, 
which  they  have  professed  to  recount ;  we  must  either  admit,  that 
these  records  are  very -imperfectly  true,  because  necessarily  not 
exact ;  or  that  the  Apostles  had  such  supernatural  assistance,  as 
to  make  them  exact,  and  in  this  manner  true.  This  assistance  can 
be  no  other  than  Inspiration.  The  Gospel  of  St.  Matthew  was 
written,  according  to  the  earliest  calculation,  eight  years  after  the 
death  of  Christ ;  that  of  Mark,  and  that  of  Luke,  about  the  year 
64 ;  more  than  twenty  years  after  the  death  of  Christ ;  and  that  of 
John,  to  say  the  least,  at  a  much  later  period.  Nothing  can  be  more 
evident,  than  that  these  writers  could  not,  for  such  a  length  of  time, 
retain  by  the  mere  natural  force  of  memory  the  things,  which  they 
have  recorded.  Particularly  is  this  impossibility  manifest  with  re- 
spect to  the  numerous  discourses,  recorded  by  St.  John ;  of  which 
in  so  great  a  proportion  his  Gospel  consists  ;  discourses,  differing 
from  all  others,  ever  known  in  the  present  world ;  strongly  cha- 
racteristical,  and  therefore  fairly  presumed  to  be  genuine  ;  dis- 
courses, raised  up  by  events  distinctly  recorded,  and  perfectly 
suited  to  those  events  ;  composed  of  questions  and  answers,  argu- 
ments and  objections,  so  minutely  specified,  as  to  wear  the  appear- 
ance of  having  been  taken  down  on  the  spot,  and  at  the  moment, 
with  uncommon  skill  and  fehcity.  He  who  believes,  that  St.  John 
could  have  remembered  these  things  in  his  old  age,  by  the  mere 
natural  force  of  memory,  certainly  can  find  no  difficulty  in  admit- 
ting any  proposition,  because  it  asserts  something  miraculous  :  for 
no  miracle  involves  a  more  absolute  counteraction  of  the  known 

Vol.  II.  16 


122  CHRIST  A  PROPHET.  [SER.  XLVIII. 

laws  of  nature  than  that,  which  is  involved  in  this  supposition.  In- 
stead of  being  thus  tenaciously  retained,  at  the  end  of  so  many 
years,  it  is  scarcely  credible,  that  they  could  have  been  remember- 
ed, in  the  same  manner,  for  one  day. 

But  if  the  Evangelists,  when  professedly  recording  these  dis- 
courses, did  not  record  them  exactly ;  they  did  not  record  them 
truly.  If  Christ  did  not  say  the  very  things,  which  they  have  as- 
serted ;  their  assertions  are  so  far  false  ;  and  they  cannot  sustain 
even  the  character,  which  Dr.  Priestly  concedes  to  them,  of  de- 
serving the  confidence  of  mankind  as  witnesses  :  for  their  testimo- 
ny plainly  cannot  be  true. 

Beyond  this,  we  know  beforehand,  that  it  is  untrue  :  for,  accord- 
ing to  this  scheme,  it  is  not  possible,  that  it  should  be  true.  The 
utmost,  that  can  be  said  of  it  according  to  this  scheme,  is,  that  it 
may  be  a  well  meant,  but  must  be  a  loose,  general,  and  unsatisfac- 
tory account,  in  many,  and  those  often  important,  .jiarticulars. 
Necessarily  untrue ;  and  every  where,  unless  in  some  few  promi- 
nent particulars,  necessarily  uncertain. 

But  can  it  be  supposed,  that  Christ  directed  the  Apostles  to 
preach  the  Gospel  in  this  manner  ?  Can  he  be  supposed  to  have 
directed  them  to  j)reach  it  at  all,  if  they  were  necessitated  to  preach 
it  in  this  manner  only  ?  Can  he,  who  came  to  j)ublish  die  will  of 
God  to  mankind  concerning  this  immensely  important  subject,  have 
left  it  to  be  chiefly  published,  under  his  authority,  by  the  mere  force 
of  human  memory;  and  mixed  with  human  frailties  and  human 
opinions ;  and  thus,  necessarily,  to  have  become  a  mass  of  truth 
and  falsehood,  so  blended,  that  those  who  read  their  writings,  or 
heard  their  discourses,  could  never  be  able  to  separate  the  false- 
hood from  the  truth  ?  Does  any  human  legislature  suffer  its  own 
laws  to  be  published  in  such  a  manner  ?  Was  Christ  possessed  of 
less  wisdom,  or  less  integrity,  or  less  benevolence,  than  human 
Legislators  ?  Did  God  give  him  a  commission  thus  to  act  ?  Or  did 
he  fail  to  discharge  the  duties  of  the  commission,  which  he  really 
received  ? 

Further;  the  Evangelists  have  left  all  their  declarations,  in  the 
form  of  unqualified,  peremptory  assertions.  If,  then,  the  assertions 
are  not  true,  the  authors  of  them  are  false  witnesses  concerning 
Christ.  They  have  boldly  and  roundly  declared  that  to  have  been 
said,  and  done,  which  they  did  not  know  to  have  been  said  or  done. 
This  is  no  other  than  direct  dishonesty;  such  as  nothing  can  justi- 
fy, or  palliate.  He,  who  directly  asserts  that  for  truth,  which  he 
does  not  know,  or  believe  himself  to  know  to  be  true,  is  a  liar. 
The  Apostles,  therefore,  instead  of  deserving  credit  as  witnesses, 
must  in  this  case  be  branded  as  liars,  even  with  regard  to  the  facts, 
in  relating  which.  Dr.  Priestly  assures  us,  they  are  wholly  to  be 
trusted.  To  deserve  credit  in  this,  and  to  discharge  the  duties  even 
of  common  honesty,  they  ought  to  have  told  us,  originally,  that  the 
facts  and  conversations,  which  they  were  about  to  relate,  were  re- 


SER.  XL VIII.]  PREACHING  OF  THE  APOSTLES.  123 

corded  by  them  in  as  faithful  and  exact  a  manner,  as  was  in  their 
power ;  but  that,  as  they  wrote  from  mere  memory,  they  could  give 
only  qualified  assertions  ;  of  which,  although  as  correct  as  they 
could  make  them,  they  could  not,  however,  be  certain.  In  this 
case,  they  would  have  discharged  their  duty,  and  deserved  credit. 
Their  writings  would  have  then  claimed  the  title  of  a  Revelation  just 
as  much,  as  any  other  piece  of  honest  Biography;  and  no  more. 
But  the  writers  would  have  acted  the  part  of  honest  men. 

2dly.  This  doctrine  is  evident  from  a  part  of  the  same  commis- 
sion, recorded  by  St.  John. 

Then  said  Jesus  unto  them,  Peace  be  unto  you.  As  my  Father  hath 
sent  me,  even  so  send  I  you.  And  when  he  had  said  this, he  breathed 
on  them,  and  saith  unto  them.  Receive  ye  the  Holy  Ghost.  IVhose 
soever  sins  ye  remit,  they  are  remitted  unto  them  j  and  Tvhose  soever 
sins  ye  retain,  they  are  retained.  John  xx.  21 — 23.  In  this  pas- 
sage of  Scripture,  Christ  tells  his  disciples,  that  he  gives  them  gen- 
erally the  same  mission,  which  the  Father  had  given  him  ;  so  that 
ihey  were  now  to  stand  in  his  place,  as  ambassadors  from  God  to 
this  sinful  world.  That  they  might  be  qualified  to  discharge  the 
duties  of  this  mission,  he  gave,  or  as  I  conceive  it  ought  to  be  un- 
derstood, he  promised,  them  the  Holy  Ghost ;  even  as  he  had  been 
anointed  with  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  with  Power,  to  qualify  him  for 
the  duties  of  the  same  mission. 

That  the  reception  of  the  Holy  Ghost  was  indispensable  to  their 
entrance  on  their  mission  is  evident  from  Luke  xxiv.  49  ;  where 
Christ,  referring  to  this  mission,  says,  Behold  I  send  the  promise  of 
my  Father  upon  you.  But  tarry  ye  in  Jerusalem,  until  ye  be  endued 
TDxth  Power  from  on  high.  And,  again,  from  Acts  i.  4  ;  where  St. 
Luke  informs  us,  that,  being  assembled  together  with  them,  he  com- 
manded them,  that  they  should  not  depart  from  Jerusalem,  hut  wait 
for  the  promise  of  the  Father,  which,  saith  he,  ye  have  heard  of  me. 
That  the  Holy  Ghost  was  the  promise  of  the  Father,  or  the  object 
here  promised,  will  not,  I  suppose,  be  questioned.  If  it  should  be, 
the  point  is  unanswerably  proved  by  the  fact,  that  the  Apostles 
waited  in  Jerusalem,  with  scrupulous  obedience  to  this  command, 
and  did  not  begin  to  preach  the  Gospel  at  all,  till,  on  the  day  of 
Pentecost,  they  actually  received  the  Holy  Ghost  in  the  wonderful 
manner,  described  at  the  beginning  of  the  following  chapter.  On 
this  occasion  they  became  in  the  strict  sense  inspired  ;  as  I  shall 
have  opportunity  to  evince  in  the  sequel. 

In  the  last  verse  of  this  quotation,  Christ  declares  to  them,  Whost 
soever  sins  ye  remit,  they  are  remitted  to  them  ;  and  whose  soever  sins 
ye  retain,  they  are  retained  :  that  is.  Ye  shall  prescribe,  and  publish, 
the  terms,  on  which  the  sins  of  the  whole  human  race  shall  be  remit- 
ted or  retained.  Now  let  me  ask  any  sober  man,  whether  he  can 
possibly  believe,  that  God  placed  this  stupendous  and  amazing 
power  in  the  hands  of  these  men,  and  left  them  to  exercise  it, 
merely  according  to  the  dictates  of  their  own  discretion,  and  the 


]24  CHRIST  A  rROniET.  [3ER.  XLVIII. 

sti'pngth  ol'  their  own  memory  ?    Was  their  understanding,  or  the 
understanding  of  any  created  being,  sutricicnt  to  enable  tiiem  to  pre- 
scribe, and  publish,  the  terms,  obedience  to  which  should  be  Ibl- 
lowed  by  the  forgiveness  of  sin,  and  disobedience  to  which  should 
prevent  sin  from  oeing  forgiven?    Our  Saviour  declares,  expressly, 
m  this  passage,  that  whose  soever  sins  they  remitted,  God  Avould  re- 
mit ;  and  whose  soever  sins  they  retained,  God  Avould  retain.     In 
other  words,  the  very  terms,  which  they  should  prescribe,  as  the  pro- 
per foundations  for  the  remission,  or  retention,  of  sin,  would  be  the 
terms,  according  to  which,  God  would  remit  or  retain  them.     That 
this  was  intended  in  the  most  absolute,  unqualified  sense,  to  be  ful- 
filled, is  rendered  certain  by  the  2d  v-crse  of  the  text.     He  that  be- 
lieveth,  and  is  baptized,  shall  be  saved ;  but  he  that  believcth  not 
shall  be  damned.     Here  our  Saviour  declares,  that  he  who  cordial- 
ly believes  the  Gospel,  preached  by  the  Apostles,  shall  have  eter- 
nal life  ;  and  that  he,  who  does  not  thus  believe  this  Gospel,  shall 
not  have  eternal  life.     It  will  be  remembered,  that  the  Apostles 
alone  published  the  Gospel  to  mankind.     The  Gospel,  as  publish- 
ed by  them,  therefore,  is  that,  which  is  the  object  of  belief,  here  re- 
ferred to  by  Christ  :  for  by  this  Gospel  only  do  we  become  ac- 
quainted with  the  character,  mission,  doctrines,  precepts,  or  even 
the  existence,  of  a  Saviour.     Of  course,  the  only  belief,  of  which 
Christ  can  be  supposed  to  speak  in  this  passage,  is  the  belief  of  the 
Gospel,  which  they  have  published. 

On  the  belief  of  this  Gospel,  then,  Christ  has  made  the  salvation  of 
the  whole  human  race  absolutely  to  depend  :  that  is,  so  far  as  it 
should  be  published  to  them.  Can  it  be  supposed,  that  the  infinite- 
ly wise  and  just  God,  who  is  perfectly  acquainted  with  the  weak- 
ness of  the  human  mind  ;  who  perfectly  knows,  that  many,  very 
many,  errors  exist  of  course  in  the  best  and  wisest  men  ;  who  per- 
fectly knew,  that  very  many  errors  must  in  this  very  case  be  pub- 
lished by  these  men,  if  left  to  themselves ;  and  that  any  number, 
even  one,  of  those  errors  would  prove  fatal,  not  to  one  only,  but  to 
hundreds,  and  thousands,  and  millions,  nay,  to  the  whole  body  of 
the  human  race;  miless  he  himself  should  ultimately  forgive  sin  on 
terms  not  his  own,  and  not  accordant  with  the  dictates  of  his  own 
wisdom  and  righteousness  ?  Can  it  be  supposed,  that  the  infinite- 
ly wise  and  just  God  committed  to  these  frail,  erring  beings,  the  in- 
comprehensibly important  business  of  publishing,  from  their  own 
judgment  and  memory,  the  terms,  on  which  the  sins  of  that  and 
every  succeeding  age  should  be  forgiven,  or  retained  ?  Can  he  have 
said,  that,  after  they  had  published  such  terms,  as  to  them  appeared 
the  proper  ones,  he  who  believed  them  should  be  saved,  and  he  who 
believed  them  not  shouldbe  damned!'' 

To  this  conclusion,  however,  the  scheme  of  those,  with  whom  I 
am  contending,  irresistibly  conducts  us  •,  for  the  only  alternative  is, 
that  Christ  has  here  uttered  an  untruth.  If  those,  who  believe  the 
Apostles  in  this  case  will  not  be  saved,  and  those  who  believe  not  will 


SER.  XLVIII]  PREACHING  OF  THE  APOSTLES.  125 

not  he  damned  ;  if  the  sins^zohich  they  remit,  in  the  Gospel  publish- 
ed by  them,  will  not  be  rem,itted  by  God,  and  the  sins,  which  they 
retai?i,  will  not  be  retainedhy  him  ;  then  Christ  has  here  declared  an 
absolute  falsehood,  in  the  most  solemn  and  important  of  all  cases. 
Of  course,  he  may  be  fairly  presumed  to  deceive  in  every  other 
case  ;  and  cannot  deserve  the  confidence  of  mankind  in  any  thing. 
This  conclusion,  together  with  the  doctrine  on  which  it  is  founded, 
is,  I  suppose,  too  horrid  to  be  admitted  by  any  man,  who  does  not 
regard  the  Scriptures  with  absolute  contempt. 

3clly.  The  same  truth  is  evident  from  the  promise,  given  to  the 
Apostles  by  our  Saviour  in  his  last  discourses,  of  the  descent  of  the 
Holt/  Ghost  upon  them. 

The  several  parts  of  this  promise,  so  far  as  they  refer  particular- 
ly to  the  point  in  question,  are  contained  in  the  following  passages. 

But  the  Comforter,  who  is  the  Holy  Ghost,  whom  the  Father  will 
send  in  my  name,  he  shall  teach  you  all  things,  and  bring  all  things 
to  your  remembrance  whatsoever  I  have  said  unto  you.  John  xiv.  26. 

Bui  when  the  Comforter  is  come,  whom  I  will  send  unto  you  from 
the  Father,  even  the  Spirit  of  Truth,  who  proceedeth  from  the  Father, 
he  shall  testify  of  me.  And  ye  also  shall  bear  witness,  because  ye 
have  been  wilhmefrom  the  beginning.  John  xv.  26,  27. 

Howbeit,  when  he,  the  Spirit  of  Truth,  is  come,  He  shall  guide  you 
into  all  the  truth  ;  and  he  shall  shew  you  things  to  come.  He  shall 
glorify  me  ;  for  he  shall  receive  of  mine,  and  shall  shew  it  unto  you. 
John  xvi.  13,  14. 

In  this  promise  are  included  the  following  things  : 

1.  That  the  Spirit  would  certainly  come  to  the  Apostles,  after  the 
Ascension  of  Christ  : 

2.  That  he  would  testify  to  them  concerning  Christ :  He  shall  tes- 
tify of  me  : 

3.  That  this  testimony  would  be  accompanied  by  the  coincident 
testimony  of  the  Apostles  :  and  ye  also  shall  bear  witness  :  &:c. 

4.  That  the  Spirit  of  truth  should  receive  from  Christ  that,  which 
was  his  ;  viz.  his  truth,  pleasure,  or  Gospel ;  and  should  declare  it 
to  the  Apostles  :  He  shall  receive  of  mine,  (of  the  things  which  are 
mine,  Greek)  and  shall  declare  it  unto  you  : 

5.  That  he  should  glorify  Christ  in  this  communication  : 

6.  That  he  should  shew  to  the  Apostles  things  to  come,  or  future 
things  :  or,  in  other  words,  should  endue  them  with  the  gift  of  pro- 
phecy : 

7.  That  he  should  guide  the  Apostles  into  all  (the,  Greek)  truth: 
that  is,  into  all  Evangelical  truth  ;  the  truth,  by  way  of  eminence : 

8.  That  he  should  teach  them  all  things ;  that  is,  all  things  which 
they  needed  to  be  taught  originally  ;  or  which  Christ  had  not 
already  taught  them  :  He  shall  teach  you  all  things  : 

9.  That  he  should  bring  up  to  the  full  view  of  their  memory  the 
things,  which  Christ  had  taught  them  :  And  shall  bring  all  thingi 
to  your  remembrance,  zvhatsoever  I  have  said  unto  you. 


126  CHRIST  A  PROPHET.  [SER.XLVriL 

It  will  be  evident  to  the  slightest  attention,  that  the  things,  here 
promised,  contain  whatever  is  involved  in  the  plenary  inspirutioii  of 
the  Apostles.  The  testimony,  given  by  tht^m.  was  a  testimony  con- 
cernnig  Christ.  It  glorified  Christ  in  the  highest  maimer  conceiva- 
ble. All  the  parts  of  it  were  exhibited  by  them  as  parts  of  Christ's 
own  Gospel ;  and.  united  together,  they  are  declared  by  them  of- 
ten, to  be  the  Gospel  of  Christ.  This  testimony  contains,  also,  a 
wonderful  exhibition  of  their  remembrance  of  the  things,  which 
Christ  said,  and  did ;  such  as  must  plainly  be  impossible,  unless 
they  had  been  divinely  assisted.  Furl  her,  it  contains  all  the 
truth:  that  is,  all  Evangelical  truth,  or  the  whole  Will  of  God  con- 
cerninsj;  the  salvation  of  men.  Finally,  it  contauis  many  wonder- 
ful predictions  concerning  future  things,  of  which  many  have  been 
already  fulfilled  in  a  marvellous  manner. 

Concerning  all  these  things,  except  one,  there  cannot  be  even 
a  debate ;  and  that  one  is  :  That  the  Apostles  were  guided  by  the 
Holy  Spirit  into  all  Evangelical  truth.  On  this  1  shall  have  occa- 
sion to  say  more  hereafter.  At  present  I  shall  confine  my  remarks 
to  the  promise  itself.  Concerning  this  I  observe,  that  it  either  was 
fulfilled,  or  it  was  not  fulfilled.  If  it  was  fulfilled  ;  then  the  Apos- 
tles wrote,  and  preached,  the  Gospel,  under  the  plenary  insjiiration 
of  the  Holy  Ghost ;  because  the  promise  assures  them  of  such 
inspiration  in  the  amplest  terms  conceivable.  If  it  was  not  ful- 
filled, then  Christ  was  a  false  Prophet ;  because  he  promised  that, 
which  he  did  not  fulfil. 

4thly.  The  same  truth  is  evident  from  the  testirnony  of  the  Apos- 
tles themselves. 

Dr.  Priestly,  in  his  letters  to  the  Philosophers  and  Politicians 
of  France,  makes  the  following  observation :  "  That  the  Books  of 
Scripture  were  written  by  particular  Divine  inspiration,  is  a  thing,  to 
which  the  writers  themselves  make  no  pretensions.''^  I  have  often 
heen  astonished  at  this  declaration ;  especially,  as  coming  from 
a  Minister  of  the  Gospel.  Whether  there  be  any  foundation  for  it, 
or  not,  will  farther  appear. 

] .  They  testify,  that  the  Holy  Ghost  descended  on  them,  in  the 
same  manner,  and  with  the  same  effects,  which  Christ  had  promised. 

This  testimony  is  thus  summarily  given  :  "  On  the  day  of  Pen- 
tecost, while  the  Apostles  and  their  companions  were  together, 
waiting  for  the  promise  of  the  Father,  or  the  descent  of  the  Holy 
Ghost;  a  soutid  came  from. heaven,  as  of  a  rushing,  mighty  7cind ^ 
and  it  filled  the  room,  where  they  were  sitting.  And  there  appeared 
unto  them  cloven  tongues,  as  of  fre,  and  sate  upon  each  of  them  ,• 
and  they  xvere  all  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  they  began  to 
speak  loith  other  tongues,  as  the  Spirit  gave  them  utterance.''''  The 
things  which  they  spoke  are  testified  by  those  who  heard  them,  in 
these  words  :  We  do  hear  them  speak  in  our  tongues  the  wonderfid 
works  of  God.  In  this  story  we  have  a  direct  account  of  the 
descent  of  the  Holy  Ghost  upon  the  Apostles  and  their  conipan- 


SER.  XLVIII]  PREACHING  OF  THE  APOSTLES.  127 

ions,  exactly  according  to  the  promise  of  Christ.  We  are  informed, 
that  the  Holy  Ghost  became  to  them  the  Spirit  of  Inspiration ;  en- 
dowing them  with  the  supernatural  power  of  speaking  with  tongues  ; 
or  languages  which  they  had  never  learned ;  and  of  speaking  in 
those  languages  the  wonderful  works  of  God.  Accordingly,  we 
find  St.  peter,  on  this  very  occasion,  addressing  the  assembly, 
whom  this  wonderful  miracle  had  called  together,  with  a  new  Spirit, 
with  views  of  the  mission  of  Christ,  altogether  new,  and  with  an 
equally  extraordinary  knowledge  of  the  Jewish  Scriptures.  Noth- 
ing was  more  unlike  his  former  character,  in  all  respects,  except 
that  he  was  before,  as  well  as  now,  a  good  man.  Before,  he  had 
spoken,  and  acted,  as  a  child  ;  he  had  now  become  a  man,  and  put 
away  childish  things. 

Besides,  we  find  him,  and  the  other  Apostles,  immediately  after- 
wards, employed,  not  only  in  preaching,  in  the  same  manner,  but 
also  in  performing  wonderful  miracles,  to  prove  that  what  they 
preached  was  the  truth  of  God. 

2.  They  testify  directly,  that  the  Gospel,  which  they  preached,  was 
revealed  to  them  by  God. 

A  few  Proofs  of  this  nature,  out  of  a  great  multitude,  which  can 
be  directly  alleged  from  the  New  Testament,  are  all,  which  the 
time  will  allow  me  to  recite.  In  the  Gospel,  says  St.  Paul,  the 
Righteousness  of  God  is  revealed  from  faith  to  faith.  The  Gospel 
is  the  power  of  God  to  salvation.  Romans  i.  16,  17.  Can  either 
of  these  things  be  possibly  said,  with  truth,  concerning  mere  unin- 
spired opinions  ?  We  speak  the  wisdom  of  God  in  a  mystery,  even 
the  hidden  wisdom,  which  God  ordained  before  the  world  unto  our 
glory.  Eye  hath  not  seen,  nor  ear  heard,  neither  have  entered  into 
the  heart  of  man,  the  things  which  God  hath  prepared  for  them  that 
love  him.  But  God  hath  revealed  them  unto  us  by  his  Spirit.  Mow 
we  have  received,  not  the  spirit  which  is  of  the  world,  but  the  spirit 
which  is  of  God,  that  we  might  know  the  things  which  are  freely 
given  us  of  God.  Which  things  also  we  speak,  not  in  the  words 
zohich  man''s  wisdom  teacheth,  but  which  the  Holy  Ghost  teacheth  ; 
comparing  spiritual  things  with  spiritual.  Or,  as  the  last  phrase  is 
rendered  by  Dr.  Macknight,  explaining  spiritual  things  in  spiritual 
words.  In  this  passage  the  things,  contained  in  the  Gospel,  are 
directly  asserted  to  be  revealed  to  the  Apostles  by  the  Spirit  of 
God ;  to  be  the  wisdom,  even  the  hidden  wisdom,  of  God ;  and  to 
be  freely  given  unto  them  of  God.  It  is  also  asserted,  that  they 
had  received  the  Spirit  of  God  for  this  very  end,  viz.  that  they 
might  know  these  things.  Finally,  it  is  declared,  that  Paul  and 
his  companions  spoke  these  things  to  others,  not  in  the  words  de- 
vised by  human  wisdom,  but  in  words  directly  taught  by  the  Holy 
Ghost;  and  that  they  thus  explained  spiritual  things  in  words  which 
were  also  spiritual ;  or  if  the  common  translation  be  preferred, 
comparing  the  spiritual  things  thus  revealed  with  other  spiritual 
things  revealed  in  the  Old  Testament. 


128  CHRIST  A  PROPHET.  [SER.XLVIIf, 

Again  ;  Let  a  man  so  account  ofns,  as  of  the  ministers  of  Christ, 
and  stewards  of  the  mysterirs  of  God,  1  Cor.  iii.  1.  Ministers  of 
Christ,  here,  denote  those,  commissioned  by  Christ  to  preach  the 
Gospel  of  Christ :  Stewards  of  the  mysteries  of  God,  those,  who 
are  entrusted  by  God  with  his  own  will,  revealed  by  him,  and 
otherwise  hidden  from  mankind. 

Again  ;  /  certify  you,  brethren,  that  the  Gospel  which  zvas  preach- 
ed by  me  was  not  after  man,  (that  is.  devised  bv  human  reason) 
For  I  neither  received  it  of  man,  neither  was  I  taught  it,  but  by  the 
revelation  of  Jesus  Christ. 

It  pleased  God  to  reveal  his  Son  in  me,  that  I  might  preach  him 
among  the  heathen,  or  Gentiles.  Gal.  i.  11,  12,  15,  16. 

Once  more ;  If  any  man  think  himself  to  be  spiritual,  (that  is,  a 
spiritual  man,  possessing  the  miraculous  power  of  discerning  spir- 
its or  doctrines)  or  a  prophet,  let  him  acknowledge,  that  the  things 
which  I  write  unto  you,  are  the  commandments  of  the  Lord.  One 
would  think,  that  such,  as  now  stand  in  the  place  of  these  spiritual 
men  in  the  Church,  viz.  Ministers  of  the  Gospel,  would  feel  them- 
selves bound  to  make  the  same  acknoAvledgment. 

These  may  serve  instead  of  near  two  hundred  different  passages, 
in  which,  in  one  manner  and  another,  St.  Paul  asserts,  explicitly, 
the  Inspiration  of  himself  and  his  Companions  in  the  Gospel ;  for 
these  decide  the  point,  if  any  declarations  can. 

I  intended  to  have  recited  declarations,  to  the  same  purpose, 
from  the  other  writers  of  the  New  Testament;  but,  as  the  time  is 
so  far  elapsed,  1  shall  omit  them. 

3.  They  declared  the  same  thing  by  styling  the  Gospel,  which 
they  preached,  the  Gospel  of  God  j  and  of  Christ. 

Quotations  to  prove  this  fact,  cannot  be  necessary  for  such,  as 
read  the  New  Testament.  1  shall  therefore  only  observe,  it  proves 
directly,  that  this  Gospel  was  revealed  by  God:  otherwise,  any 
other  human  production  on  the  same  subject  might  be  called  the 
Gospel  of  God. 

4.  The  importance,  attached  by  them  to  the  Gospel,  is  a  full  de- 
claration that  it  was  revealed  to  them. 

They  declare,  that  it  is  the  power  of  God  unto  salvation  to  every 
one  that  believeth  ;  a  savour  of  life  unto  life  j  able  to  make  men  wise 
to  salvation ;  qidck,  or  living,  and  powerfid,  &c. ;  piercing,  &c. ; 
a  discerner,  <Szc. 

They  declare,  that  Christ  will  ptinish  with  an  everlasting  de- 
struction them  that  obey  not  this  Gospel. 

St.  Paul  says.  Woe  is  me  if  I  preach  not  the  Gospel. 

He  further  says,  if  any  man,  or  if  any  Angel,  preach  another 
Gospel,  (that  is,  another  than  this  which  he  preached  to  mankind) 
let  him  be  accursed. 

He  also  says,  God  shall  judge  the  secrets  of  men,  at  the  final  dayj 
according  to  this  Gospel. 

He  says  also,  that  God  shall  send  upon  a  portion  of  mankind 


6ER.  XLVUI.]  PREACHLNG  OF  THE  APOSTLES.  129 

strong  delusion,  that  they  should  believe  a  lie,  that  they  might  all  he 
damned,  because  they  believed  not  the  /?-ui/i,(that  is,  this  very  Gospel) 
but  had  pleasure  in  unrigh  eousness. 

St.  Peter,  also,  styles  it  the  word  of  God;  incorruptible  seed; 
pronounces  it  the  means  of  regeneration,  and  eternal  life ;  declares, 
that  it  lives,  and  endures  for  ever ;  and  asserts,  that  the  Angels, 
stooping  down,  desire  to  look  into  it. 

Let  me  now  ask  whether  all,  or  any  one,  of  these  things,  can 
possibly  be  said  concerning  the  mere  opinions  of  men  ? 

5.  The  Apostles  wrought  innumerable  miracles,  to  prove  the 
truth  of  the  Gospel. 

God  only  can  work  a  miracle,  and  therefore  he  wrought  these 
miracles.  If  the  Gospel  was  not  revealed  to  the  Apostles,  then 
it  is  a  mere  collection  of  human  testimonies  and  opinions  ;  and  of 
course,  to  a  considerable  extent  at  least,  is  false.  According  to 
this  supposition,  then,  God  wrought  miracles,  to  prove  a  mixture 
of  false  and  true  human  opinions,  mcapable  of  being  separated  by 
man,  to  be  true.  The  supposition,  that  God  wrought  miracles,  to 
prove  the  truth  of  even  just  human  opinions,  is  absurd.  The  sup- 
position, that  he  wrought  miracles  to  support  any  falsehood,  is 
blasphemy.  ^ 

To  this  Evidence  the  Apostles  appeal  with  full  confidence.  The^ 
third  verse  of  the  text  is  such  an  appeal.  And  they  zvent  forth,  and 
preached  every  where;  the  Lord  working  with  them;  and  confirm- 
ing the  word  with  signs  following,  Amen.  In  the  same  manner  St. 
Paul,  Heb.  ii.  3,  4,  says,  How  shall  we  escape,  if  we  neglect  so 
great  salvation  ;  which  at  the  first  began  to  be  spoken  by  the  Lord, 
and  was  confirmed  unto  us  by  those  that  heard  him  ?  God  also 
bearing  them  witness,  both  with  signs  and  wonders,  and  divers  mira- 
cles, and  gifts  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  according  to  his  own  will.  In 
these  two  passages,  the  sacred  writers  plainly  consider  the  mira- 
cles, wrought  by  the  Apostles,  as  the  testimony  of  the  Father,  and 
the  Son,  to  the  fact,  that  the  Gospel,  preached  by  them,  was  dic- 
tated by  God,  and  communicated  by  Inspiration. 

6.    The  Apostles  spent  their  lives  for  the  Gospel. 

It  is  not  here  my  intention  to  dwell  on  what  the  Apostles  either 
did,  or  suffered.  It  is  sufficient  to  observe,  that  they  gave  up,  vol- 
untarily, all  earthly  comforts,  and  hopes,  and  underwent,  cheerful- 
ly, all  the  evils  which  can  betide  human  life,  for  the  sake  of  the 
Gospel.  All  these  things  they  encountered,  solely  from  confidence 
in  Christ,  his  promises,  doctrines,  and  precepts,  as  the  source,  an4 
the  means,  of  eternal  life.  All  these  things  they  terminated,  also, 
by  quietly  yielding  their  hves  to  a  violent  and  untimely  death  ;  a 
death,  which,  together  with  their  other  sufferings,  was  foretold  to 
them  by  their  Master.  Thus  they  esteemed  all  things  but  loss,  for 
the  Excellency  of  the  knowledge  of  Christ ;  for  whom  they  suffered 
the  loss  of  all  things  :  Accounting  not  even  their  lives  dear  to  them, 
so  that  they  might  finish  their  course  with  joy,  and  the  minis tn} 

Vol.  II.  17 


130  CHRIST  A  PROPHET.  [SER.  XLVJII. 

which  they  had  received  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  to  testify  the  Gospel  of 
the  grace  of  God. 

Now  the  Apostles  knew  whether  Christ  was  what  he  professed 
himself  to  be,  so  far  as  his  Character  was  an  object  of  human  ob- 
servation. Particularly  they  knew  whether  his  promises  to  them 
concerning  their  life,  their  supernatural  endowments,  their  Inspira- 
tion, and  the  power  of  working  miracles,  were  fulfilled,  or  not.  If 
they  were  not  fulfilled,  they  could  not  but  know,  that  Christ  was 
an  Impostor ;  and  could  not  have  failed  to  give  up  a  cause,  from 
Avhich  nothing  but  evil  had  sprung,  or  could  ever  spring.  Their 
perseverance  is  therefore  complete  proof,  that  these  promises  were 
all  fulfilled :  that  the  Holy  Ghost  descended  on  them  •,  guided  them 
into  all  the  truth ;  taught  them  all  things,  pertaining  to  this  sub- 
ject ;  or,  in  the  language  of  St.  Peter,  pertaining  to  life  and  godli- 
ness ;  brought  to  their  remembrance  all  things  whatsoever  Christ 
had  said  unto  them  ',  and  shewed  them  things  to  come.  They  have, 
therefore,  in  this  manner  proved,  that  they  were  inspired ;  so  in- 
spired as  to  become  authoritative  teachers  of  the  Will  of  God 
concerning  our  salvation  ;  and  as  to  assure  us,  that  whatever  they 
have  taught  is  true,  and  even  in  so  momentous  a  case  is  to  be  be- 
lieved, and  obeyed,  with  final  safety  to  our  well-being. 


# 


SERMON  XLIX. 

CHRIST  A  PROPHET. PREACHING  OF  THE  APOSTLES. 


Mark  xvi.  15,  16,  20. — ^nd  he  said  unto  them,  Go  ye  into  all  the  world,  and  preach 
the  Gospel  unto  every  creature.  He  that  believeth,  and  is  baptised,  shall  be  saved; 
but  he  that  believeth  not  shall  be  damned.  And  they  went  forth,  and  preached  every 
where  ;  the  Lord  working  with  them,  and  confirming  the  word  with  signs  follounng. 
Amen. 

IN  the  preceding  discourse,  I  proposed,  from  these  words,  to 
consider  the  following  subjects  : 

I.  The,  Fact  that  the  Apostles  actually  preached  the  Gospel  of 
Christ  ;  or  were  inspired : 

II.  The  J^fecessity  of  their  preaching  the  Gospel: 

III.  The  Things,  which  they  preached :  and, 

IV.  The  Consequences  of  their  preaching. 

The  first  of  these  heads  I  examined  largely  in   that  discourse*  % 
I  shall  now  proceed  to  the  consideration  of  the  three  last. 

On  the  II.  viz.  The  necessity  of  their  preaching  the  Gospel,  I 
make  the  following  observations. 

Christ  in  his  discourse  to  the  Apostles,  recorded  John  xvi.  says, 
But  when  the  Comforter  is  come,  he  shall  testify  of  me.  And  ye  al- 
so shall  hear  witness.  This  testimony  they  accordingly  gave  to  the 
Messiahship  and  universal  Character  of  their  Master,  in  their  oral 
preaching,  their  writings,  their  miracles,  and  their  lives.  All  these 
they  uniformly  attributed  to  him.  Their  doctrines  and  precepts 
they  declared  to  be  derived  from  his  instructions,  and  the  inspira- 
tion of  his  Spirit;  their  miracles  from  his  power;  and  their  hohness 
from  his  grace ;  all  communicated  by  the  same  divine  Agent.  In 
his  name,  and  under  the  authority  of  a  Commission  given  by  him, 
they  preached,  wrote,  and  acted,  as  the  propagators  of  the  Gospel, 
and  the  builders  of  the  Church.  Thus  every  thing  which  they  said, 
or  did,  was  a  testimony,  borne  to  Christ. 

That  this  testimony  should  be  thus  borne  by  the  Apostles  was 
necessary  in  the  divine  Economy  of  Redemption,  in  the 

1st  place.  Because  the  Apostles  had  been  with  Christ  from  the  be- 
ginning. 

It  has  doubtless  been  observed  by  those  who  hear  me,  that  I  have 
all  along  mentioned  the  Apostles,  as  if  a/one  concerned  in  this  busi- 
ness. It  is  hardly  necessary  to  remark,  that  under  this  name  I 
mean,  here,  to  include  their  inspired  Coadjutors  also. 

The  reason  which  I  have  now  alleged,  is  given  by  Christ  him- 
self;  and  is  recited  in  his  own  words,  John  xvi.  27.  And  ye  shall 
bear  witness  also,  because  ye  have  been  with  me  from  the  beginning. 


1 32  CHRIST  A  PROPHET.  [SER.  XLIX 

The  importance  of  this  reason  will  be  manifest,  if  we  consider 
the  nature  of  a  great  part  of  the  testimony,  which  the  Apostles  have 
given  concerning  the  Redeemer.     This  is  composed  partly  of  tacts, 
and  partly  of  discourses  ;  at  both  of  which  they  were  present,  and 
to  which  they  were,  of  course,  eye  and  ear  witnesses.     The  only- 
decisive  human  evidence  concerning  facts  is  the  evidence  of  our 
senses,  customarily  called  Experience.     This,  wherever  ii  exists 
in  its  perfection,  is  universally  acknowledged  to  be  decisive.     In  it 
all  other  human  evidence  concerning  facts  is  supposetl  to  terminate, 
and,  Avhcnever  it  is  valid,  actually  terminates.     If,  then,  human  tes- 
timony were  to  be  given  to  the  mission,  character,  and  doctrines,  of 
Christ;  it  must  be  indispensable,  that  it  should  rest  on  this  kind  of 
evidence.     No  other  persons  could  be  valid  witnesses  of  the  life, 
and  miracles,  of  Christ,  but  those  who  saw  thcrn ;  nor  of  his  dis- 
courses, but  those  who  heard  them.     Accordingly,  St.  Puul^  though 
an  incontrovertible  witness  to  the  divfhe  origin  of  the  Gospel  in 
many  respects,  was  not  employed  to  write  a  history  of  the  Redeem- 
er; while  Luke  "And  Mark,  though  not  Apostles,  were  made  his  his- 
torians by  the  Spirit  of  God,  because,  as  St.  Luke  says  of  himself, 
they  had  perfect  understanding  of  all  things  from  the  very  first. 

It  is  true,  that  God  could,  if  it  had  pleased  him,  have  disclosed 
every  one  of  the  things  recorded  in  his  Gospels,  to  any  other  Per- 
son, by  an  original  Revelation.    It  is  not,  however,  the  way,  estab- 
lished in  the  Divine  proceedings,  to  furnish  miraculous  communi- 
cations, where  they  are  not  plainly  necessary  ;  or  miraculous  evi- 
dence, where  evidence  derived  from  other  sources  is  sutEcient. 
Besides,  there  would  have  been  a  serious  imperfection  attending  any 
such  Revelation,  if  the  facts  revealed  had  been  unattested  by  those 
in  whose  presence  they  took  place.     The  mind  would  instinctively 
have  asked,  why  none  of  those  who  were  present  had  testified  their 
existence  ;  and  why  no  record,  no  valid  trace  of  them,  had  been 
conveyed  down  from  the  beginning.     It  must,  I  think,  have  been 
impossible,  or  at  least  very  difficult,  to  answer  tiicse  questions  in 
such  a  manner,  as  to  satisfy  the  mind,  by  which  they  were  proposed. 
The  importance  of  this  evidence,  in  the  case  before  us,  cannot 
but  be  manifest  to  every  one,  accustomed  to  investigations  of  this 
nature  ;  and  peculiarly  to  such,  as  have  been  conversant  with  de- 
bates concerning  the  divine  origin  of  the  Gospel.     Every  such  per- 
son knows,  that,  among  the  arguments  on  this  subject,  that,  which 
is  derived  from  the  impossibility  of  the  Apostles  being  deceived  with 
respect  to  the  great  facts,  which  are  the  basis  of  the  Gospel,  as  hav- 
ing been  eye  and  ear  witnesses,  and  witnesses  competent  and  un- 
exceptionable, has  ever  holden  a  primary  place.     Every  man, 
versed  in  this  subject,  knows  this  to  be  an  argument,  which  Infidels 
have  never  been  able  to  obviate,  and  which,  after  the  efforts  of  two 
centuries,  as  well  as  all  those  made  in  ancient  times,  remains  im- 
moveable, and  beaten  in  vain  by  the  billows  of  opposition. 
2dly.  Because  the  Apostles  survived  the  Ascension  of  Christ, 


SER.  XLIX.]  PREACHING  OF  THE  APOSTLES.  133 

From  this  circumstance  many  advantages  were  derived,  of  very 
great  importance.  Had  Christ  written  the  whole  Gospel,  that  is, 
all  which  he  can  be  supposed  to  have  written,  and  written  it  at  the 
only  time,  when  he  can  reasonably  be  imagined  to  have  written  it ; 
not  a  small,  nor  unimportant,  part  of  the.  things,  pertaining  to  his  own 
history  and  discourses,  as  we  now  find  them  in  the  Gospels  properly 
so  called,  must  have  been  lost  to  the  world.  The  account  must,  I 
think,  have  been  closed,  antecedendy  to  the  institution  of  the  Lord's 
Supper:  for,  from  the  commencement  of  the  celebration  of  the 
passover  preceding  it,  he  does  not  appear  to  have  had  any  oppor- 
tunity of  writing  at  all.  Of  course,  the  celebration  of  triis  passover; 
the  institution  of  the  eucharist;  his  washing  the  disciples'  feet,  and 
his  instructions  on  that  occasion  ;  his  consolatory  discourses  ;  his 
intercessory  prayer ;  his  agony  in  the  garden  ;  the  treachery  of 
Judas ;  his  trial,  condemnation,  death,  and  burial ;  his  resurrec- 
tion ;  his  subsequent  appearances  to  his  disciples  ;  and  his  final 
ascension  to  the  heavens;  together  with  all  the  things  connected 
with  them,  could  have  found  no  place  in  the  Gospel.  But  these 
constitute  a  large  part  of  the  objects  of  our  faith,  the  means  of  our 
instruction,  and  the  rules  of  our  duty.  I  need  not  observe,  that 
these,  also,  are  objects  of  the  utmost  consequence  to  every  man, 
who  reads  the  Gospel ;  essential  parts  of  the  dispensation  ;  with- 
out which  the  system  would  be  broken  and  lame  ;  without  which  the 
most  important  inquiries  of  the  mind  could  never  be  satisfied ;  and 
without  which  the  chief  wants  of  the  probationer  for  Eternal  life 
could  never  be  supplied. 

Further;  Christ  uttered  a  number  of  predictions,  ivhich  were  not 
fulfilled  during  his  life,  nor  intended  to  be  ;  but  which,  according  to 
the  nature  of  his  declarations,  were  to  be  fulfilled  soon  after  his  as- 
cension. Among  these,  were  his  prophecies  concerning  the  descent 
of  the  Holy  Ghost  at  the  day  of  Pentecost;  the  success  of  the 
Apostles  in  preaching  the  Gospel;  the  miracles,  which  they  were 
to  accomplish ;  the  sufferings,  which  they  were  to  undergo;  and 
the  extensive  establishment  of  the  Church,  by  their  preaching, 
among  the  nations  of  men.  All  these  prophecies  are  of  such  a  na- 
ture, that  the  mind  of  every  reader  would  unavoidably  demand  an 
account  of  their  fulfilment.  Had  no  such  account  been  given  ;  as, 
if  the  Gospel  had  been  finished  by  Christ,  must  have  been  the  fact; 
the  omission  would  have  been  perceived  by  every  reader  to  be  an 
unhappy  chasm  in  the  history  of  the  Church  which  nothing  could 
successfully  fill  up,  and  about  which  there  would  have  arisen  many 
doubts,  perplexities,  and  distresses. 

The  Christian  Sabbath  was  adopted  as  a  commemoration  of  the 
resurrection  of  Christ  from  the  dead.  The  only  hint  concerning 
it,  which  we  find  given  by  Christ,  is  contained  in  his  answer  to  the 
Pharisees  ;  when  they  asked  him,  why  his  disciples  did  not  fast,  as 
did  their  own  disciples,  and  those  of  John  the  Baptist :  The  chil- 
dren of  the  bride-chamber  cannot  fast,  while  the  bridegroom  is  with 


134  CHRIST  A  PROPHET.  [SER,  XLIX. 

them  :  hut  the  days  come^  when  the  bridegroom  shall  he  taken 
atvay  :  then  shall  they  fast.  Christ  was  taken  away  on  the  cven- 
iiig  preceding  the  seventh  day,  or  Jewish  Sabbath  ;  and  during  the 
whole  of  that  day  lay  buried  in  the  tomb.  On  this  day,  then,  he 
declares,  they  should  fast ;  and  in  this  declaration  indicates,  that 
the  Jewish  Sabbath  should  then  come  to  an  end  ;  so  far  as  the  day 
was  concerned,  on  which  it  was  celebrated.  The  Sabbath  is  a  fes- 
tival;  not  a  fast :  a  day  of  joy  only,  and  not  of  sorrow.  When, 
therefore,  Christ  declared,  that  the  seventh  day  should  bo  a  day 
of  fasting  to  his  immediate  disciples,  he  may  fairly  be  considered, 
as  indicating  that  this  day  should  no  longer  be  a  Sabbath  to  them. 

In  conformity  to  this  indication,  the  Apostles  introduced  the  first 
day  to  Christians,  for  their  future  observance  as  the  Sabbath,  by 
their  own  adoption  of  it  in  their  religious  practice.  In  this  manner, 
principally,  it  is  announced  to  us  in  their  writings,  as  the  proper 
Sabbath  for  all  the  followers  of  the  Redeemer.  On  the  wisdom, 
displayed  in  this  manner  of  introducing  the  Christian  Sabbath,  I  de- 
sign to  discourse  more  particularly  hereafter.  It  is  sufficient  to 
observe  at  the  present  time,  that,  had  Christ  completed  the  Gospel, 
it  is  not  easy  to  see  how  this  manner  of  introducing  the  Sabbath 
could  have  taken  place ;  and  it  is  evident,  that  this  account  of  it 
could  not  have  been  given. 

Finally ;  the  whole  history  of  the  Church,  contained  in  the  Acts 
of  the  Apostles^  would  in  this  case,  have  been  lost  to  the  Christian 
world.  No  part  of  the  Word  of  God  is,  in  many  respects,  more 
filled  with  instruction,  or  consolation,  than  this  book.  The  doc- 
trines, which  it  contains,  are  of  the  highest  importance,  for  their 
wisdom  ;  the  precepts,  for  their  plainness  and  excellence  ;  the  ex- 
amples, for  their  number,  their  variety,  and  their  adaptation  tothe 
different  circumstances  and  characters  of  Christians.  The  history 
of  this  book,  also,  is  of  the  greatest  value,  for  its  edifying  and  in- 
structive nature,  for  the  satisfaction  which  it  furnishes  concerning 
the  state  of  the  Church  at  that  interesting  period,  for  the  life,  suf- 
ferings and  deliverances,  the  preaching  and  success,  of  the  Apos- 
tles, the  opposition  which  they  met,  and  the  causes  which  produc- 
ed it ;  the  sufferings,  patience,  and  jjcrseverance,  the  errors  and 
faults,  of  the  first  converts  ;  the  progress  of  Christianity,  and  the 
extension  of  the  Church;  together  with  a  multitude  of  other  things 
interwoven  with  these.  How  useful,  how  necessary,  these  things 
are,  to  instruct,  edify,  and  comfort,  every  Christian,  partirularly 
every  Minister,  I  need  not  ex})lain ;  nor  need  I  observe,  that  in  y. 
Gospel,  written  by  our  Saviour,  they  could  have  had  no  place. 

3dly.  Because  it  was  jiecessary,  that  the  Immediate  followers  of 
Christ  in  the  propagation  of  Christianity  should  be  clearly  seen  to  be 
commissio7ied  of  God. 

It  will  be  readily  acknowledged,  that  a  body  of  men,  so  small, 
so  uneducated,  so  humble,  so  unfriended,  as  the  Apostles  and  their 
companions  were,  must  have  wholly  failed  of  spreading  the  Gos- 


SER.  XLIX.]  PREACHING  OF  THE  APOSTLES.  136 

pel  through  the  world  by  any  efforts,  which  they  could  have  made, 
independently  of  peculiar  assistance  from  Heaven.  Let  us  inquire, 
then,  What  was  the  assistance,  which  they  needed  ?  Was  it  the 
gift  of  speaking  with  tongues?  What  purpose  would  this  have  an- 
swered, if  their  minds  had  been  ignorant  concerning  what  they 
were  to  speak ;  or  whether  that,  which  they  were  about  to  speak, 
was  the  will  of  God,  and  justly  demanded  the  faith  and  obedience 
of  their  hearers  ?  Was  it  the  Power  of  working  miracles  ?  For 
what  purpose  were  their  miracles  to  be  wrought  ?  For  what  pur- 
pose could  they  be  wrought?  Plainly  for  no  other,  but  to  prove, 
that  that,  which  was  spoken  by  those  who  wrought  them,  was  true. 
But  if  they  were  not  inspired,  that  which  they  uttered  was,  and 
could  at  the  best  be,  no  other  than  the  opinions,  and  the  remem- 
brance, of  honest  men.  Of  course,  it  must,  necessarily,  be  par- 
tially false.  Their  miracles,  therefore,  would  be  wrought  to  prove 
the  truth  of  falsehood ;  and  God,  if  they  actually  wrought  miracles, 
would  set  his  seal  to  this  falsehood,  and  employ  his  power  to  de- 
ceive their  hearers.  To  refute  this  blasphemous  opinion  certain- 
ly cannot  be  necessary. 

It  is  plain  then,  that  no  assistance  could  be  given  to  them,  short 
of  Inspiration,  which  would  at  all  qualify  them  for  the  diffusion  of 
the  Gospel,  and  the  erection  of  Christ's  kingdom  in  the  world. 
The  sole  end  of  all  other  miraculous  powers,  so  far  as  their  Com- 
mission, and  their  employment,  were  concerned,  was  evidently  to 
prove  them  inspired  with  a  knowledge  of  the  divine  will  concerning 
the  salvation  of  men,  and  sent  to  declare  it  to  their  fellow-men. 
Independently  of  this  great  purpose,  their  supernatural  powers 
were  of  no  other  use,  except  to  amuse  and  astonish  mankind. 

In  exact  accordance  with  this  scheme,  St.  Paul,  in  1  Cor.  xii. 
asserts  directly  the  Inspiration  of  himself,  and  his  companions  in 
the  ministry ;  and  in  the  xiv.  Chapter  declares  the  superiority  of 
it  to  all  other  supernatural  endowments  for  the  edification  of  the 
Church.  To  one,  he  says,  is  given  by  the  Spirit  the  Word  of  Wis- 
dom ;  to  another  the  Word  of  Knowledge  ;  by  the  same  Spirit.  To 
another  faith;  to  another  gifts  of  healing ;  to  another  the  working 
of  miracles  ;  to  another  the  discerning  of  spirits,  or  doctrines.  In 
the  31st  verse  he  directs  them  to  covet  earnestly  the  best  gifts.  In 
the  39th  verse  of  the  14th  chapter,  he  says.  Wherefore,  brethren, 
covet  to  prophecy,  that  is,  to  declare  the  will  of  God  by  inspiration, 
ayid  forbid  not  to  speak  with  tongues.  Greater,  he  says,  is  he  that 
prophesieth,  than  he  that  speaketh  with  tongues.  And  again,  J^ow, 
brethren,  if  I  come  unto  you  speaking  with  tongues,  what  shall  I 
profit  you,  except  I  shall  speak  to  you  either  by  Revelation,  or  by 
knowledge,  or  by  prophesying,  or  by  doctrine  ?  All  these  are  only 
different  words  to  express  that  Inspiration,  by  which  they  either 
originally  receivervj,  or  unerringly  understood,  proposed,  explained, 
or  enforced,  divine  truth.  Without  this,  he  declares  expressly, 
that  he  should  not  profit  the  Church  in  its  spiritual  concerns  at  all. 


J36  CHRIST  A  PROPHET.  L^ER  XLIX 

Accordingly,  after  having  directed  them  to  covet  earnestly  the  best 
gifts,  he  further  directs  them  to  covet  the  gift  of  prophesying,  and 
not  forbid  speaking  with  tongues  :  as  much  as  to  say,  "  Covet  to 
receive  from  God,  by  Revelation,  divine  truth ;  and  the  giiis  of 
unerringly  explaining,  declaring,  and  enforcing,  it  to  others  ;  as 
being  things  of  supreme  importance  and  usefulness :  at  the  same 
time,  forbid  not  to  speak  with  tongues  ;  as  being  an  endowment, 
really,  though  very  subordinately  useful." 

From  these  passages  i  think  it  is  unanswerably  evident,  that  o 
Revelation,  such  as  Dr.  Priestly,  without  meaning,  ca^lh  particular, 
existed  in  a  standing  manner  in  the  minds  of  the  .Apostles  and  their 
companions ;  in  the  latter  to  direct  them  in  their  preaching  ;  in  the 
former,  for  the  same  purpose,  and  the  still  more  important  one  o<" 
committing  the  Word  of  God  to  writing,  for  the  instruction  of  all 
succeeding  generations.  So  extensive,  and  common,  was  this  Rev- 
elation, as  to  be  made  the  proper  subject  of  a  system  of  directions 
from  St.  Paul  to  the  Corini/imn  Church :  a  thing  wholly  inexplica- 
ble, if  this  fact  had  not  existed. 

From  these  observations  it  is  plain,  that  Avithout  inspiration  all 
the  other  supernatural  endowments  of  the  Apostles  must,  if  given, 
have  been  given  to  no  valuable  end ;  that,  on  the  contrary,  they 
would  only  have  served  to  establish  falsehood  and  delusion ;  and 
that  unless  they  were  inspired,  it  may  certainly  be  concluded,  that 
they  were  in  no  other  respect  supernaturally  endowed.  Their  in- 
spiration, therefore,  was  absolutely  necessary  to  prove  their  com- 
mission to  be  from  God. 

If  it  had  not  been  made  evident,  that  the  Apostles  were  commis- 
sioned from  God,  this  fact  must,  I  think,  have  been  fatal  to  the  cause 
of  Christianity.  In  this  case,  although  we  might  have  acknowl- 
edged Christ  to  be  a  divine  Missionary ;  yet  we  should  naturally 
and  unanswerably  have  said,  "  What  authority  did  these  men  pos- 
sess to  transmit  his  instructions  and  precepts  to  us  ?  What  proof 
have  we,  that  they  understood  them  ;  remembered  them ;  or  ex- 
pressed them  with  correctness  and  certainty  ?  AVhy  arc  we  bound  to 
regard  what  they  have  said,  any  more  than  the  numerous  Gospels 
written  by  others  ?  Christ  wrote  nothing.  Had  he  intended  to  re- 
quire our  Faith  and  Obedience  to  his  precepts,  he  would  undoubt- 
edly have  taken  eftectual  care,  that  we  should  receive  them  in  such 
a  manner,  and  from  such  persons,  as  would  assure  us,  that  they 
were  his,  and  only  his." 

To  us,  it  ought  to  be  observed,  the  Inspiration  of  the  Apostles 
furnishes  a  proof,  that  they  were  commissioned  from  God,  which  is 
additional  to  the  proofs,  given  to  those  who  heard  them  preach. 
In  their  writings  they  have  left  on  record  a  number  of  important 
prophecies.  Several  of  these  have  been  remarkably  fulfilled  ; 
and  others  are  daily  receiving  their  fulfilment.  In  the  fulfilment  of 
these  prophecies  we  have  a  direct  proof  of  their  Inspiration,  and 
conseq\icntly  of  their  divine  commission,  which  is  immoveable,  and 


SER.  XLIX]  PREACHING  OF  THE  AP09TLE9.  137 

which  could  not,  in  the  same  degree,  be  discerned  by  their  cotem- 
poraries. 

4thly.  Because  many  preachers  were  necessary  for  such  an  exten- 
sive establishment  of  the  Churchy  as  that  which  actually  took  place  ; 
the  great  body  of  whom  needed^  for  a  time,  to  sustain  the  same  char- 
acter. 

On  this  subject  it  will  not  be  necessary  to  dwell.  If  the  preced- 
ing arguments  be  allowed  to  prove  the  point,  for  which  they  were 
alleged,  it  will  undoubtedly  be  also  conceded,  that  Inspiration  was 
as  necessary  for  some,  at  least,  of  those,  who  preached  in  one 
place,  as  for  any,  who  preached  in  another.  It  may,  perhaps,  be 
objected,  that  this  is  proving  too  much ;  and  alleging  inspiration  in 
a  wider  extent  than  has  hitherto  been  pretended. 

To  prevent  any  misconceptions  on  this  point,  I  will  state  my  owti 
views  of  this  subject,  a  little  more  particularly  than  I  have  hitherto 
done.  The  inspiration  of  the  Apostles  I  suppose  to  have  consisted 
in  the  following  things. 

1.  That  they  received  immediately  from  God  every  part  of  the 
Christian  dispensation,  which  they  did  not  knozv  by  other  means. 

2.  That  in  the  same  manner  they  were  furnished  with  aforeknowU 
edge  of  future  events. 

3.  That  in  things  which  they  did  otherwise  know  partially,  the 
deficiencies  of  their  knowledge  were  in  the  same  manner  supplied. 

4.  That  those  things  which  they  had  once  known,  and  which  zvere 
parts  of  the  Christian  dispensation,  were  by  divine  Power  brought 
distinctly,  and  fully  to  their  remembrance. 

5.  That  they  were  directed  by  the  Holy  Spirit  to  the  selection  of 
just  such  things,  and  such  only,  and  to  precisehj  such  a  manner  of 
exhibiting  them,  as  shoidd  be  true,  just,  most  useful  to  mankitid,  and 
most  agreeable  to  the  Divine  wisdom. 

6.  That  each  one  was  left  so  far  to  his  own  manner  of  writing, 
or  speaking,  as  that  the  style  was  strictly  his  own;  and  yet  that  the 
phraseology,  used  by  him  in  this  very  style,  was  so  directed  and  con" 
trolled  by  the  Holy  Spirit.,  as  to  lead  him  to  the  most  exact  and  use- 
fid  exhibition  of  Divine  truth  :  his  own  words  being,  in  this  important 

sense,  words  not  devised  by  human  wisdom,  but  taught  by  the  Holy 
Ghost.  And, 

7.  TTiat  each  inspired  man  was,  as  to  his  preaching,  or  his  writing, 
absolutely  preserved  from  error. 

All  these  particulars  cannot  be  applied  in  the  same  degree,  and 
some  of  them  cannot  be  applied  at  all,  to  all  the  inspired  Preachers. 
But,  in  my  own  view,  every  such  Preacher  enjoyed  the  benefits  of 
Inspiration  so  far,  as  he  needed  them  to  enable  him  to  preach  the 
Gospel  truly,  and  usefully,  to  mankind ;  so  far,  as  to  preserve  him 
from  false  narratives,  erroneous  doctrines,  and  unsound,  or  useless 
precepts.  That  this  was  equally  necessary  for  every  preacher, 
before  the  written  Canon  furnished  mankind  with  an  unerring  stand- 
ard, with  which  they  might  compare  the  things  which  were  preach" 

Vol.  it.  18 


J  38  CHRIST  A  PROPHET,  [SER.  XLIX- 

ed  to  them,  so  as  to  determine  their  soundness  or  unsoundness,  will, 
I  suppose,  be  granted  by  all  those,  who  acknowledge  the  necessity 
of  Inspiration  to  any  preacher. 

5tlily.  Because  it  n^as  7iecessary  that  Christ  should  appear  to  act, 
and  to  control  the  affairs  of  his  Churchy  after  his  .'Ascension, 

The  Apostles  preached,  wrought  miracles,  spoke  with  tongues, 
and  executed  all  the  parts  of  their  ministry,  under  the  authority,  in 
the  name,  and  by  the  power,  of  Christ.  In  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ 
of  Nazareth  I  command  thee  to  arise  and  walk.  M.neas,  Jesus  Christ 
maketh  thee  zchole.  Christy  having  received  the  promise  of  the  Fa- 
ther, hath  shed  forth  this,  zohich  ye  see  and  hear.  If  Christ  be  not 
risen,  then  is  our  preaching  vain,  and  your  faith  is  also  vain.  I  can 
do  all  things  through  Christ  strengthening  me.  Paid,  an  Apostle  of 
Jesus  Christ.  This  is  the  language,  which,  in  substance,  the  Apos- 
tles use  on  every  occasion,  when  the  subject  comes  into  view.  At 
the  same  time,  they  inform  us,  that  their  commission  was  given 
them  by  Christ ;  and  that  in  his  name,  and  by  his  mission,  and  in 
no  sense  of  themselves,  they  went  forth  to  ))reach  the  Gospel,  and 
to  evince  its  divine  origin  by  miracles.  The  power  by  which  they 
acted  in  all  their  wonderful  works,  the  wisdom  which  they  preach- 
ed, and  the  grace  by  which  they  were  sanctified  and  sustained,  they 
ascribe  Avholly  to  him.  Beyond  this,  they  declare,  that,  while  he 
resided  in  this  world,  he  promised  them  all  these  things;  and  that 
he  continually  and  exactly,  fulfilled  this  promise.  His  presence 
with  them  on  various  occasions,  whenever  it  was  demanded  by  their 
circumstances,  and  his  interference  on  their  behalf,  whenever  it 
was  necessary,  they  testify  in  the  amplest  and  most  decisive  man- 
ner. Thus,  in  ev^-y  thing  which  they  taught,  or  did,  He  is  the 
fountain  whence  every  stream  proceeded.  He,  according  to  their 
own  declarations,  is  the  Agent;  and  they  are  merely  instruments 
in  his  hand. 

But  this  agency  of  Christ  on  earth,  after  he  had  ascended  to  the 
heavens,  is  a  most  important,  indispensable,  and  glorious  part  of 
his  character ;  important  and  indispensable  to  mankind,  and  glo- 
rious to  himself.  Evidence  is  furnished  by  it  to  prove,  that  he  is 
in  all  places,  and  beholds  all  things  ;  that  he  is  faithful  to  perform 
every  thing,  which  he  has  promised,  and  able  to  do  every  thing, 
which  Christians  need ;  which  no  Unitarian,  hitherto,  has  had  suffi- 
cient ingenuity  to  answer,  or  avoid.  We  see  him  actually  exem- 
plifyino-  in  his  conduct  all  these  things  to  his  early  followers ;  and 
are  therefore  certainly  assured,  that,  so  far  as  our  necessities  re- 
quire, he  will  substantially  exhibit  them  to  us.  Christians  in  all 
ages,  succeeding  that  of  the  Apostles,  arc  here  furnished  with  the 
strongest  proofs,  that  He  possesses  all  those  attributes,  on  which 
their  nope  may  most  securely  repose;  and  the  most  lively  incite- 
ments to  centre  in  him  their  evangelical  confidence. 

6thly.  Because  th(  Gospel,  in  its  present  form,  is  far  more  use- 
ful to  mankind,  than  if  it  had  been  written  by  one  person,  on  one 


SER.  XLIX]  PREACHING  OF  THE  APOSTLES.  139 

occasion,  and  in  one  manner.  By  the  Gospel,  here,  T  mean  the  whoh 
J^ew  Testament.  Christ,  I  acknowledge,  could  have  written  it,  it 
he  had  pleased,  in  the  very  form,  nay,  in  the  very  words,  in  which 
it  is  now  written.  But  it  would  have  been  a  plain  and  gross  ab- 
surdity for  Christ  to  have  written  a  history,  such  as  the  Acts  of  the 
Apostles,  or  such  as  that  of  the  events  immediately  preceding  and 
succeeding  his  own  death,  concerning  facts  which  had  not  yet  hap- 
pened ;  or  Epistles  to  Churches  not  yet  in  being,  concerning  busi- 
ness, duties,  and  dangers,  of  which  no  vestige  had  hitherto  ap- 
peared to  have  existed.  It  is  not,  therefore,  irreverent,  or  impro- 
per, to  say,  that  Christ  could  not,  so  far  as  we  can  conceive,  have 
written  the  New  Testament  in  its  present  form,  without  palpable 
improprieties,  inwoven  in  the  very  nature  of  the  work. 

In  its  present  form,  the  Gospel  is  far  more  useful,  than  it  would 
have  been,  if  written  in  the  manner  which  I  have  supposed,  in 
many  respects.  It  is  in  a  much  greater  degree  composed  of  facts ; 
unless,  indeed,  the  same  facts  had  been  communicated  in  predic- 
tion. In  the  historical  form,  in  which  they  now  appear,  they  .are 
much  more  easily  and  strongly  realized ;  more  readily  believed ; 
more  capable  of  being  substantiated  by  evidence ;  and  more  pow- 
erfully felt ;  than  if  they  had  been  only  predicted.  The  Epistles 
are  also,  in  a  great  proportion  of  instances,  written  on  subjects  of 
real  business ;  and  for  that  reason  are  more  easily  proved  to  be 
genuine ;  are  far  more  interesting,  and  far  more  instructive,  than 
would  otherwise  have  been  possible.  Their  different  dates  con- 
tinue the  indubitable  history  of  the  Church  through  a  considerable 
period :  and  furnish  us  with  a  number  of  very  important  facts, 
which  we  could  not  otherwise  obtain.  Their  direction  to  Churches 
in  different  countries  presents  us,  also,  with  the  extension,  and 
state,  of  the  Church,  in  different  parts  of  the  world,  at  that  time. 
The  business,  concerning  which  they  were  written,  occasions  a 
display  of  the  difficulties,  doubts,  errors,  temptations,  controversies, 
and  backslidings ;  the  faith,  comforts,  hopes,  repentance,  brotherly 
love,  piety,  and  general  excellence,  of  the  Christians,  to  whom 
they  were  addressed.  These  are  the  peculiarly  interesting  cir- 
cumstances of  all  other  Christians.  The  instructions,  therefore, 
the  exhortations,  commands,  reproofs,  encouragements,  and  con- 
solations, addressed  to  these  Churches,  are  to  all  other  Christians, 
as  to  them,  the  very  best  means  of  reformation,  improvement,  and 
comfort. 

The  examples  of  the  Apostles,  which  in  a  Gospel,  completed  by 
Christ,  could  not  have  been  recorded,  are  among  the  most  edifying, 
as  well  as  most  interesting,  parts  of  the  sacred  Canon. 

The  variety  of  form  and  manner,  now  introduced  into  the  New  Tes- 
tament, is  attended  with  peculiar  advantages.  It  renders  the  Scrip- 
tures far  more  pleasing.  A  greater  number  of  persons  will  read  them. 
All,  who  read  them,  will  read  them  oftener,  and  will  more  deeply  feel 
their  contents.   It  renders  them  far  more  instructive.   In  consequence 


1 40  CHRIST  A  PROPHET  [SER.  XLIX. 

of  the  various  application  of  the  doctrines  and  precepts  to  so  many 
diflerent  concerns  of  mankind,  clearer  views  are  given  of  their  ex- 
tent, and  comprehensiveness.  By  a  comparison  also  of  the  differ- 
ent passages,  thus  written,  with  each  other,  as  they  are  thus  written 
with  a  various  reference  and  application,  new  truths  are  obvious- 
ly, as  well  as  certainly,  inferred  from  them,  almost  without  any 
limitation  of  their  number.  The  truths,  also,  which  are  thus  in- 
ferred, are  always  important,  and  frequently  of  very  great  import- 
ance. By  this  variety  of  manner,  application,  and  inference,  the 
Scriptures  are  always  new,  improving,  and  delightful;  and  exhibit 
incontrovertible  evidence  of  Divine  wisdom  in  the  manner,  in  which 
God  has  directed  them  to  be  written,  as  well  as  in  the  wonderful 
and  glorious  things,  which  they  contain. 

I  have  now  finished  this  interesting  head  of  my  discourse;  and 
shall  proceed  to  the  consideration  of  the  two  remaining  ones  ; 
which,  respecting  subjects  generally  understood,  will  demand  our 
attention  but  a  few  moments. 

The  III.  subject  proposed,  was  the  Things,  which  the  Apostles 
preached. 

On  this  I  observe  in  the 

1st.  place.  The  Apostles  have  written  the  whole  New  Testament ; 
both  the  things  which  loere  said,  and  done,  by  Christ,  and  the  things 
which  were  said,  and  done,  by  themselves. 

2cily.  They  have  either  originally  communicated,  or  materially 
explained,  many  doct7-in€s  and  precepts,  which  were  either  omitted,  or 
partially  communicated,  by  Christ. 

Among  these  I  select  the  following. 

The  connexion  which  runs  through  the  whole  system  of  Re- 
demption ;  the  palriai-chal.  Mosaic,  and  Christian  dispensations ; 
their  mutual  dependence  ;  the  absolute  dependence  of  all  on 
Christ ;  and  the  sameness  of  the  manner  and  principles  of  salva- 
tion in  all  the  extent  of  the  curse,  and  the  unhappy  efficacy  of  the 
Apostacy  of  our  first  ])arents  ;  the  parallelism  between  the  first 
and  second  Adam,  and  between  the  ruin  and  recovery  of  mankind ; 
the  imperfection  of  the  Sinaitic  covenant;  the  superior  glory  and 
blessings  of  the  covenant  of  grace  ;  the  priesthood  of  Christ, 
formed  after  the  order  of  Melchiscdek ;  his  Government  of  the 
world,  for  the  benefit  of  the  Church ;  his  intercession  in  behalf  of 
his  followers,  before  the  throne  of  God;  the  preaching  of  the  Gos- 
pel to  Abraham, -And  to  the  Israelites ;  Justification  by  the  grace  of 
God  through  faith  in  the  righteousness  of  Christ,  founded  on  that 
righteousness  as  its  meritorious  cause  ;  the  sameness  oi  Abraham'' s 
justification  with  that  of  all  other  saints,  both  before  and  after  the 
coming  of  Christ ;  the  sameness  of  the  religion  of  the  Old  and 
New  Testament ;  the  extension  of  the  Mediation  of  Christ,  not 
only  to  the  Je7os  but  to  all  mankind ;  the  nature  of  Evangelical 
faith  ;  the  nature  of  Evangelical  love  ;  the  progressive  sanctifica- 
lion  of  Christians  by  the  Holy  Ghost ;  the  difficulties  of  the  Chris<. 


SER.  XLIX]  PREACHING  OF  THE  APOSTLES.  Ul 

tian  warfare,  and  the  struggle  between  sin  and  holiness  in  the  sanc- 
tified mind  ;  the  nature  and  circumstances  of  the  resurrection ;  the 
process  of  the  final  judgment ;  the  conflagration  of  the  earth  and 
visible  heavens ;  the  worship  rendered  to  Christ  in  the  heavenly 
world;  and  his  peculiar  agency  in  administering  to  his  followers  the 
happiness  of  a  glorious  immortality.  These,  together  with  a  train 
of  important  prophecies,  concerning  the  affairs  of  the  Church 
throughout  every  age  of  the  Christian  Dispensation,  the  Apostles 
have  added  to  the  other  contents  of  the  Scriptures,  or  more  per- 
fectly explained  them  to  mankind. 

IV.   The  Consequences  of  their  preaching. 

1st.  The  Apostles,  and  their  converts,  were  furiously  persecuted^ 
soon  after  they  had  begun  to  preach  the  Gospel ^  particularly  by  the 
Jews  j  and  not  long  after  by  the  Gentiles  also. 

This  subject  is  too  well  known  to  need  a  discussion  from  me.  It 
is  extensively  recorded  in  the  New  Testament,  and  largely  insisted 
on  in  Ecclesiastical  history. 

2dly.   The  Apostles  preached  the  Gospel  with  wonderful  success. 

Beside  the  many  thousand  converts,  whom  they  made  among 
the  Jews,  they  spread  the  Gospel  from  Hindoostan  to  Gaid ;  and 
planted  Churches  throughout  a  great  part  of  the  Roman  Empire, 
in  Persia,  Hindoostan,  and  several  other  Countries.  The  number 
of  their  disciples  in  these  extensive  regions  was  immensely  great ; 
and  this  vast  wilderness  was  made  to  blossom  as  the  garden  of 
God. 

Exclusively  of  the  residence  of  Christ  in  the  world,  nothing  has 
ever  taken  place  among  mankind,  so  wonderful  and  glorious,  as 
this  event ;  nothing  more  unlike  the  ordinary  progress  of  things  ; 
nothing  more  declarative  of  the  presence  and  agency  of  God ; 
nothing  more  evincive  of  the  reality  of  Revelation.  Whether  we 
consider  the  religion  to  which  mankind  were  converted ;  the  diffi- 
culty of  producing  a  real  reformation  in  the  human  heart;  the  ori- 
ginal character  of  the  converts  ;  the  bigotry  of  the  Jews ;  the  igno- 
rance and  wickedness  of  the  Gentiles ;  the  vastness,  uniformity, 
and  enduring  nature,  of  the  change ;  or  the  seeming  insignificance 
of  the  instruments  by  which  it  was  wrought ;  fishermen,  publicans, 
and  tent-makers ;  few,  feeble,  friendless,  despised,  persecuted,  and 
in  many  instances,  put  to  a  violent  death  ;  we  are  astonished  and 
lost.  A  thorough  discussion  of  the  importance  of  this  fact ;  the 
success  of  the  Gospel ;  might  easily  and  usefully  fill  a  volume,  but 
cannot  be  pursued  at  the  present  time.  It  has  been  a  theme  of  ex- 
ultation and  joy  to  all  succeeding  ages  of  the  Church ;  and,  as  we 
have  the  best  reason  to  conclude,  of  pecuhar  wonder  and  transport 
in  the  world  above. 

The  evidence,  which  it  furnishes  to  the  divine  origin  of  the  Gos- 
pel, is  immoveable ;  and  has  accordingly  been  always  insisted  on 
by  Christians  with  superiority  and  triumph.  Infidels  have  labour- 
ed to  diminish  and  obscure  it  with  extreme  earnestness  and  assidui- 


142  CHRIST  A  PROPHET.  [SER.XLIX. 

ty;  but  they  have  laboured  in  vain.  Gibbon,  particularly,  with 
much  art,  a  malignant  hostility  to  the  Christian  cause,  and  the  most 
strenuous  exertion  of  his  talents,  has  struggled  hard  to  account  for 
this  event  by  assigning  it  to  other  causes  than  the  true  one.  The 
real  eft'ect  of  his  labours  has,  however,  been  to  leave  the  evidence 
of  the  inspiration  of  the  Apostles  more  clear,  more  convincing, 
and  more  unexceptionable,  than  it  was  before. 


SERMON  L. 

THE    PRIESTHOOD    OF    CHRIST. ORIGIN,     OFFICE,     AND    CHARACTER 

OF  THE  PRIESTHOOD. PROOFS  OF  THE  PRIESTHOOD  OF  CHRIST, 


Psalm  ex.  4. — The  Lord  hath  sworn,  and  will  not  repent .-   Thou  art  a  Priest  for- 
ever, after  the  order  of  Mekhisedek 

In  a  series  of  discourses,  I  have  considered  the  Prophetical 
character  of  Christ.  I  shall  now  proceed,  according  to  the  plan, 
originally  proposed  for  the  investigation  of  his  office  as  Mediator 
between  God  and  Man,  to  consider  his  Priesthood. 

In  order  to  a  proper  examination  of  this  subject,  it  will  be  use- 
ful to  examine  summarily, 

1st.   The  Origin, 

2dly.   The  Office,  and, 

3dly.   The  Character,  of  a  Priest ;  and. 

Afterward,  to  inquire  in  what  manner,  the  office  and  character  of 
a  Priest  may  be  said  to  belong  to  Christ. 

I.  The  office  of  a  Priest  xmdoubtedly  had  its  origin  in  the  first  ages 
of  the  world.  The  earliest  mention,  made  of  this  subject  in  form,  is 
found  in  Genesis  xiv.  18,  Jlnd  Melchisedek,  King  of  Salem,  brought 
forth  bread  and  wine  ;  and  he  was  the  Priest  of  the  most  High  God. 
The  office  was,  however,  in  being  long  before  this  period.  Cain 
and  Abel  performed  the  public  duties  of  it  for  themselves ;  and 
there  is  no  reason  to  doubt,  that  it  was  regularly  continued  from 
their  time  through  every  succeeding  period,  to  the  coming  of 
Christ. 

So  soon  as  mankind  became  distributed  into  families,  it  appears 
highly  probable,  that  the  Father  of  the  family  exercised  this  office 
in  all  instances,  in  behalf  of  himself  and  his  household.  Several 
instances  of  this  nature  are  recorded :  J/oah  was  plainly  the  Priest 
of  his  own  family,  and  Abraham,  Isaac,  Jacob,  and  Job,  of  theirs. 
It  is  probable,  that  heads  of  families,  generally,  held  the  office  in 
the  same  manner. 

When  mankind  became  settled  in  tribes  and  nations,  the  prince 
or  chief  ruler,  and  at  times  some  other  ruler  of  great  distinction, 
became  the  priest  of  the  nation.  Thus  Melchisedek  was  at  the 
same  time  the  King  and  Priest  of  the  people  of  Salem  /  and  thus, 
as  we  know  from  profane  history,  many  other  princes  held  the 
same  office  among  the  people,  over  whom  they  presided. 

Under  the  Mosaic  economy,  the  office  was  by  divine  institution, 
appropriated  to  a  particular  class  of  men.  All  these,  except  one, 
were,  originally,  ordinary  priests  ;  over  whom,  that  one  presided, 


144  PRIESTHOOD  OF  CHRIST.  [SER.  L. 

in  the  character  of  High  Priest.  To  this  ofiicer  peculiar  duties 
and  privileges  were  attached.  His  weight  and  influence  were  al- 
most invariably  second  only  to  those  of  the  Prince,  and  not  unfre- 
cjucntly  paramount  even  to  thtm.  Similar  establishments  were 
early  made  among  the  Gentiles.  In  the  time  of  Joseph^  we  And 
(he  Priests  a  separate  class  of  men  in  the  land  of  Egypt.  An  in- 
stitution, essentially  of  the  same  nature,  appears  to  have  existed  in 
many  other  nations  at  a  very  early  date ;  and  a  Priesthood  in 
one  form,  or  another,  has  been  found  in  almost  all  the  nations  of 
men,  in  every  age  of  the  world.  This  fact  proves  unanswerably, 
that  the  priesthood  has  its  origin  either  in  a  Divine  appointment, 
handed  down  by  universal  tradition,  or  in  such  a  sense,  felt  by  the 
human  mind,  of  its  utility  and  importance,  as  to  persuade  all  na- 
tions, for  this  reason,  not  only  to  institute,  but  to  maintain  it,  with 
great  expense  and  self-denial.  As  we  find  the  office  commencing 
with  the  very  first  age  of  the  world;  we  are  furnished  by  this  fact 
with  a  strong  presumptive  argument,  to  prove  that  it  was  derived, 
originally,  from  a  divine  institution.  This  argument  receives  no 
small  strength  from  the  consideration,  that  the  office,  however  cor- 
rupted and  mutilated,  was,  in  substance,  every  where  the  same; 
and  was  professedly  directed  to  the  same  objects. 

II.    The  Office  of  a  Priest  involved  the  following  things. 

1st.  Intercession. 

This  is  so  universally  acknowledged  to  have  been  always  a  part 
of  the  duties  of  a  Priest,  as  to  need  neither  proof  nor  explanation. 
In  conformity  to  it  Aaron  and  his  soiis  were  commanded  to  bless 
the  children  of  Israel,  by  praying  for  them  in  this  remarkable  lan- 
guage. Jfhovah  bless  thee,  and  keep  thee.  Jehovah  make  his 
face  to  shine  upon  thee,  and  be  gracious  unto  thee!  Jehovah  lift  up 
his  countenance  upon  thee,  and  give  thee  peace  !  In  the  same  manner 
also,  in  the  days  of  the  Prophet  Joel,  the  Priests,  the  7ninisters  of 
the  Lord  were  commanded  to  weep  between  the  porch  and  the  altar, 
and  to  sat/.  Spare  thy  people,  O  Lord!  and  give  not  thine  heritage 
to  reproach!  that  the  heathen  should  ride  over  them!  Wherefore 
should  they  say  among  the  people,  Where  is  their  God? 

Among  the  Gentiles,  also,  Priests  customarily  prayed  for  the 
people. 

2dly.  Another  branch  of  the  Priest''s  office  zvas  the  offering  of 
sacrifices  and  other  oblations. 

Every  high  Priest,  taken  from  among  men,  says  St.  Paul,  is  or- 
dained for  men  in  things  pertaining  to  God,  that  he  may  offer  both 
gifts  and  sacrifices  for  sin.  Intercession  seems  to  be  a  duty  of 
natural  religion,  and  may  be  easily  supposed  to  be  a  service,  prop- 
erly performed  by  beings,  who  have  not  fallen  from  their  obedi- 
ence. But,  in  such  a  state,  the  offering  of  sacrifices  could  evi- 
dently have  no  propriety,  nor  foundation.  Sacrifices  are,  in  my 
view,  beyond  all  doubt,  of  Divine  appointment,  and  have  their 
foundation  in  the  apostacy  of  man.     Of  this  the  proof  seems  to  me  ^ 


SER.  L.]  PRIESTHOOD  OF  CHRIST.  I45 

complete,  both  from  reason  and  Revelation.  It  cannot  be  sup- 
posed, as  it  cannot  be  proper,  that  on  this  occasion  I  should  enter 
upon  a  detailed  account  ol"  this  proof.  It  will  be  sufficient  to  ob- 
serve, that  sacrifices  existed  among  all  the  ancient  nations,  and 
that  therefore  they  are  derived  from  one  common  source ;  that  no 
nation,  beside  the  Jews,  can  give  any  account  of  the  origin  of  this 
rite,  or  any  reason  for  which  it  was  founded ;  nor  show,  unless 
loosely  and  unsatisfactorily,  any  purpose,  which  it  could  rationally 
be  expected  to  answer:  that  all  nations  still  hoped  by  means  of 
their  sacrifices  to  become  acceptable,  though  they  could  not  tell 
how,  or  why,  to  their  Gods  ;  and  accordingly  made  the  offering  of 
sacrifices  the  principal  rite  of  their  respective  religions  :  that,  to  a 
great  extent,  they  offered  the  same  sacrifices ;  and  those  chiefly 
such,  as  are  styled  clean,  in  the  Scriptures.  These  sacrifices  were, 
also,  esteemed  in  some  sense  or  other,  though  none  of  the  heathen 
could  explain  that  sense,  expiations  for  sin.  At  the  same  time,  it 
ought  to  be  observed,  that  there  is,  to  the  eye  of  reason,  no  per- 
ceptible connexion  between  sacrifices  and  religion  ;  and  that  there 
is  nothing  in  this  rite,  particularly,  which  can  lead  the  understand- 
ing to  suppose  it  in  any  sense  expiatory.  The  true  dictate  of 
reason  on  this  subject  is,  that  the  causeless  destruction  of  the  life 
of  an  animal  must  be  in  itself  an  evil ;  an  act  of  inhumanity ;  a 
provocation  to  God  ;  only  increasing  the  list  of  crimes  in  the  sup- 
pliant :  while,  on  the  contrary,  the  supposition  that  God  can  be  ap- 
peased, or  reconciled,  by  the  death  of  an  animal,  burnt  upon  an 
altar,  is  an  obvious  and  monstrous  absurdity.  Well  might  Balak 
doubt,  when  he  asked  so  anxiously,  under  the  strong  influence  of 
traditionary  custom,  Will  the  Lord  be  pleased  with  thousands  of 
rams,  or  with  ten  thousands  of  rivers  of  oil  ?  Shall  I  give  my  first- 
horn  for  my  transgression  ;  the  fruit  of  my  body  for  the  sin  of  my 
soul  ?  The  only  sacrifices  of  God ;  that  is,  the  only  sacrifices, 
which  God  will  accept,  if  he  will  accept  any  from  man  ;  are  in  the 
eye  of  common  sense,  as  well  as  in  that  of  David,  a  broken  spirit 
and  a  contrite  heart  ,•  a  disposition,  as  specified  by  Balaam  in  his 
answer  to  Balak,  to  do  justly,  to  love  mercy,  and  to  walk  humbly 
with  our  God.  From  these  observations,  taken  in  their  connexion, 
it  is,  1  think,  fairly  evident,  that  sacrifices  were  not,  and  cannot 
have  been,  devised  by  mankind. 

In  the  Scriptures  the  same  doctrine  is,  1  apprehend,  rendered 
unquestionably  certain.  Mel  offered  a  sacrifice  to  God,  and  was 
accepted.  By  St.  Paul  we  are  informed,  that  he  offered  this  sac- 
rifice in  faith.  While  it  is  incredible,  that  he  should  have  devised 
this  rite  as  an  act  of  religion,  it  is  anti-scriptural,  and  therefore  in- 
credible, that  he  should  have  been  accepted  in  any  act,  beside  an 
act  of  obedience  to  God.  But  such  an  act,  his  sacrifice  could  not 
have  been,  unless  it  had  been  commanded  of  God.  Nor  is  it  pos- 
sible to  conceive  in  what  manner  his  faith  could  have  been  exert- 
ed, or  to  what  object  it  could  have  been  directed,  unless  it  was 

Vol.  II.  19 


146  PRIESTHOOD  OF  CHRIST  [SER.  L, 

directed  to  some  divine  promise.  But  no  divine  promise  is,  in  the 
Scriptures,  exhibited  as  made  to  mankind,  except  through  the  Re- 
deemer, jibel,  therefore,  must  have  believed  in  the  future  exist- 
ence, and  efficacious  interference,  of  that  Seed  of  the  fVoman, 
which  was  one  day  to  bruise  the  head  of  the  Serpent.  With  the 
eye  of  faith  he  saw,  that  through  this  glorious  person  there  was 
forgiveness  with  God,  and  therefore  feared,  or  reverenced  him. 
He  hoped  in  the  divine  promise  that  through  him  there  rvas  plente- 
ous redemption  for  the  children  of  men ;  and  in  the  exercise  of  this 
hope  he  performed  such  acts  of  worship  as  God  had  enjoined. 
Had  he,  on  the  contrary,  like  Nadab  and  Abihu,  brought  an  offer- 
ing which  the  Lord  had  not  commanded,  we  are  warranted  from 
analogy  to  conclude,  that  he  would  have  been  rejected,  as  they 
were. 

After  the  deluge,  Noah,  as  we  are  told,  builded  an  altar  unto  the 
Lord  ;  and  took  of  every  clean  beast,  and  of  every  clean  fowl,  and 
offered  burnt-offerings   on  the   altar.     On   this  occasion,  also,  the 
offering  was  accepted.     To  this  fact  the  same  reasoning  is  appli- 
cable with  the  same  force.     But  it  is  further  evident  from  this  sto- 
ry, that  both  fowls  and  beasts,   were,   at   that   time,    known,  and 
designated,  as  clean,  and  unclean.     That  this  designation  existed 
in  the  time  of  Noah,  and  was  customary  language,  known  to  him 
and  others  at  that  time,  is  certain,  from  the  fact,  that  he  selected 
only  such  as  were  clean;  and  is  still  further  illustrated  by  the 
fact,  that  God  directed  him  to  take  of  every  clean  beast,  and  every 
clean  fowl,  by  sevens,  into  the  ark;  and  that  Noah  exactly  obeyed 
this   command,  and  therefore  perfectly  knew  wha(  it  imported. 
Beasts  and  fowls  were,  of  course,  distinguisiied  as  clean  and  un- 
clean ;  or,  in  other  words,  as  those  which  might,  and  those  which 
might  not,  be  offered  to  God.     But  beasts,  in  themselves,  are  all 
equally  clean,  and  equally  unclean  :  nor  can  common  sense  discern 
a  reason,  why  one  should  be  offered  rather  than   another,  any 
more,  than  why  any  of  them  should  be  offered  at  all.     The  dis- 
tinction of  clean   and  unclean,  or  acceptable  and  unacceptable, 
cannot  have  been  founded  in  any  thing,  but  the  divine  appoint- 
ment.    But  this  distinction  we  find  thus  early  made:  and,  as  Abel 
offered  clean  beasts  also,  and  the  firstlings  of  his  flock ;  the  very 
sacrifice  commanded  afterwards  to  the  Israelites ;  there  is  ample 
reason  to  conclude,  that  the  same  distinction  was  made  from  the 
beginning. 

The  sacrifices  of  the  Scriptures  involve  a  plain,  and  at  the  same 
time  a  most  important,  meaning.  All  of  them  were  typical  merely ; 
and  declared  in  the  most  striking  manner  the  faith  of  the  worship- 
per in  the  great  propitiatory  sacrifice  of  the  Redeemer,  and  in  the 
blessings  promised  by  God  through  his  mediation.  Considered  in 
this  light,  sacrifices  are  highly  significant  acts  of  worshij);  worthy 
of  being  divinely  instituted  ;  deeply  affecting  the  heart  of  the  sup- 
[>liant;  naturally  and  strongly  edifying  him  in  faith,  hope,  and pbe- 


SER.  L]  PRIESTHOOD  OF  CHRIST.  I47 

dience ;  and  well  deserving  a  place  among  the  most  important 
religious  rites  of  all,  who  lived  before  the  oblation  of  the  great 
Sacrifice,  made  for  mankind. 

From  this  view  of  the  subject,  it  is,  1  think,  clearly  evident,  that 
sacrifices  were  divinely  instituted ;  and  that  this  institution  was 
founded  in  the  future  propitiatory  sacrifice  for  sin,  made  by  the  Re- 
deemer. It  is,  of  course,  evident  also,  that  this  part  of  the  priest's 
office  is  derived  from  the  apostacy  of  mankind ;  and  can  have  a 
place,  only  among  beings  who  need  an  expiation. 

3dly.  Another  part  of  the  Priest'^  s  office  was  to  deliver  the  oracles, 
or  answers  of  God  to  the  people. 

This  was  done,  partly  by  the  now  inexplicable  mode  of  Urim 
and  Thummim,  and  partly  by  declarations,  made  in  the  common 
manner. 

The  heathen  priesthood,  in  imitation  of  that  which  was  instituted 
by  God,  gave  the  pretended  answers  of  their  oracular  Divinities  to 
such  as  came  to  consult  them. 

4thly.  Another  part  of  the  Priest'^s  office  was  deciding  the  legal 
controversies  of  individuals,  or  judging  between  man  and  man. 

For  the  institution  of  this  duty  of  the  Priests,  see  Deuteronomy 
xvii.  9,  10.  Accordingly,  several  of  the  priests  are  mentioned  in 
succeeding  ages,  as  judges  of  the  people. 

5thly.  Another  part  of  the  Priest^  s  office  was  to  instruct  the  people 
in  the  knowledge  of  the  divine  Law. 

The  priest'' s  lips,  says  Malachi,  should  keep  knowledge  ^  and  they 
should  seek  the  Law  at  his  mouth :  for  he  is  the  messenger  of  the  Lord 
of  hosts. 

Of  all  the  parts  of  this  Office  the  offering  of  Sacrifices  and  other 
Oblations  is  undoubtedly  the  most  prominent  and  important.  It 
was  originally  enjoined  in  the  authoritative  separation  oi  Aaron  and 
his  sons  to  the  priesthood.  It  is  every  where  more  insisted  on  as 
the  great  business  of  the  priests,  throughout  the  Law  of  Moses, 
and  throughout  the  whole  history  of  the  Jewish  Economy.  It  is 
accordingly  mentioned,  alone,  by  St.  Paul  in  his  Epistle  to  the  He- 
brews, chapter  v.  verse  1 ,  as  the  sum  of  the  duty  of  the  High  Priest. 
Every  high  priest — is  ordained — that  he  may  offer  both  gifts  and 
sacrifices  for  sins.  This,  then,  is  the  peculiar  Office,  or  duty,  of 
the  Priesthood ;  while  the  others  are  only  appendages. 

In  the  performance  of  this  duty,  the  priest  was  every  where 
considered  in  the  Law  of  Moses,  as  making  an  atonement  for  the 
sins  of  the  person,  or  persons,  by  whom  the  offerings  were  present- 
ed :  sometimes  for  individuals  ;  sometimes  for  the  whole  nation. 
This  great  object,  the  only  rational  means  of  explaining  the  insti- 
tution of  sacrifices,  is  abundandy  inculcated  in  the  formal  insti- 
tution itself,  and  in  all  the  precepts,  by  which  the  duties  of  it  are 
regulated ;  so  abundantly,  that  I  know  not  how  it  can  be  mis- 
construed. Accordingly,  the  Scriptures  have  been  understood 
in  this  manner  only  by  the  great  body  of  Christians,  from  the  be- 
ginning. 


148  PRIESTHOOD  OF  CHRIST.  [SER.  L. 

But  nothing  is  more  evident,  than  that  ?7  {5  impossible  for  the  blood 
of  bulls  and  of  goats  to  take  aioay  sins.  These  sacrifices,  there- 
fore, were  never  designed  to  purify  those,  by  whom  they  were  of- 
fered. They  were  plainly,  and  certainly,  mere  types,  holding 
forth  to  the  suppliant  the  great  and  real  sacrifice,  by  which  the 
Author  of  it  hath  perfected  for  ever  them  that  are  sanctifed.  In 
hiirnt-offerings  and  sacrifices  for  sin,  God  said  by  David,  Psalm  xl. 
he  had  no  pleasure.  They  were  not,  therefore,  ordained  for  their 
own  sakf  ;  but  to  point  the  eyes  of  worshippers  to  the  Son  of  God, 
who  cmne  to  do  his  will  ;  for  whom  a  body  roas  prepared  ^  and  who, 
having  offered,  in  that  body,  one  sacrifice  for  sins,  sate  down  for  ever 
at  the  right  hand  of  God. 

The  scheme  of  Atonement,  then,  appears  evidently  to  have  been 
a  part,  and  a  chief  part,  of  the  divine  Economy  in  the  present 
world,  in  all  ages,  or  from  the  beginning. 

Accordingly,  when  Christ  had  performed  this  great  duty  of  his 
own  priesthood,  the  priesthood  of  men  ceased.  The  Jezoish  priest- 
hood was  terminated  within  a  few  years  after  his  Ascension.  The 
Otfice,  except  as  holden  by  Christ,  has  no  place  in  the  Christian 
Church ;  and,  unless  in  a  figurative  sense,  cannot  be  applied  to 
Christian  Ministers  Avithout  a  solecism. 

III.   The  Character  of  a  Priest,  as  disclosed  in  the  Scriptures, 
consisted  principally  of  the  folloiving  things. 
1st.  A  Pritst  must  be  called  of  God. 

JVb  man,  says  St.  Paul,  taketh  this  honour  unto  himself,  but  he 
thai  is  calLd  of  God,  as  was  Aaron.  So  also  Christ  glorified  not 
himself  to  be  made  an  High  Priest ;  but  he  that  said  unto  him,  Thou 
art  mi/ Son;  tiiis  day  have  J  begotten  thee.  Nothing  is  more  plain, 
thai  that  he  who  ministers  to  God  in  divine  things,  ought  to  be  ap- 
proved of  God ;  and  it  is  clearly  evident,  that  he  who  is  not  called, 
cannot  expect  to  be  approved.  To  thrust  one's  self  into  an  office 
of  this  nature  must  bo  the  result  of  mere  impudence  and  impiety : 
a  spirit,  which  cannot  meet  the  divine  acceptance. 
2dly.  A  Priest  must  be  holy. 

Aaron  and  his  sons  were  originally  sanctified,  externally,  by  a 
series  of  most  solemn  offerings  and  ceremonies.  The  Garments  of 
the  High  Priest  were  also  pronounced  holy,  and  styled  holy  gar- 
ments. The  oil,  with  which  he  was  anointed,  was  styled  holy ;  and 
was  forbidden  to  all  other  persons,  on  a  severe  and  dreadful  pen- 
alty. Holiness  to  the  Lord  was  engraved  on  a  plate,  which  he 
was  directed  to  wear  upon  his  mitre. 

Such  an  high  priest,  says  St.  Paul,  became  us,  who  is  holy,  harm- 
less, undefiled,  and  separate  from  sinners. 

No  absurdity  can  be  more  obvious,  or  more  gross,  than  an  un- 
holy, polluted  character  in  a  man,  whose  professional  business  it  is 
to  minister  to  God.  The  very  Heathen  were  so  sensible  of  this, 
that  their  priests  claimed  generally,  and  laboured  to  preserve  that 
character,  which  they  esteemed  sanctity. 


SER.  L]  PRIESTHOOD  OF  CHRIST.  *  149 

3dly.  A  Priest  must  be  learned  in  the  Scriptures. 
As  the  Priests  were  to  teach,  so  they  were  to  keep,  knowledge. 
Ezra,  accordingly,  is  declared  to  have  been  a  ready  Scribe  in  the 
Law  of  Moses  ;  and  to  have  prepared  his  heart  to  seek  the  Law  of 
the  Lord,  and  to  do  it,  and  to  teach  in  Israel  statutes  and  judgment. 
Artaxerxes,  also,  in  his  decree  testifies,  that  the  wisdom  of  God  was 
in  the  hand  of  Ezra.  Every  priest  was  implicitly  required  to  pos- 
sess these  three  great  characteristics  of  the  Priesthood. 

I  have  discussed  the  preceding  subjects,  viz.  The  origin,  The 
office,  and  the  character  of  the  Priesthood,  that  the  various  observa- 
tions, which  I  shall  have  occasion  to  make  in  the  further  exam- 
ination of  the  Priesthood  of  Christ,  may  be  the  more  distinctly 
understood. 

/  shall  now  inquire  in  zuhat  manner  the  office  and  character  of  a 
Priest  may  with  propriety  be  said  to  belong  to  him. 

In  the  text,  God  the  Father  is  exhibited  as  having  sworn  with  a 
solemn  and  unchangeable  decree  to  his  Son,  Thou  art  a  Priest  for 
ever,  after  the  order  of  Melchisedek.  As  the  person  to  whom  this 
oath  was  addressed,  is  expressly  declared  both  by  Christ  and  St. 
Paul  to  be  Christ ;  there  can  be  no  debate  concerning  this  part  of 
the  subject. 

Further;  as  Christ  is  here  declared  by  God  the  Father  to  be  a 
priest,  it  cannot  be  questioned,  that  he  sustained  this  office.  It  may, 
however,  be  proper  to  remind  those  who  hear  me  and  who  wish  to 
examine  the  Scriptural  account  of  this  subject,  that  the  establish- 
ment and  explanation  of  the  priesthood  of  Christ  occupies  a  great 
part  of  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews. 

But,  although  this  fact  cannot  be  questioned ;  it  cannot  easily 
fail  to  be  a  useful  employment  in  a  Christian  assembly,  to  show, 
that  Christ  actually  sustained  the  whole  character,  and  performed 
all  the  duties  of  a  priest  of  God.  This  purpose  I  shall  endeavour 
to  accomplish  in  the  rem;iinder  of  the  present  discourse. 

1st.  Christ  sustained  the  whole  character  of  a  Priest  of  God. 
He  was  called  of  God  to  this  office.  Of  this  the  proof  is  complete 
in  the  passage  already  quoted,  from  Hebrews  v.  4,  5.  No  man  tak- 
eth  this  honour  unto  himself  but  he  that  is  called  of  God  as  was 
Aaron.  So  also  Christ  glorified  not  himself,  to  be  made  an  high 
priest  j  but  he  that  said  unto  him.  Thou  art  my  Sonj  to-day  have  I 
begotten  thee.  In  the  following  verse,  the  Apostle  with  unanswer- 
able force  alleges  the  text,  as  complete  proof  of  the  same  point. 
Ashe  saithalso  in  another  place.  Thou  art  a  Priest  for  ever,  after  the 
order  of  Melchisedek.  In  the  9th  and  10th  verses,  also,  he  renews 
the  declaration  in  a  different  foi'm,  from  the  same  words :  And  be- 
ing made  perfect,  he  became  the  author  of  eternal  salvation  unto  all 
them  that  obey  him;  Called  of  God  an  high  priest  after  the  order  of 
Melchisedek.  In  consequence  of  this  divine  call  to  the  priesthood, 
he  was  anointed  to  this  office,  not  with  the  holy  anointing  oil, 
^mplc  ?d  in  the  solemn  consecration  of  the  Aaronic  priesthood,  but 


150  PRIESTHOOD  OF  CHRIST.  [SER.  L. 

with  the  antitype  of  that  oil ;  the  Spirit  of  grace,  poured  upon  him 
without  measure  by  the  hand  of  God. 

He  was  holy.  Such  an  high  priest,  says  St.  Paul,  became  us.  who 
was  holy,  harmless,  undejiled,  and  separate  from  sinners.  Who  did 
no  sin,  says  St.  Peter,  neither  7vus  guile  found  in  his  mouth.  The 
prince  of  this  world  Cometh,  says  our  Saviour,  and  has  nothing  in 
me :  that  is,  nothing,  on  which  he  can  found  an  accusation  against 
me. 

He  was  perfectly  acquainted  with  the  Law  of  God.  This  is  abun- 
dantly declared  by  Christ  himself  in  many  forms  ;  particularly,  when 
he  says.  For  the  Father  loveth  the  Son,  and  shewcth  him  all  things, 
whatsoever  he  doeth.  And  again ;  JVb  one  knoweth  the  Father  but 
the  Son,  and  he,  to  whomsoever  the  Son  zoill  reveal  him.*  And  again, 
I  am  the  light  of  the  world.]  And  again,  Thy  Law  is  vnthin  my 
heart.X  Of  this  acquaintance  with  the  divine  Law  he  gave  the 
most  abundant  proofs,  while  he  resided  in  this  world,  in  his  dis- 
courses generally.  But  in  his  sermon  on  the  Mount  he  gave  a 
more  clear,  minute,  and  comprehensive  explanation  of  its  nature, 
and  extent,  than  was  ever  furnished,  elsewhere,  to  the  children  of 
men. 

2dly.  He  performed  all  the  duties  of  a  Priest  of  God,  except  one  ; 
to  wit,  determining  judicially  the  controversies  betweenmen  ;  a  thing 
irreconcileable  to  his  office  as  a  Priest. 

He  taught  the  Law,  or  will  of  God  to  his  people,  and  idtimatcly  to 
mankind,  in  a  manner  far  more  extensive,  perspicuous,  forcible, 
and  every  way  perfect,  than  all  the  priests,  and  all  the  prophets, 
who  preceded  him,  had  been  able  to  do.  On  this  subject  I  have 
dwelt,  while  considering  his  character  as  a  Prophet,  with  so  much 
minuteness,  as  to  preclude  all  necessity  of  further  discussion. 

In  this  instruction  he  has  included  all  things  pertaining  to  life 
and  to  Godliness,  necessary  to  be  known  by  man  ;  and,  therefore, 
has  involved  in  them  every  oracular  answer,  or  answer  of  God  to 
the  inquiries  of  mankind  after  their  interest  and  duty,  which  they 
can  ever  need,  on  this  side  of  the  grave. 

He  has  performed,  and  still  performs,  for  this  sinful  world,  the 
great  office  of  an  Intercessor. 

But  his  man  (says  St.  Paul)  because  he  continueth  ever,  hath  «n 
unchangeable  Priesthood.  Wherefore  he  is  able,  also,  to  save  them 
to  the  uttermost  that  come  unto  God  by  him  ;  seeing  he  ever  liveth 
to  make  intercession  for  them.  If  any  man  sins,  says  St.  John,  we 
have  an  advocate  with  the  Father,  Jesus  Christ  the  righteous.  Of 
this  Intercession  his  prayer,  in  the  17th  Chaptci- of  Jo/in,  has  been 
considered  as  an  example. 

Finally  ;  He  performed  the  great  duty  of  offering  sacrifice.  JVho 
needeth  not  daily,  as  those  high  Priests,  to  offer  up  sacrifice,  first 
for  his  own  sins,  and  then  for  the  people'' s  :for  this  he  did  once, 

•  Matt.  xi.  28.  t  Jobn  ix.  5.  X  Psalm  xl.  8. 


SER.  L]  PRIESTHOOD  OF  CHRIST.  151 

when  he  offered  up  himself.  And  again  :  JVow,  once  in  the  end  of 
the  world,  hath  he  appeared,  to  put  away  sin,  by  the  sacrifice  of  him- 
self. And,  as  it  is  appointed  unto  men  once  to  die,  but  after  this  the 
judgment  ;  So  Christ  was  once  offered,  to  bear  the  sins  of  many.  It 
will  be  unnecessary  farther  to  multiply  proofs  of  this  point. 

It  may,  liowever,  be  useful  to  obviate  a  difficulty,  which  may  not 
very  unnaturally,  arise  in  the  mind,  when  contemplating  this  sub- 
ject.    It  is  this. 

How  can  Christ  be  said  to  have  offered  himself,  when  he  was  ap- 
prehended, condemned,  and  crucified,  by  others  ?  This  difficulty  will 
be  easily  removed,  if  we  remember  the  following  things. 

1st.    That  Christ  could  not,  without  incurring  the  guilt  of  suicide, 

have  put  himself  to  death.     And,  therefore,  could  not  be  virtuously 

offered,  on  his  own  part,  unless  put  to  death  by  the  hand  rf  others  : 

2dly.    That  he  voluntarily  came  into  the  world,  to  die  for  sinners : 

3dly.    That  he  predicted  his  own  death,  and  therefore  certainly 

foreknew  it :  and, 

4thly.  That  he  could,  with  perfect  ease,  have  resisted,  and  over- 
come his  enemies  ;  as  he  proved  unanswerably  by  his  miracles  •  and 
particularly  by  compelUjig,  through  the  awe  of  his  presence,  those 
very  enemies  to  fall  backward  to  the  ground,  at  the  time  when  tkey 
first  attempted  to  take  him.  From  these  things  it  is  evident,  beyond 
a  debate,  that  he  himself  made  his  soid  an  offering  for  sin  ;  and  of 
himself  laid  down  his  life,  and  took  it  up  again,  zvhen  none  could  take 
it  out  of  his  hand. 

From  these  considerations  it  is  evident,  that  Christ  was,  in  the 
most  proper  sense,  a  priest  of  God ;  and  that  he  sustained  all  the 
characteristics,  and  performed  all  the  duties,  belonging  to  the 
priesthood :  particularly,  that  he  was  called  of  God,  consecrated, 
and  anointed,  to  this  office  ;  and  that  he  performed  the  great  duty 
of  offering  sacrifice,  for  which  the  office  was  especially  instituted. 
Let  me  now  ask,  whether  these  things,  so  strongly  and  abun- 
dantly declared  in  the  Scriptures,  can  be  made,  in  any  sense,  to  ac- 
cord with  the  Unitarian  doctrine  :  that  Christ  died  merely  as  a  wit- 
ness to  the  truth  of  his  declarations.  Every  Christian  Mra-tvr,  as 
his  name  sufficiently  indicates,  yielded  his  life  as  a  testimony  to  the 
truth.  But  was  every  Christian  Martyr  therefore  a  Priest  of  God  ? 
Did  every  Martyr  offer  sacrifice  ?  Was  St.  Paul  a  Priest ;  or  St. 
Peter?  They  were  both  witnesses  to  the  truth;  and  voluntarily 
gave  up  their  lives  as  a  testimony  to  the  truth.  But  did  they,  there- 
fore, offer  sacrifice  ?  Were  they,  therefore.  Priests  ?  Did  any  man 
ever  think  of  applying  to  them  language  of  this  nature  ? 

But,  further,  Christ  is  expressly,  and  often,  declared  to  have  of- 
fered himself  a  sacrifice  for  sins. 

For  whose  sins  did  he  offer  this  sacrifice  ?  Not  for  his  own :  for 
he  did  no  sin,  neither  was  guile  found  in  his  mouth.  For  the  sins  of 
others,  then,  was  this  oft'ering  made.  According  to  the  declaration 
of  St.  Peter,  He  bore  our  sins  in  his  own  body  on  the  tree.    His  sac- 


152  PRIESTHOOD  OF  CHRIST.  [SER.  L. 

rifice  of  hiinscU'  was,  therefore,  an  Atonement,  and  Expiation,  of 
the  sins  of  mankind. 

Thus  from  the  nature,  origin,  and  institution,  of  the  Priest's  Of- 
fice, it  is  evident,  that  Christ,  the  great  High  Priest  of  our  profession, 
became,  by  the  execution  of  his  Official  duties,  (if  I  may  call  them 
such)  a  propitiation  for  the  sins  of  the  world.  So  far  is  the  Unita- 
rian doctrine  on  this  subject  from  being  countenanced  by  the  Scrip- 
tural representations,  that  it  is  a  direct  contradiction  of  every  thing 
said  in  tlie  Scriptures  concerning  the  priesthood,  and  particularly 
that  of  Christ. 

On  this  subject  I  propose  to  insist  more  at  large  hereafter:  but 
I  thought  it  useful  to  show,  at  the  introduction  of  it  into  a  system  of 
Theology,  that  it  was  essential  to  the  very  nature  of  the  Priest's 
Office.  Nor  can  I  fail  to  wonder,  how  any  man,  reading  the  ac- 
counts given  of  it  in  the  Bible,  should  adopt  any  other  opinion  con- 
cerning this  part  of  the  Mediation  of  the  Redeemer. 


SERMON  LI. 

THE    PRIESTHOOD    OF    CHRIST. HIS    HOLINESS    OF    CHARACTER. 


Hebrews  vii.  26. — For  such  an  high  priest  became  us,  who  is  holy,  harmless,  un- 
defiled,  separate  from  sinners,  and  made  higher  than  the  heavens. 

In  the  preceding  discourse,  I  considered  the  Origin.,  Office,  and 
Character,  of  the  Priesthood ;  and  showed  that  this  office,  in  the 
strictest  sense,  belonged  to  Christ ;  and  that  the  end  of  its  estab- 
lishment in  the  world  was  no  other,  than  to  hold  out  to  the  view 
of  the  ancients  the  priesthood  of  the  Redeemer. 

Among  the  characteristics  of  a  Priest,  I  mentioned  it  as  an  indis- 
pensable one,  that  he  should  be  holy.  This  characteristic  of  the 
Redeemer  T  shall  now  make  the  subject  of  consideration ;  and  in 
discussing  it  shall 

I.  Mention  several  particulars,  in  zvhich  this  attribute  was  exem- 
plified ;  and, 

II.  Explain  its  importance, 

I.  I  shall  mention  several  particulars,  in  which  this  attribute  of 
Christ  was  exemplified. 

In  the  text,  the  Apostle  declares,  that  Christ  was  holy,  harmless, 
undefiled,  and  separate  from  sinners.  The  word,  holy,  in  this  pas- 
sage, naturally  denotes  the  positive  excellence  of  Christ^  s  character: 
the  word,  harmless,  an  absolute  freedom  from  the  guilt  of  injuring 
and  corrupting  others  :  the  word,  undefiled,  his  freedom  from  all 
personal  corruption :  and  the  phrase,  separate,  or  separated, yro/?i 
sinners,  the  entire  distinction  between  him,  and  all  beings  who  are, 
in  any  sense,  or  degree,  the  subjects  of  sin.  The  character,  here 
given  of  Christ  by  the  Apostle,  includes,  therefore,  all  the  perfec- 
tion, of  which,  as  an  intelligent  being,  the  Saviour  was  capable. 
It  ought  to  be  remarked,  that  this  character  is  given  of  him  as  a 
Priest;  and,  of  course,  belongs  especially  to  him,  as  exercising 
this  part  of  his  Mediatorial  office. 

It  will  be  obvious  to  a  person,  examining  this  subject  with  a 
very  moderate  degree  of  attention,  that  Christ,  in  order  to  sustain 
this  character,  must  have  fulfilled  all  the  duties,  enjoined  on  him 
by  the  positive  precepts  of  the  divine  law,  and  have  abstained 
from  every  transgression  of  the  negative  ones;  that  in  thought, 
word,  and  action,  alike,  he  must  have  been  uniformly  obedient  to 
the  commands  of  God ;  that  his  obedience  must  have  been  ren- 
dered in  that  exact  and  perfect  degree,  in  which  it  was  required 
by  those  commands ;  and  that  it  must  have  included,  in  the  same 
perfect  manner,  all  the  duties  which  he  owed  immediately  to  God, 
Vol.  IL  20 


154  PRIESTHOOD  OF  CHRIST.  [SER.  U 

lo  mankind,  and  to  himself:  in  other  words,  that  his  virtue,  or  moral 
excellence,  must  have  been  consummate. 

That  such  was,  in  fact,   the  character  of  Christ,  wc  have  the 
most  abundant  testimony. 

The  Scriptures  declare  every  part  of  this  character.  St.  Peter 
asserts  directly,  that  he  did  no  sin  ;  that  guile  was  not  found  in  his 
moxith;  and  styles  him  a  Lamb  withovt  blemish,  and  without  spot. 
He  calls  him  The  holy  one^  and  the  just ;  and  declares,  that /tc 
went  about  doing  good.  St.  Paul  declares,  that  Ik  kneio  no  sin. 
St.  John,  declares,  that  in  him  was  no  sin.  David  styles  him  the 
Holy  One  of  God.  Isaiah,  or  rather  God  speaking  by  Isaiah,  calls 
him.  His  oion  righteous  Servant ;  his  Elect ;  his  Beloved,  in  whom 
his  soul  delighted.  Jeremiah  styles  him  The  Lord,  our  righteous- 
ness. Christ  himself  declares  in  his  intercessory  prayer  to  the 
Father,  /  have  glorified  thee  on  earth,  I  have  finished  the  work, 
which  thou  gavest  me  to  do  ;  and  asserts,  that  the  Father  and  him- 
!*  elf  are  one;  and  that  he,  who  hath  seen  him,  hath  seen  the  Father. 
He  also  says,  The  Prince  of  this  world  cometh,  and  hath  nothing 
i-n  me.  At  his  baptism,  also,  and  during  his  transfiguration,  God, 
the  Father,  himself  declared  his  character,  in  those  memorable 
words,  This  is  my  beloved  son,  in  zohotn  I  am  well  pleased.  A  simi- 
lar testimony  was  given  by  the  Spirit  of  truth  when  he  descended 
upon  Christ  in  a  bodily  shape,  like  a  dove. 

To  these  and  the  like  declarations,  which  might  be  easily  multi- 
plied to  a  great  extent,  various  other  kinds  of  testimony  are  added 
in  the  Scriptures. 

The  Jezos,  who  lived  on  the  borders  of  the  Sea  of  Galilee,  when 
assembled  to  behold  the  cure  of  the  deaf  man,  who  had  an  impedi- 
ment in  his  speech,  exclaimed,  amid  their  astonijrhment  at  the 
miracle.  He  hath  done  all  things  well.  During  his  life,  his  enemies 
laboured  hard  to  fix  some  imputation  upon  his  character ;  but 
their  efforts  terminated  in  the  groundless  and  senseless  calumnies, 
that  he  cast  out  devils  by  Beelzebub,  the  prince  of  devils  ;  and  that 
he  was  a  man  gluttonous,  and  a  wine-bibber ;  a  friend  of  publicans 
and  sinners  :  calumnies,  daily  and  completely  refuted  by  the  testi- 
mony of  those,  among  whom  he  continually  spent  his  time,  and 
even  by  the  demons  which  he  cast  out,  and  the  maniacs  whom  they 
possessed.  Even  these  felt  themselves  constrained  to  say,  I  know 
thee,  who  thou  art,  the  Holy  One  of  God. 

In  his  trial  before  the  Sanhedrim,  and  afterwards  before  Pilate, 
every  art,  which  cunning  could  devise,  fraud  sanction,  or  malice 
execute,  was  practised,  in  order  to  fasten  upon  him  at  least  some 
species  of  criminality.  But,  in  spite  of  all  the  subornation  and 
perjury,  to  which  they  had  recourse,  they  were  unable  to  prove 
him  guilty  of  a  single  fault.  Pilateh  repeated  examinations  of 
him  terminated  with  this  public  declaration,  I  find  no  fault  in  this 
man. 
Judas,  after  he  was  called  as  a  disciple,  lived  with  him  through 


3ER.  LI]  HIS  HOLINESS.  j^^ 

all  his  public  ministry,  and  was  a  witness  of  his  most  private  con- 
duct ;  a  companion  of  his  most  retired  hours ;  a  partner  in  his 
most  undisguised  conversation.  At  these  seasons,  if  ever,  the  man 
is  brought  out  to  view.  At  these  seasons,  hypocrisy  and  impos- 
ture feel  the  burden  of  concealment  too  strongly,  not  to  throw  ofl' 
the  mask  ;  uncover  themselves,  to  obtain  a  necessary  relief  from 
the  pressure  of  constraint,  and  cease  awhile  to  force  nature,  that 
they  may  be  refreshed  for  new  imposition. 

But  Judas  never  saw  a  single  act,  and  never  heard  a  single 
word,  which,  even  in  his  own  biassed  judgment,  left  the  smallest 
stain  upon  the  character  of  his  Master.  This  he  directly  declared 
to  the  chief  priests  in  that  remarkable  assertion,  I  have  sinned,  in 
that  I  have  betrayed  innocent  blood.  Far  beyond  this,  when  the 
least  fault  in  the  conduct  of  Christ,  could  he  have  recollected  it, 
would  have  relieved  the  agonies  of  his  conscience,  and  justified,  or 
at  least  palliated,  his  treason  ;  he  put  an  end  to  his  own  Hfe,  be- 
cause he  could  not  endure  the  misery,  springing  from  a  sense  of 
his  guilt.  In  this  gross  and  dreadful  act  he  gave,  therefore,  the 
strongest  testimony,  which  is  possible,  to  the  perfect  innocence  of 
the  Redeemer. 

Correspondent  with  this  testimony  is  that  of  all  antiquity.  Nei- 
ther the  Mishna,  nor  the  Talmud,  which  contain  the  whole  sub- 
stance of  the  Jewish  testimony  on  this  subject ;  neither  Cclsus, 
Porphyry,  nor  Julian,  who  may  be  fairly  considered  as  having  giv- 
en us  the  whole  of  heathen  testimony ;  have  fixed  upon  Christ  the 
minutest  charge  of  either  sin  or  folly.  To  the  time  of  Origen,  we 
have  his  declaration,  (which  is  evidence  of  the  most  satisfactory 
nature)  that  within  the  vast  compass  of  his  information  nothing  of 
this  nature  had  ever  appeared.  In  modern  times,  the  enemies  of 
Christianity  have  laboured  with  great  industry  and  ingenuity  to 
fasten  upon  him  some  species  of  accusation.  But  they  have  la- 
boured in  vain.  Unlike,  in  this  respect,  that  glorious  Orb,  to  which 
he  is  compared  in  the  Scriptures,  nothing  has  ever  eclipsed  his 
splendour;  no  spot  has  ever  been  found  on  his  aspect. 

That  we  may  form  just  and  affecting  views  of  this  part  of  our 
Saviour's  character,  it  will  be  useful,  without  dwelling  any  longer 
on  a  general  survey  of  his  holiness,  to  proceed  to  the  consideration 
of  those  particulars,  in  which  it  was  especially  exemplified. 

1st.   The  Piety  of  Christ  was  uniform,  and  complete. 

His  supreme  love  to  God  was  divinely  manifested  in  the  cheer- 
fulness, with  which  he  undertook  the  most  arduous,  and  at  the 
same  time  the  most  benevolent,  of  all  employments,  and  of  course 
that,  which  was  most  pleasing  to  him,  and  most  honourable  to  his 
name.  His  faith  was  equally  conspicuous  in  the  unshaken  con- 
stancy, with  which  he  encountered  the  innumerable  difficulties  in 
his  progress;  H\s  patieiice,  in  the  quietness  of  spirit,  with  which  he 
bore  every  affliction  ;  and  his  submission,  in  his  ready  acquies- 
cence in  his  Father's  will,  while  requiring  him  to  pass  through  the 


156  PRIESTHOOD  OF  CHRIST  [SER.  LI. 

deepest  humiliation,  pain,  and  sorrow.  However  humbling,  how- 
ever distressing,  his  allotments  were,  even  in  his  agony  in  the  gar- 
den, and  in  the  succeeding  agonies  of  the  cross,  he  never  uttered 
a  complaint.  But,  though  afflicted  beyond  example,  he  exhibited 
a  more  perfect  submission,  than  is  manifested  by  the  most  pious 
men  under  small  and  ordinary  trials.  No  inhabitant  of  this  world 
ever  showed  such  an  entire  reverence  for  God,  on  any  occasion, 
as  he  discovered,  on  all  occasions.  He  gave  his  Father,  at  all 
times,  the  glory  of  his  mission,  his  doctrines,  and  his  miracles  ; 
seized  every  proper  opportunity  to  set  forth,  in  terms  pre-eminently 
pure  and  sublime,  the  excellence  of  the  divine  character;  and 
spoke,  uniformly,  in  the  most  reverential  manner  of  the  word,  the 
law,  and  the  ordinances,  of  God. 

At  the  same  time,  he  was  constant  and  fervent  in  the  worship  ol 
God ;  in  prayer,  in  praise,  and  in  a  cheerful  compliance  with  all 
the  requisitions  of  the  Mosaic  system ;  civil,  ceremonial  and  moral : 
celebrated  the  fasts,  feasts,  and  sacrifices,  of  his  nation  ;  and  thus, 
according  with  his  own  language, /w/^//et/  in  this  respect  all  right- 
eousness. Such,  in  a  word,  was  his  whole  life  ;  so  unspotted ;  so 
uniform;  so  exalted ;  that  all  persons,  who  have  succeeded  him, 
both  inspired  and  uninspired,  have  found  themselves  obliged, 
whenever  they  wished  to  exhibit  a  perfect  pattern  of  piety,  to  ap- 
peal to  the  example  of  Christ. 

2dly.  His  performance  of  the  duties,  which  he  owed  to  mankind, 
was  equally  perfect. 

This  part  of  our  Saviour's  character  cannot  be  properly  under- 
stood without  descending  to  particulars.  1  observe,  therefore, 
in  the 

First  place,  that  his  filial  piety  was  of  this  remarkable  nature. 

Notwithstanding  he  was  so  magnificently  introduced  into  the 
world  by  a  long  train  of  types  and  predictions,  and  by  illustrious 
instances  of  the  immediate  ministration  of  Angels  ;  he  was  entirely 
obedient,  throughout  almost  all  his  life,  to  the  commands  of  his 
parents.  No  person  was  ever  so  ushered  into  life  ;  or  marked  out 
by  Providence  for  so  extraordinary  purposes.  No  person  so  early 
engrossed  the  attention  and  admiration  of  the  great  and  wise  by 
his  mental  endowments.  Whatever  could  awaken  in  his  mind  the 
loftiest  views  of  ambition,  enkindle  a  strong  sense  of  personal  su- 
periority, or  produce  feelings  of  absolute  independence,  he  could 
recount  among  the  incidents,  which  either  attended  him  at  his 
birth,  or  followed  him  in  his  childhood. 

Still  no  child,  no  youth,  no  man  of  riper  years,  was  ever  so  re- 
spectful and  dutiful  to  his  parents.  To  them,  in  the  language  of  St. 
Luke,  he  zvas  subject,  evidently,  till  he  began  to  be  about  thirty  years 
^f^S^'  To  this  period  he  lived,  contentedly,  a  humble,  retired, 
and  unobserved  life ;  following  quietly  the  occupation  of  his  fa- 
ther, with  such  industry  and  regularity  as  to  bo  known  familiarly 
by  the  appellation  of  the  Carpenter. 


SER.  LI]  HIS  HOLINESS.  157 

Civilized  men  have  united  with  a  single  voice  to  applaud,  and 
extol,  Peter  the  Great,  Emperor  of  Russia,  for  his  moderation  and 
condescension,  displayed  in  labouring  at  the  employment  of  a 
Shipcarpenter,  in  the  Saardam.  Unquestionably,  this  conduct 
was  the  result  of  sound  wisdom,  and  unusual  self-government,  on 
the  part  of  this  great  man ;  and  fairly  claimed  the  admiration, 
which  it  received.  What,  then,  shall  be  said,  when  we  behold 
him,  whose  title  was  the  Son  of  God ;  whose  birth  Angels  pro- 
claimed, predicted,  and  sung  ;  to  whom  Angels  ministered  at  his 
pleasure ;  who  commanded  winds,  and  waves,  and  life,  and 
death ;  who  triumphed  over  the  grave,  and  ascended  to  heaven ; 
working  at  an  employment  equally  humble,  not  a  few  days  only, 
but  the  principal  part  of  his  life :  and  all  this,  not  to  subserve  the 
purposes  of  ambition,  but  from  a  sense  of  duty,  and  in  the  exer- 
cise of  filial  piety  ? 

The  same  character  was  gloriously  manifested  by  Christ  dur- 
ing his  public  ministry.  Particularly,  while  he  hung  upon  the 
cross,  suffered  the  agonies  of  that  excruciating  death,  and  bore  the 
sins  of  mankind  in  his  body  on  the  accursed  tree  ;  when  he  saw  his 
unhappy  mother  pierced  with  anguish,  by  his  side,  he  forgot  his 
own  woes ;  commended  her  to  the  care  of  his  beloved  disciple 
Joh?i,  as  his  future  mother ;  and  that  disciple  to  her,  as  her  future 
son  ;  and  thus  made  provision  for  her  maintenance  and  comfort 
through  life.     Thus  he  began ;  and  thus  he  ended. 

Secondly.  Of  the  same  perfect  nature  were  his  Candour  and  Li- 
berality. 

The  spirit,  which  is  denoted  by  these  two  names,  is  substantially 
the  same  ;  and  differs,  chiefly,  by  being  exercised  toward  different 
objects.  That  this  spirit  should  exist  at  all  in  Christ  will  naturally 
seem  strange  ;  when  we  remember,  that  he  was  born  of  a  humble  fa- 
mily, in  the  most  bigoted  nation  in  the  world,  and  in  the  most  bigot- 
ed age  of  that  nation ;  and  was  educated  in  that  humble  manner, 
which  naturally  leads  the  mind  to  imbibe  with  reverence  the  bigot- 
ed sentiments  of  the  great,  and  to  add  to  them  the  numerous  and  pe- 
culiar prejudices  springing  from  ignorance.  But  from  all  this  influ- 
ence he  escaped  without  the  least  contamination.  There  is  not  an 
instance,  recorded  in  his  life,  in  which  he  was  more  attached  to  any 
person,  or  thing,  or  more  opposed  to  either  than  truth  and  wisdom 
must  entirely  justify.  There  is  no  instance,  in  which  he  ever  cen- 
sured, or  commended,  those  of  his  own  nation,  or  of  any  other, 
either  more,  or  less,  than  plain  justice  demanded.  On  the  contra- 
ry, he  commended  every  thing,  approved  by  wisdom  and  piety  ; 
and  reproved  every  thing  bigoted,  partial,  prejudiced,  and  faulty, 
in  man. 

A  great  part  of  the  people  of  his  nation  were  his  enemies  ;  and 
among  the  most  bitter  of  these  were  the  Pharisees.  Yet  he  said  to 
his  disciples.  The  Scribes  and  Pharisees  sit  in  Moses''  seat  :  all,  there- 
fore^  that  they  say  unto  you.  do.     But  do  ye  not  after  their  works  / 


1 5S  PRIESTHOOD  OF  CHRIST.  [HER.  LI. 

for  they  say  ^  and  do  not.  No  commendation  of  the  precepts  of  these 
men  could  easily  have  been  conveyed  in  more  expressive  language 
than  this.  By  directing  his  disciples  to  follow  their  precepts,  he 
declared  them,  in  forcible  terms,  to  be  true  and  right :  that  is,  with 
such  exceptions,  as  he  has  elsewhere  made,  and  as  the  same  exact 
regard  to  truth  demanded. 

The  same  disposition  he  manifested  in  the  case  of  the  Syrophe- 
nician  woman  ;  and  in  that  of  the  Roman  Centurion.  The  Jews  con- 
sidered all  the  heathen  nations  as  deserving  nothing  but  contempt 
and  detestation,  and  called  them  dogs.  But  Christ  preferred  the 
faith  of  the  Centurion,  although  a  Roman,  to  that  of  all  other  per- 
sons, with  whom  he  conversed  ;  even  to  that  of  his  own  Apostles. 

In  the  same  generous  manner  he  treated  ihc  publicans ;  regard- 
ed by  their  countrymen  as  the  vilest  of  sinners.  In  the  same  man- 
ner, also,  he  treated  the  Samaritans ;  against  whom  the  Jews  exer- 
cised the  most  furious  hatred,  and  with  whom  they  refused  to  have 
any  dealings ;  even  those  of  the  most  indifferent  and  necessary  kind. 

The  same  disposition  he  showed  with  respect  to  doctrines,  opin- 
ions, and  customs.  No  specimen  can  be  produced,  from  the  his- 
tory of  his  life,  of  bigoted  attachment  to  his  own  doctrines,  or  those 
of  his  nation,  or  those  of  his  friends  ;  of  prejudice  against  those  of 
strangers  or  enemies  ;  of  favouritism  or  party  spirit  ;  of  contract- 
ed regard  to  any  custom  because  sanctioned  by  public  usage,  or 
general  respect,  of  reluctance  to  conform  to  any  innocent  practice, 
by  whomsoever  adopted  ;  or  of  any  narrowness  of  mind  whatever. 

When  invited  to  a  marriage,  he  cheerfully  went ;  when  bidden  to 
a  feast,  he  readily  consented  to  become  a  guest.  Nor  did  it  make 
any  difference,  because  the  host  was  on  the  one  hand  Matthew  or 
Zaccheus,  a  publican;  or,  on  the  other,  Si7non,  a  Pharisee.  In  a 
word,  he  adopted,  and  commended,  nothing,  except  what  was  true 
and  right ;  and  neither  refused,  nor  condemned,  any  thing,  except 
that  which  was  false  and  evil.  Nor  did  it  make  the  least  diflerence 
with  him,  whether  that  which  was  approved,  or  censured,  was 
adopted  by  friends,  or  enemies. 

Thirdly.  His  Prudence  was  consummate  on  all  occasions. 

Particularly  was  it  manifested  in  avoiding  the  wiles,  and  open 
assaults,  of  the  Jews.  Notwithstanding  the  invincible  firmness  of 
mind,  universally  displayed  by  our  Saviour;  notwithstanding  he 
lost  no  opportunity  of  doing  good ;  yet  he  never  wantonly  expos- 
ed himself  to  any  suffering  ;  discovering  clearly,  on  every  occasion, 
a  total  opposition,  to  that  vain  and  idle  fool-hardiness,  which  rushes 
into  danger,  merely  to  gain  the  reputation  of  being  courageous. 

The  same  prudence  is  strongly  evinced  in  teaching  his  disciples, 
and  others,  as  their  minds  were  able  to  receive  his  instructions  ; 
giving  milk  to  babes,  and  strong  meat  to  men  ;  opening  new  doc- 
trines, and  duties,  by  degrees ;  and  never  pouring  new  wine  into  old 
bottles.  At  the  same  time,  he  commended  his  precepts,  both  to  the 
heart  and  the  understanding,  by  their  form.     At  one  time,  he  com- 


3ER.  LI]  HIS   HOLINESS  I5g 

municated  them  in  short  aphorisms  ;  easily  understood,  deeply  felt, 
long  remembered,  and  readily  applied  to  practice.  At  another, 
he  conveyed  them  in  parables ;  simple,  beautiful,  natural,  and  af- 
fecting ;  catching  the  imagination  and  feelings,  as  well  as  convinc- 
ing the  understanding.  At  another,  he  entered  into  plain,  but  pro- 
found, curious,  and  unanswerable,  reasonings  :  showing,  both  from 
the  works  and  the  word  of  God,  that  his  precepts  were  just,  and  his 
doctrines  true.  Thus  he  charmed  by  variety  and  novelty,  as  well 
as  proved  by  argument  and  evidence ;  and  became,  innocently, 
all  things  to  all  men  ;  that  at  least  he  might  gain  some. 

The  same  character  he  discovered  in  a  manner  not  less  remark- 
able, in  answering  the  questions,  and  resolving  the  cases,  proposed 
to  him  by  the  Pharisees  and  Sadducees.  In  every  instance  of  this 
nature  he  refuted  their  arguments,  exploded  their  opinions,  defeated 
their  crafty  designs  against  him,  and  publicly  put  them  to  shame 
and  to  silence.  Thus  he  beautifully  illustrated  the  truth  of  that 
memorable  declaration,  which  he  had  anciently  made  concerning 
himself,  /,  zvisdom,  dwell  zuith  prudence. 

The  same  truth  he  still  more  strikingly  illustrated  by  the  uniform 
tenour  of  his  life.  This  was  such,  as  to  defeat  all  the  malicious 
accusations  of  his  numerous  and  bitter  enemies ;  and  to  place  his 
character  beyond  a  doubt  of  its  innocence  and  uprightness.  To 
this  end,  it  was  not  sufficient  that  he  was  really  innocent  and  up- 
right. It  was  additionally  necessary,  that  he  should  be  consum- 
mately prudent.  In  proportion  to  their  want  of  prudence,  all 
men  are  endangered  in  this  respect ;  and  most  become  sufferers. 
But  Christ  was  regularly  considered  as  an  innocent  man  by  all 
persons,  even  of  moderate  candour ;  had  a  high  reputation  for 
worth  in  the  eyes  of  the  public  ;  and,  when  tried  on  the  accusa- 
tion of  enemies  and  villains,  before  a  malignant  and  unprincipled 
tribunal,  was  pronounced  clear  of  every  imputation.  Equal  proof 
of  prudence,  as  well  as  innocence,  was  never  furnished  in  the  pres- 
ent world. 

Fourthly.  His  integrity  was  equally  perfect. 

This  dignified  characteristic  is  strongly  visible  in  several  of  the 
things  already  recited  as  proofs  of  his  Candour:  candour  itself 
being  no  other  than  a  particular  mode  of  exercising  integrity.  Of 
this  nature  are  his  impartial  censures  and  commendations  of  his 
friends  and  his  enemies.  The  same  spirit  is  conspicuous  in  his  re- 
proofs, which,  on  the  one  hand,  were  bold,  open,  and  sincere,  and 
on  the  other,  were  perfectly  free  from  selfishness  and  ill  nature. 
It  is  also  strikingly  evident  in  the  perfect  simplicity  of  his  instruc- 
tions and  conversation.  In  them  all,  there  cannot  be  found  a 
single  instance  of  flattery,  sarcasm,  ambiguity,  vanity,  arrogance. 
or  ill-will.  Nay,  nothing  is  enhanced  beyond  the  strictest  bounds 
of  propriety.  Nothing  is  so  coloured  as  to  deceive  ;  nothing  left 
so  defective  as  to  mislead.  The  strongest  specimen,  ever  given 
of  integrity,  in  the  manner  of  communication,  is  found  in  the  in- 
structions of  Christ. 


160  PRIESTHOOD  OF    CHRIST  [SER.  LI 

Many  persons  have  been  distinguished  for  their  integrity ;  and  so 
distinguished,  as  to  leave  behind  them,  in  their  history,  hitle  or  no 
stain  upon  their  reputation  in  this  respect.  But  Christ  dilTers,  evi- 
dently, from  them  all  in  the  degree  in  which  he  manifested  this  at- 
tribute ;  and  so  differs  from  them,  as  that  simplicity  and  openness 
of  communication  forms  a  remarkable  characteristic  of  the  stifle, 
in  which  he  spoke ;  and  constitutes,  eminently,  what  may  be  called 
his  ozvn  original  manner.  As  this  runs  through  all  his  discourses, 
as  recited  by  the  several  Evangelists  ;  it  is  evident  from  this  fact, 
that  it  was  his  own  manner,  and  not  theirs. 

The  same  illustrious  attribute  was,  in  the  same  manner,  evinced 
in  all  his  conduct.  By  applause  he  was  never  allured  :  by  obloquy 
he  was  never  driven.  Popular  favour  he  never  coveted  :  popular 
odium  he  never  dreaded.  To  friends  and  enemies,  to  the  populace 
and  the  Sanhedrim^  he  declared  truth,  and  proclaimed  their  duty, 
without  favour  or  fear.  When  he  stood  before  the  Sanhedrim,  and 
was  on  trial  for  his  life  ;  being  adjured  by  the  high  priest  to  declare 
whether  he  was  the  Son  of  God;  he  boldly  said,  though  he  knew 
that  death  would  be  the  consequence,  lam.  And,  to  place  the 
declaration  beyond  all  reasonable  doubt,  subjoined,  And  ye  shall 
see  the  Son  of  nian  sitting  on  the  right  hand  of  power,  and  com- 
ing in  the  clouds  of  heaven.  In  a  word,  he  treated  all  men,  while 
he  was  teaching,  exhorting,  and  reproving  them,  as  being  merely 
rational  and  immortal  beings  ;  and  not  as  friends  or  enemies  ;  nor 
as  members  of  any  sect,  party,  or  nation.  In  this  manner  he  lefl 
a  noble  example  to  every  succeeding  Teacher  of  mankind 

5thly.   His  Benevolence,  also,  was  without  an  example. 

Many  of  the  observations,  already  made,  strongly  illustrate  this 
glorious  attribute  of  the  Redeemer.  It  will,  however,  be  useful  to 
mention  other  things,  more  particularly,  as  exemplifications  of  this 
disposition.  Among  the  numerous  miracles,  wrought  by  Christ, 
there  is  not  one  which  was  not  performed  for  the  direct  purpose  of 
lessening  distress,  or  danger,  or  producing  safety,  comfort,  and 
happiness,  to  mankind.  Many  of  these  miracles,  also,  were 
wrought  for  those,  whom  he  knew  to  be  his  enemies;  with  the  full 
conviction,  on  his  part,  that  they  would  continue  to  be  his  enemies. 
While  his  life  was  filled  up  with  that  peculiarly  bitter  provocation, 
which  arises  from  ingratitude,  daily  repeated,  never  wearied,  and 
even  increased  by  the  very  kindness  which  should  have  melted  the 
heart ;  even  this  provocation  never  slackened  his  hand,  nor  moved 
his  resentment.  When  he  came  in  sight  of  that  ungrateful  city, 
Jerusalem,  where  so  many  prophets  had  been  killed,  where  so  ma- 
ny of  his  benevolent  offices,  and  so  many  of  his  wonderful  miracles 
had  been  performed  in  vain;  notwithstanding  all  the  injuries  which 
he  had  received  from  the  inhabitants  ;  notwithstanding  they  were 
now  employed  in  devising  means  to  take  away  his  life  ;  he  joept 
over  the  guilty,  abandoned  spot ;  and  cried  with  inexpressible  ten- 
derness,  O  Jerusalem!  Jerusalem!  that  killest  the  prophets,  and 


SER.  LI]  HIS  HOLINESS.  ]6l 

ftonest  them  who  are  sent  unto  thee,  how  often  zoould  Ihave  gathered 
thy  children  together,  even  as  a  hen  gathereth  her  chickens  under 
her  wings;  and  ye  would  not.  On  the  Cross  he  forgave  and  prayed, 
and  secured  eternal  hfe,  for  murderei's,  while  they  were  imbruing 
their  hands  in  his  blood,  and  rendering  a  most  bitter  death  still  more 
bitter  by  adding  insult  to  agony.  At  the  same  time,  he  communi- 
cated faith,  and  peace,  and  hope,  the  forgiveness  of  sin,  and  an 
earnest  of  immortal  glory,  to  the  miserable  malefactor,  who,  by  his 
side,  hung  over  the  burnings  of  devouring  fire. 

6thly.  Equally  wonderful  was  his  disi/Uerestcdness. 

This  attribute,  though  often  considered  as  the  same  with  benevo- 
lence, is  really  a  qualification  of  benevolence  :  as  is  evident  from 
the  mere  phraseology,  so  customarily  adopted,  of  disitderested  be- 
nevolence. But  it  is  the  crown,  the  glory,  the  finishing,  of  this  char- 
acter. 

There  is  not  an  instance,  in  which  Christ  appears  to  have  pro- 
posed his  own  private,  separate  good,  as  the  end  either  of  his 
actions  or  sufferings.  He  came  to  live,  and  die,  for  others ;  and 
those,  enemies,  and  sinners.  From  them  he  needed,  and  could  re- 
ceive, nothing.  From  him  they  needed  every  thing ;  and  from  him 
alone  could  they  receive  that  which  they  needed.  For  such  beings 
all  his  labours,  instructions,  and  sorrows,  were  planned,  and  com- 
pleted. The  objects  which  he  had  in  view,  were  the  most  disinter- 
ested, public,  and  honourable,  which  the  Universe  has  ever  known  ; 
the  deliverance  of  mankind  from  sin  and  misery,  their  elevation  to 
virtue  and  happiness,  and  the  supreme  glory  of  God  in  this  divine 
and  most  wonderful  work.  These  objects  he  accomplished  with 
extreme  difficulty  and  self-denial,  and  wnth  immense  expense  on 
his  own  part.  This  arduous  work  he  began  with  a  fixed  purpose; 
pursued  with  unshaken  constancy  ;  and  triumphantly  completed,  in 
spite  of  every  discouragement,  difficulty,  and  danger.  On  all  his 
progress  heaven  looked  with  wonder  and  gratulation ;  and,  at  his 
return  to  that  happy  world,  the  ransomed  of  the  Lord  exclaimed, 
and  will  for  ever  exclaim,  Worthy  is  the  Lamb  that  was  slain,  to  re- 
ceive power,  and  riches,  and  wisdom,  and  strength,  and  honour,  and 
glory,  and  blessing. 


Vol.  II.  21 


SERMON  LII. 


THE    PRIESTHOOD    OF    CHRIST. HOLINESS    OF    CHARACTER. HIS 

SELF-GOVERNMENT. 


Hebrews  vii.  26. — For  such  an  high  priest  became  us,  who  is  holy,  harmless,  unde- 
filed,  separate  from  sinners,  and  made  higher  than  the  heavens. 

IN  the  preceding  discourse,  I  considered  the  holiness  of  Christ 
as  one  great  branch  of  his  Priestly  character.  In  the  course  of  this 
consideration  I  stated,  summarily,  my  views  concerning /At  y/mnncr, 
inzohich  Christ  performed  the  duties,  owed  by  him  imrnediately  to 
God,  and  to  mankind.  I  shall  now  make  a  few  observations  con- 
cerning those,  which  he  owed  more  immediately  to  himself.  The  two 
former  classes  are  generally  denoted  by  the  nsunes  piety  and  benevo- 
lence ;  the  latter  is  usually  denominated  temperance,  or  self-govern- 
m,cnt. 

It  ought,  here,  to  be  observed,  that  our  Saviour's  life  was  regu- 
lated by  the  rules  of  perfect  virtue  in  all  those  ordinary  and  less- 
delicate  cases,  in  which  mankind  so  conmionly  transgress  ;  and  in 
which  we  usually  look  for  the  proofs  of  a  gross  and  guilty  charac- 
ter. The  truth  is,  imputations  of  the  kind  here  referred  to,  are 
not  made  on  the  Redeemer  even  by  the  worst  of  men ;  and  have 
ceased,  notwithstanding  the  groundless  and  brutal  calumnies  of  his 
contemporary  enemies,  who  accused  him,  as  a  man  gluttonous  and 
a  wine-bibber,  a  friend  of  publicans  and  sinners,  to  have  any  place 
in  the  belief,  or  even  in  the  obloquy,  of  mankind.  To  say,  that 
our  Saviour  was  chaste,  and  temperate,  is  so  far  from  seeming  like 
a  commendation  of  his  character,  that  it  rather  wears  the  aspect 
of  that  cold  approbation,  which  is  considered  as  grudged  ;  and 
is  yielded,  merely  because  it  cannot  with  decency  be  refused. 
Nay,  it  may  with  strict  propriety  be  said,  that  the  very  approach 
to  this  subject  savours  in  a  degree  rather  of  impropriety  and  in- 
delicacy;  and  wears  more  the  appearance  of  an  anxious  and  sedu- 
lous disposition  to  shield  a  doubtful  reputation,  by  watchful  efforts 
to  say  every  thing,  which  can  be  said,  in  its  favour,  than  of  a  sober 
determination  to  utter  the  sincere  approbation  of  the  understand- 
ing, and  the  just  applause  of  the  heart. 

With  these  observations  premised,  I  observe, 

1st.   That  the  Industry  of  Christ  was  wonderful. 

St.  Peter  describes  the  character  of  the  Redeemer  in  these  me- 
morable words :  Who  went  about  doing  good.  Acts  x.  38.  This 
emphatical  description  exhibits  the  active  part,  or  side,  of  his  life, 
just  as  it  really  was  ;  and,  though  extremely  summary,  it  is  com- 


SER.  Ill.l  HIS  SELF-GOVERNMENT.  163 

plete.  Doing  good  was  his  only  proper,  professional  employment ; 
in  this  employment  he  did  not,  like  other  beneficent  persons,  stay 
at  home,  where  he  might  meet  with  solitary  and  casual  objects  of 
his  kindness,  but  went  unceasingly  from  place  to  place,  to  find  the 
greatest  number,  and  those  on  whom  his  kindness  might  be  most 
advantageously  employed. 

The  whole  life  of  Christ  was  a  perfect  comment  on  this  text. 
He  himself  has  often  told  us  his  own  views  concerning  the  great 
duty  of  industry  in  the  service  of  God.  When  his  mother  gently 
reproved  him  for  the  anxiety,  which  he  had  occasioned  to  his  pa- 
rents, when,  at  twelve  years  of  age,  he  staid  behind  at  Jerusalem, 
while  they  went  forward  three  days'  journey  towards  Mtzareth;  he 
rephed.  How  is  it,  that  ye  have  sought  me  ?  Wist  ye  not,  that  I  must 
be  about  my  Father'' s  business?  This  honourable  scheme  of  life, 
so  early  adopted,  and  so  forcibly  expressed,  was  the  uniform  rule 
of  his  conduct  at  every  succeeding  period  ;  and  is  often  mentioned 
by  him,  as  such,  during  the  progress  of  his  public  ministry.  Thus, 
in  his  reply  to  the  disciples,  asking  him  a  question  concerning  the 
man  who  was  born  blind,  he  said,  /  must  work  the  works  of  him  that 
sent  me,  while  it  is  day.  The  night  cometh,  when  no  man  can  work. 
John  ix.  4.  Thus,  when  the  Pharisees  informed  him,  that  Herod 
would  kill  him,  and  urged  him,  therefore,  to  get  him  out,  and  depart 
thence,  he  said  unto  them,  Go  ye,  and  tell  that  fox.  Behold,  I  cast 
out  devils,  and  I  do  cures,  to-day  and  to-morrow  ;  and  the  third  day 
I  shall  be  perfected.  Nevertheless,  I  must  work  to-day,  and  to-mor- 
row, and  the  day  following.  Thus,  also,  he  declared,  universally, 
the  character  of  his  life,  in  those  memorable  words.  The  Son  of 
man  came  not  to  be  ministered  unto,  but  to  minister.  Who  could 
claim,  with  so  much  propriety,  to  be  ministered  unto,  as  Christ  ? 
From  whom  ought  not  ministering  to  be  expected,  rather  than  from 
him  ?  Finally,  when  he  was  conversing  with  the  woman  of  Sychar, 
and  his  disciples  solicited  him  to  eat,  he  answered.  My  meat  is  to  do 
the  will  of  Him  that  sent  me,  and  to  finish  his  work. 

In  exact  accordance  with  the  spirit  of  these  declarations,  we 
find  immediately  after  his  baptism,  going  into  the  wilderness,  to 
suffer,  and  to  overcome,  in  his  temptation.  As  soon  as  this  was 
ended,  he  journeyed  unceasingly  throughout  Judea,  Galilee,  and  Be- 
rea,  and  occasionally  in  the  neighbouring  countries ;  instructing, 
heahng,  comforting,  and  befriending,  all,  whom  he  found  willing  to 
hear  his  words,  or  fitted  to  receive  his  assistance.  His  early  life 
was  a  hfe  of  industrious  labour,  literally  so  called.  His  public 
life  was  also  an  uninterrupted  course  of  laborious  exertions,  made  in 
a  different  manner ;  a  period,  filled  up  with  duty  and  usefulness. 
With  an  unwearied  hand  he  scattered  blessings  wherever  he  went. 
The  manner  in  which,  and  the  object  to  whom,  the  good  was  to  be 
done,  were  to  him  things  indifferent,  if  it  was  really  done.  Whether 
they  were  friends  or  enemies,  Jews  or  Heathen,  disciples  or  stran- 
gers ;  whether  they  were  to  be  taught,  healed,  restored  to  sight, 


164  PRIESTHOOD  OF  CHRIST.  [SER.  LIL 

heariiic;,  or  life;  he  was  always  prepared  to  bestow  the  blessing, 
wherever  tliere  was  necessity  to  demand,  or  faith  to  receive,  it. 
So  wonderfully  numerous  were  the  labours  of  Christ,  as  to  furnish 
a  solid  foundat.on  of  propriety  for  l!iat  hyperbolical  and  singular 
decliration  of  St.  Jo/tn,  with  which  he  concludes  his  Gospel:  Jliid 
there  are  also  laany  other  things,  zvhich  Jesus  did  ,•  the  which,  if 
they  should  be  zvritten,  every  one,  I  suppose,  that  even  the  world  it- 
self could  not  contain  the  books  that  should  be  written.     Amen. 

A  stronger  instai.ce  of  tiiis  disposition  can  hardly  be  given,  than 
one  of  those,  to  which  I  have  already  alluded.  Hungry,  weary, 
and  faint,  in  his  j  ~)urney  through  the  country  of  Samaria,  he  came 
to  the  neighbourhood  of  the  city  Sychar,  and  seated  himself  on  Ja- 
cobs well,  A  woman,  a  miserable  inhabitant  of  that  city,  came 
out  to  draw  water,  and  presented  iiim  with  an  object,  to  whom  good 
might  be  done,  and  who  infinitely  needed  it.  Forgetting  all  his 
own  suhcrings,  our  Saviour  applied  himself  with  the  utmost  dili- 
gence to  accomplish  the  conversion  of  this  sinful  woman,  and  that 
of  her  countrymen.  After  he  had  conversed  a  considerable  time 
with  her,  she  left  him,  to  call  the  peoj)lc  of  the  city.  His  disciples 
then  prayed  him,  saying,  Master,  eat.  But  he  said  unto  them,  I  have 
meat  to  eat,  that  ye  know  not  of.  Therefore  said  the  disciples  one  to 
another,  Hath  any  man  brought  him  aught  to  eat?  Jesus  saith  unto 
them.  My  meat  is  to  do  the  will  of  Him  that  sent  me,  and  to  finish 
his  work.  The  sentiments,  here  expressed,  and  on  this  occasion 
gloriously  exemplified  in  the  diligence,  with  which  he  devoted  iiim- 
self  to  the  business  of  converting  this  poor  woman,  and  her  neigh- 
bours, were  the  rules,  by  which  he  governed  his  whole  life. 

As  he  drew  near  to  the  close  of  his  ministry,  he  appears  to  have 
been  even  more  industrious,  if  possible  ;  and  to  have  taught,  and 
done,  more,  than  during  any  former  period  of  the  same  length  :  as 
if  he  thought  the  remaining  time  valuable,  in  proportion  to  its 
shortness. 

Thus  he  was  able  to  say  with  perfect  confidence,  and  exact 
truth,  after  he  had  ended  his  ministry,  Father,  I  have  glorified  thee 
on  earth  :  I  have  finished  the  zoork  which  thou  gavest  me  to  do. 
2dly.  His  Fortitude  was  not  less  remarkable. 
This  characteristic  of  Christ  is  every  where  discovered,  and  with 
the  highest  advantage.  To  form  just  views  of  it,  we  ought  to  re- 
member, that  he  was  alone,  poor,  and  friendless  ;  that  he  was  more 
opposed  than  any  other  person  ever  was;  and  that  he  was  opposed 
by  the  government,  and  nation  of  the  Jews;  especially  by  the 
learned,  wise,  and  great.  We  ought  to  remember,  that,  wherever 
he  was,  he  found  enemies ;  enemies  to  his  person,  and  to  his  mis- 
sion ;  subtle,  watchful,  persevering,  base,  and  malignant.  All  his 
strength,  in  the  mean  time,  was,  imder  God,  in  himself;  in  his  mind  ; 
in  his  wisdom  and  virtue.  Yet  he  met  every  danger  with  unshaken 
firmness,  with  immoveable  constancy.  He  bore,  not  only  without 
despondency,  without  shrinking,  and  without  a  murmur,  but  with 


SER.  LU]  HIS  SELF-GOVERNMENT.  165 

serenity  and  triumph,  all  the  evils  of  life  ;  and,  except  the  hiding 
of  his  Father's  face,  and  the  manifestations  of  his  anger  against 
sin,  all  the  evils  of  death.  At  the  same  time,  all  this  was  done  by 
him,  while  these  evils  were  suffered  by  continual  anticipation. 

They  were,  in  a  sense,  always  in  his  view.  He  foretold  them 
daily ;  and  yet  encountered  them  with  invincible  constancy.  Other 
men,  however  boldly  and  firmly  they  encounter  actual  calamities, 
are  yet  prone  to  sink  under  such  as  are  expected.  The  distresses 
of  a  foreboding  heart  who  can  bear  ? 

When,  during  his  agony  in  the  garden,  the  sweat  flowed  from 
him  in  the  form  of  great  drops  of  blood;  he  coolly  met  the  guard 
which  approached  to  seize  him,  reproved  Peter  for  his  violence, 
healed  the  wounded  ear  of  Malchus,  secured  the  escape  of  his  dis- 
ciples, and  delivered  himself  up  to  those  very  soldiers,  whom  his 
presence  had  awed  into  statues. 

With  the  same  invincible  spirit  he  endured  the  miseries,  and  in- 
juries, of  the  crucifixion.  All  the  insults,  Avhich  were  mingled  with 
his  agonies  on  the  cross,  were  insufficient  to  remove  his  self-pos- 
session, or  disturb  his  serenity,  for  a  moment.  Amidst  them  all, 
he  was  able  to  forget  himself,  to  pity  and  admonish  the  daughters 
oi  Jerusalem,  to  provide  for  the  future  comfort  of  his  Mother,  and 
to  pray  for  the  forgiveness  and  salvation  of  his  Murderers. 

3dly.  J^ot  less  wonderful  was  his  Meekness. 

Meekness  is  a  voluntary  and  serene  quietness  of  mind  under  pro- 
vocations, perceived  and  felt,  but  of  choice  unresented. 

No  person  was  ever  so  abused,  or  provoked,  as  Christ ;  nor  in 
circumstances,  which  so  greatly  aggravated  the  provocation.  He 
came  from  heaven,  lived,  and  died,  only  to  do  good  to  his  enemies; 
and  received  all  his  abuses,  while  occupied  in  this  divine  employ- 
ment. Ingratitude,  therefore,  and  that  of  the  blackest  kind,  was 
mingled  with  every  injury,  and  added  keenness  to  its  edge.  At 
the  same  time,  every  abuse  was  causeless  and  wanton :  without 
even  an  imaginary  wrong  done  by  him,  to  excite  ill  will  in  his  per- 
secutors. 

But  no  person  ever  bore  any  provocation  with  such  meekness, 
as  he  exhibited  in  every  instance  of  this  nature.  Neither  revenge, 
nor  wrath,  as  this  word  is  usually  understood,  ever  found  a  place 
in  his  breast.  His  character  was  maligned  ;  his  actions  were  per- 
verted by  the  worst  misconstruction ;  himself  was  insulted  often, 
and  alway ;  and  all  the  amiableness  and  worth  of  his  most  benevo- 
lent conduct  insolently  denied  •,  yet  zvhen  reviled,  he  reviled  not 
again  ;  when  he  suffered,  he  threatened  not ;  but  committed  himself 
to  Him  that  judgetli  righteously.  In  his  trial,  particularly,  and  at 
his  crucifixion,  he  was  mocked,  and  insulted,  beyond  example. 
Yet  though  beaten,  buffetted,  pierced  with  thorns,  spit  upon,  de- 
rided with  mock-worship,  and  wounded  with  every  other  insult, 
which  the  ingenuity  of  his  enemies  could  devise,  he  quietly  sub- 
mitted to  them  all. 


leg  PRIESTHOOD  OF  CHRIST.  [SER.  Lll. 

The  nature  of  all  these,  also,  he  perfectly  understood;  and  the 
sting,  which  each  conveyed,  he  deeply  felt.  The  tenderness  of 
Christ's  affections,  the  extiuisiteness  of  his  sensibility,  are  strong- 
ly evident,  not  only  in  the  history  of  his  life,  but  also  in  those  re- 
markable predictions,  contained  in  the  22d,  40th,  69th,  and  88th, 
Psalms.  Here,  in  prophetical  language,  Christ  utters  the  very 
feelings,  which  he  experienced,  both  while  he  lived,  and  when  he 
died.  No  picture  of  sorrow  is  drawn  in  stronger  colours,  or  form- 
ed of  more  vivid  images;  or  can  more  forcibly  exhibit  ex(iuisite 
tenderness  and  sensibility.  In  this  picture,  the  injuries  and  insults 
which  Christ  received,  while  on  earth,  hold  a  distinguished  place  ; 
particularly  those,  which  surrounded  him  at  his  trial  and  cruci- 
fixion. 

The  manner,  in  which  he  felt  them  all,  he  himself  has  explain- 
ed to  us  in  these  psalms  ;  and  has  taught  us  to  consider  them,  as 
filling  his  heart  with  anguish  and  agony.  Still,  he  quietly  yielded 
himself  to  them  all,  without  a  momentary  resentment ;  without  a 
single  reproachful  or  unkind  observation.  No  cloud  of  passion 
appears  to  have  arisen  in  his  breast ;  or  obscured,  for  a  moment, 
the  steady  sunshine  of  his  soul.  Calm,  and  clear,  and  bi'ight, 
amid  the  rage  of  the  tempest  beneath,  he  pursued  his  celestial 
course  with  an  undisturbed  progress,  with  a  divine  serenity. 
4thly.  Equally  extraordinary  was  his  Humility. 
No  person  ever  had  the  same  reason  to  entertain  a  high  opinion 
of  himself;  or  would  have  been  so  naturally  justified,  or  so  far 
excusable,  in  indulging  lofty  thoughts  of  his  own  character,  and 
in  wearing  a  deportment  of  superiority  to  his  fellow-men.  No  per- 
son was  ever  so  ushered  into  the  world.  Think,  for  a  moment, 
what  it  is  for  a  person  to  be  prophesied  of,  during  four  thousand 
years  before  he  was  born ;  to  be  announced  to  the  world,  repeat- 
edly, in  the  songs  and  predictions  of  Angels  ;  to  be  the  Antitype 
of  a  long  train  of  august  institutions,  and  a  glorious  succession  of 
the  most  distinguished  personages,  numbered  among  mankind.  No 
person  ever  did  so  great  and  wonderful  things.  Think  what  a 
splendour  of  character  is  displayed  in  healing  the  sick;  cleansing 
the  leper ;  restoring  soundness  to  the  lame,  hearing  to  the  deaf, 
sight  to  the  blind,  and  speech  to  the  dumb ;  in  calling  the  dead 
from  the  grave  ;  silencing  the  winds  and  the  waves,  and  casting 
out  demons  from  the  possession  of  man  ;  and  all  this  by  a  com- 
mand. Think  what  it  is  to  receive  the  homage  and  obedience  of 
angels  ;  to  be  proclaimed  by  a  voice  from  heaven,  the  beloved  So)i 
of  God;  to  have  the  spirit  of  God  descend  upon  him  in  a  visible 
form  ;  and  to  see  all  nature,  animated  and  unanimated,  obey  his 
voice,  and  execute  his  pleasure  ;  and  thus  to  stand  alone  among 
the  race  of  Adam,  exempted  from  the  common  character  of  men 
by  marks,  the  most  clear,  certain,  and  glorious. 

His  situation,  at  the  same  time,  was  such,  as  most  to  excite 
vain  glory,  and  Hatter  ambition.     To  these  wonderful  things  he 


SER.  Lli.]  HIS  SELF-GOVERNMENT.  16? 

rose  from  the  most  humble  condition  of  life  ;  a  condition,  height- 
ening by  contrast  the  splendour  of  all  the  great  things,  which  he 
did,  and  received.  Persons,  rising  from  such  a  condition  into  the 
admiration  of  mankind,  are  usually  much  more  strongly  affected, 
than  those,  who  have  lived  always  in  superior  circumstances,  and 
been  from  the  beginning  objects  of  distinguished  applause. 

Christ  also  possessed  far  more  wisdom,  than  any  other  person 
ever  possessed ;  wisdom,  respecting  the  most  noble  and  sublime 
subjects  ;  such  as  the  character  of  God,  the  invisible  world,  di- 
vine Providence,  and  the  nature,  duties,  and  everlasting  concerns, 
of  man.  On  all  these  subjects,  the  wisdom,  contained  in  his  in- 
structions, totally  excels  all  the  wisdom  of  the  greatest  and  wisest 
men  of  every  age.  This  wisdom,  also,  he  possessed  without  the  aid 
of  education.  His  precepts  and  doctrines  were  his  own  ;  and  un- 
derived  from  any  preceding  instruction.  But  nothing  more  inflates 
the  pride  of  wise  men,  than  to  be  indebted  for  their  wisdom  to 
themselves  alone  ;  to  native  genius,  to  original  thought,  invention, 
and  research ;  and  thus  to  have  become  the  authors  of  discoveries, 
which  have  eluded  the  ingenuity,  and  escaped  the  invention,  of  all 
who  went  before  them. 

These  things  his  countrymen  saw,  heard,  and  acknowledged ; 
and  that,  in  a  manner,  experienced  by  no  other  inhabitant  of  this 
world.  They  saw  him  often  engaged  in  disputes  with  the  greatest 
men  of  his  age  and  country,  concerning  subjects  of  the  highest  im- 
portance. They  saw  him  uniformly,  and  completely,  victorious, 
and  them  always  put  to  silence,  and  to  flight.  His  triumph  they 
not  only  beheld,  but  frequently  enjoyed  ;  and,  on  account  of  it, 
publicly  gave  glory  to  God.  They  declared  him  to  be  a  prophet ; 
the  peculiar  Prophet  promised  by  Moses  ;  and  the  Messiah  ;  rang 
his  praises  throughout  Jiidea,  and  the  surrounding  countries  ;  at- 
tempted to  make  him  their  King ;  and,  spreading  their  garments 
where  he  was  to  pass,  sung  hosannas  before  him,  to  glorify  his 
character. 

But,  fitted  as  these  motives  were  to  kindle  every  latent  spark  of 
pride  in  the  human  heart,  and  to  blow  up  a  flame  of  ambition  which 
should  reach  to  heaven,  he  was  superior  to  them  all ;  and  that 
from  the  beginning.  At  twelve  years  of  age,  he  astonished  the 
wise  and  great  among  his  countrymen  with  his  wisdom.  Yet  he 
obeyed  the  first  call  of  his  parents ;  and  returned  with  them  from 
the  scene  of  applause  to  their  humble  cottage.  When  his  coun- 
trymen sought  him,  that  they  might  place  him  on  a  throne,  he  re- 
tired into  the  desert.  When  greeted  with  hosannas  by  the  en- 
raptured multitude,  he  changed  neither  his  demeanour,  nor  his 
daily  employments  ;  but  forgot  the  splendour,  the  applause,  and 
himself,  to  weep  over  Jerusalem^  and  deplore  the  approaching 
ruin  of  that  ungrateful  city. 

He  chose  the  humblest  life  ;  the  humblest  associates  ;  the  hum- 
blest food  ;  the  humblest  dress  5  and  the  humblest  manners  ;  and 


HjH  priesthood  of  CHRIST  [SER.  Lll 

voluntarily  yielded  himself  to  the  most  humiliating  death.  Nor 
was  his  character  more  distinguished  by  greatness,  wisdom,  and 
moral  dignity,  than  by  his  humility  of  mind  and  life.  He  himself 
has  alleged  it,  as  one  proof  of  his  Messiahship,  that  Ike  poor  had 
the  Gospel  preached  la  them  by  his  mouth. 

REMARKS. 

I  have  now  finished  the  observations,  which  I  proposed  to  make 
under  the  first  general  head,  mentioned  in  the  preceding  discourse; 
and  have  given  an  account,  so  far  as  I  thought  necessary,  of  several 
things,  in  zohich  the  holiness  of  the  Redeemer  was  exemplified.  The 
second,  viz.  the  importance  of  this  attribute  to  his  priesthood,  1  shall 
reserve  for  future  discussion  ;  and  shall  proceed  to  make  two  or 
three  remarks,  naturally  arising  from  what  has  been  already  said. 

]  St.  We  have  here  seen  ample  proof,  that  Christ  zvas  what  he  de- 
clared himself  to  be. 

The  precepts  of  Christ  required  mankind  to  be  absolutely  holy, 
or  perfect ;  and  allowed  no  defect  of  obedience,  as  well  as  no  de- 
gree of  transgression  :  declaring  this  character  to  be  the  only  one, 
which,  for  its  own  sake,  could  be  accepted  of  God.  In  what  has 
been  said,  we  have  the  fullest  proof,  that  he  was  exactly  such,  as 
he  taught  others  to  be  ;  a  complete  example  of  the  character,  which 
he  required.  Of  all  the  things,  attempted  by  man  on  this  side  of 
the  grave,  none  is  more  difficult,  or  more  transcends  human  efibrts, 
than  the  attainment  of  this  perfection.  The  world  has  never  seen 
a  second  specimen  of  this  character.  Hoav  remote,  then,  must  it 
be,  when  the  best  of  mankind  have  fallen  so  far  short  of  it,  from  the 
possible  attainment  of  hypocrites,  impostors,  and  pretenders ! 
How  distant  from  every  counterfeit !  How  absolutely  unattainable, 
hitherto,  by  the  least  blemished  integrity,  and  the  most  exalted  pie- 
ty, which  has  been  merely  human.  A  single  act,  or  a  few  actions, 
may,  to  the  eye  of  spectators,  seem  great,  spotless,  and  exalted. 
A  retired  life,  little  seen,  and  scarcely  observed,  may  not  disclose 
its  defects.  But  a  life,  spent  in  the  midst  of  mankind,  and  daily 
exposed  to  the  view  of  multitudes,  and  filled  up  with  actions  of 
every  kind,  cannot  fail  to  discover,  even  in  the  best  of  men,  con- 
tinual and  numerous  imperfections.  Perfect  rectitude  of  heart, 
therefore,  can  alone  have  produced  perfect  rectitude  of  life,  in  our 
Saviour.  Of  course,  he  was  what  he  declared  himself,  and  what 
he  is  every  where  declared  to  be,  in  the  Scriptures.  Of  course, 
he  was  the  Messiah;  the  Son  of  God;  the  Saviour  of  Mankind. 
His  doctrines  and  precepts  were  from  God ;  and  require,  with  di- 
vine authority,  the  faith  and  obedience  of  all  men.  His  life  was 
given  as  a  Ransom  for  many,  and  his  flesh  for  the  life  of  the  world. 
He  did  not,  therefore,  die,  to  hear  witness  to  the  truth  of  his  doc- 
trines ;  but  as  a  propitiation  for  sin,  and  a  ransom  for  sinners.  As 
such,  therefore,  we  are  required  to  believe  on  him,  if  we  wish  to  be 
saved. 


SER.  LII]  HIS   SELF-GOVERNMENT.  jg9 

A  strong  additional  proof  of  the  truth,  now  under  consideration, 
IS  furnished  by  the  circumstances  in  which  Christ  was  born,  and  liv- 
ed. He  was  born,  and  educated,  as  has  been  observed  before,  in 
the  humblest  circumstances,  and  continued  in  them  throughout  his 
life.  With  plain  and  ignorant  men  only  did  he  spend  almost  the 
whole  of  his  days ;  men,  whom  he  instructed,  but  from  whom  he 
could  never  receive  instruction.  At  the  same  time,  the  learned 
men  of  his  age  and  country  had  wandered,  in  their  doctrines,  far 
from  truth  and  righteousness.  Their  opinions,  grounded  partly  on 
a  perverted  revelation,  and  partly  on  a  wretched  and  debasing  col- 
lection of  traditions,  were,  to  a  great  extent,  false,  foolish,  and  stu- 
pid, beyond  all  easy  conception.  Their  worship  was  a  vain  and 
miserable  round  of  external  rites.  Their  morals,  also,  were  licen- 
tious, and  polluted  by  all  the  dictates  of  lust,  pride,  and  avarice  ; 
and  their  whole  character  was  a  gross  and  dreadful  mixture  of  big- 
otry, hypocrisy,  oppression,  violence,  and  impurity. 

In  such  an  age,  in  such  circumstances,  among  such  men,  and  in 
the  midst  of  such  errors  and  sins,  Christ  was  born  and  educated, 
lived  and  died.  Let  every  honest,  every  sober,  man  now  say, 
whence  it  arose,  that  he  was  an  exception  to  the  character  of  all 
his  countrymen,  and  to  that  of  mankind ;  that  his  wisdom  trans- 
cended that  of  all  other  men  ;  and  that  his  life  left  that  of  every 
child  oi  Adam  out  of  comparison,  and  out  of  sight :  a  Sun  of  right- 
eousness, at  whose  presence  every  star  disappears  from  the  firma- 
ment. 

2dly.  These  Observations  strongly  evince  the  Inspiration  of  the 
Apostles, 

This  perfect  character  of  Christ  they  have  left  on  record.  It  is 
perfectly  delineated;  not  by  general  description,  or  loose,  unmean- 
ing panegyric ;  but  by  filling  up  a  plain,  simple,  natural  history 
with  characteristical  actions  and  discourses;  and  tracing  features, 
distinct  in  themselves,  and  yet  harmonious  ^  blending  into  one  com- 
plete whole,  totally  distinguished  from  every  other  character,  hith- 
erto drawn  by  man :  as  unlike,  nay  much  more  unlike,  any  other 
person,  ever  seen  or  heard  of,  in  this  world,  than  that  of  Hamlet, 
Lear,  Achilles,  or  Hector. 

Attempts  to  form  such  a  character,  as  should  be  acknowledged 
to  be  perfect,  have  been  often  made ;  but  they  have  invariably 
failed  of  success.  The  efforts  of  the  heathen  philosophers,  and 
poets,  to  paint  their  wise  and  perfect  men,  are  well  known  to  be 
miserably  imperfect.  The  Mneas  of  Virgil  is  a  picture  of  this 
kind ;  but,  notwithstanding  the  genius  of  the  writer,  is  so  far  from 
perfection,  as  not  to  be  even  amiable ;  but  gross,  vicious,  and 
hateful.  The  Wise  Man  of  Philosophy  is  little  better:  for  he  is 
impious,  proud,  impure,  false,  and  unfeeling.  Infidels  have  suc- 
ceeded no  better;  and  even  Christians  have  been  compelled  to 
derive  all,  that  is  good  and  commendable,  in  the  characters  drawn 

Vol.  H.  22 


I  7Q  PRIESTHOOD  01'    CHRIST  [SER.  LH 

by  them,  from  the  very  record  left  by  the  Apostles ;  the  life,  pre- 
cepts, and  doctrines,  of  Christ. 

Whence,  then,  were  these  men  able  to  perform  a  task,  too  hard 
for  all  the  rest  of  their  fellow-men?     Plainly  not  from  learning; 
for  they  had  none  :  not  from  genius;  for  in  this  most  of  them  were 
evidently  excelled  by  many  others :  not  from  the  examples,  fur- 
nished to  them  in  their  own  Scriptures.     Abraham^  the  most  per- 
fect example  of  this  nature,  exhibited  at  length,  is  wonderfully  in- 
ferior to  the  character  of  Christ;  although  wonderfully  superior  to 
the  best  men  of  heathen  antiquity.     All  the  saints  of  the  Old  Tes- 
tament could  not,  Avere  their  excellencies  united,  supply  the  most 
ingenious  mind  with  materials,  out  of  which  the  life  of  Christ  could 
be  formed,  even  by  such  a  mind.     Nor  could  all  the  doctrines, 
contained  in  that  invaluable  book,  enable  such  a  mind  to  originate, 
by  its  own  powers,  the  instructions  of  Christ.     The  character  is  not 
only  superior,  but  singular.     The  wisdom  is  not  only  greater,  more 
various,  and  more  satisfactory;  but  is  wrought  into  forms,  commu- 
nicated in  discourses,  and  started  by  incidents,  all  of  which  are  too 
particular,  too  natural,  and  too  appropriate,  to  admit,  not  the  belief 
merely,  but  the  possibility,  of  their  having  been  compiled.     The 
character  is  perfectly  new  and  original;  like  nothing  which  pre- 
ceded, and  nothing  which  has  succeeded,  it.      At  the  same  time  it 
is  all  of  a  piece ;  every  part  being  suited  exactly  to  every  other 
part,  and  all  the  parts  to  the  whole.     As  this  character  could  not 
have  been  formed  by  the  Apostles,  without  an  actual  example ;  it 
was  equally  impossible,  that  it  should  have  been  formed,  at  the  time 
when  they  wrote,  with  the  aid  of  such  an  example.     The  Gospel  of 
St.  Matthew  was,  according  to  the  earliest  computation,  written,  as 
I  formerly  observed,  eight  years  after  the  death  of  Christ.     How 
plainly  impossible  was  it,  that  he  should  have  remembered  Christ's 
Sermon  on  the  Mount  y  his  Parabolical  Sermon  ;  or  his  discou7'ses 
concerning  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  and  the  final  judgment ! 
How  evidently  impossible  is  it,  that  he  should  have  made  them ! 
Who  could  make  them  now?  Compare  them  with  the  noblest  eflbrts 
of  Socrates,  Plato,  Aristotle,  and  Cicero.     Who,  now,  what  peasant, 
what  beggar,  what  child  of  twelve  years  of  age,  would  take  their 
discourses  as  his  creed;  as  the  directory  of  his  conscience;  as  the 
law  of  his  life?     But  the  discourses  of  Christ  were  the  creed,  the 
wisdom,  the  boast,  the  glory,  of  Bacon,  Locke,  J\fcwton,  Butler, 
Boyle,  Berkley,  Addison,  and  Johnson.     Can  it  be  imagined,  that 
this  Jewish  publican  possessed  a  mind  sufficiently  sublime  and  ca- 
pacious, sufficiently  discerning  and  pure,  to  command  the  admira- 
tion, belief,  and  obedience,  of  these  great  men  ?      Can  it  be  be- 
lieved, that,  with  all  the  wisdom  of  the  world  before  them,  and 
their  own  superior  understanding  to  direct  their  choice,  they,  and 
ten  thousand  other   enlightened  men,  should  bow,  with  a  single 
heart  and  voice,  to  precepts  and  instructions,  devised  by  the  mere 
native  abilities  of  this  uneducated  inhabitant  of  Judea  ? 


aER.  LIL]  HIS  SELF-GOVERNMENT.  171 

But  i{  Matthew  could  not  have  devised,  nor  remembered,  the  life 
and  discourses  of  Christ ;  what  shall  be  said  of  John  ?  His  Gos- 
pel was  written  about  fifty  years  after  the  death  of  the  Saviour;  and 
contains  more,  and  more  wonderful,  discourses  of  this  glorious 
Person.  All  these,  also,  are  exhibited,  as  springing  out  of  appro- 
priate occasions,  minutely  specified ;  and  are  exactly  fitted  to  each 
occasion.  The  writer,  it  is  to  be  remembered,  was  a  fisherman  on 
the  lake  of  Gtnnesaret ;  and  followed  this  business,  some  time  after 
he  arrived  at  manhood.  A  mere  fisherman,  therefore,  wrote  the 
Gospel  of  St.  John.  Suppose  the  experiment  were  now  to  be 
made.  Suppose  an  American  fisherman,  who  had  read  the  Bible 
from  his  childhood,  were  to  be  employed  to  form  a  new  Gospel, 
and  to  delineate  anew,  as  particularly  as  John  has  done,  the  life 
and  discourses  of  such  a  person  as  Christ ;  both  of  them  to  be 
drawn  wholly  from  the  stores  of  his  own  mind.  What  must  we, 
what  must  all  men,  be  obliged  to  believe,  would  be  the  result  of 
his  efforts  ?  Undoubtedly,  the  same  narrow-minded,  gross,  and 
contemptible  compound,  which  we  now  and  then  behold  in  a  pam- 
phlet, written  by  an  ignorant  man ;  which  scarcely  any  person 
reads  through,  unless  for  the  sake  of  seeing  what  such  a  man  can 
write :  a  production,  devoid  of  understanding,  wisdom,  incident, 
character,  entertainment,  and  thought :  a  trial  of  patience  ;  a  pro- 
vocative of  contempt  and  pity.  Such,  all  analogy  compels  us  to 
believe,  must  have  been  the  Gospel  of  St.  John,  had  it  been  de- 
vised by  the  mere  force  of  his  own  mind. 

That  he  could  have  remembered  the  incidents  and  discourses 
contained  in  it,  after  the  lapse  of  fifty  years,  I  need  not  attempt 
to  disprove:  since  it  was  never  believed,  and  will  never  be  be- 
lieved, by  any  man. 

But  the  Gospel  of  John  was  written  by  a  fisherman.  The  writer 
himself  declares  it ;  and  the  declaration  is  confirmed  by  the  testi- 
mony of  all  antiquity.  Read  this  book ;  consider  the  sublime  and 
glorious  wisdom  which  it  contains,  and  the  wonderful  life  which  it 
records ;  and  then  tell  me,  whether  the  supposition,  that  it  was 
revealed,  or  that  it  was  written  without  Revelation,  involves  the 
greater  miracle. 


SERMON  LIII. 

THE    PRIESTHOOD    OF    CHRIST. HOLINESS     OF     HIS     CHARACTER. 

IMPORTANCE    OF    THIS    ATTRIBUTE    TO    THE    DISTINCTION    OF    HIS 
CHARACTER,  (SiC. 


Hebrews  vii.  26. — For  such  an  high  priest  became  lu,  who  is  holy,  harmless,  un- 
defiled,  separate  from  sinners,  and  made  higher  than  the  heavens. 

In  the  two  preceding  discourses,  1  have  considered  the  personal 
holiness  of  Christ  in  its  three  great  divisions  o{  pieti/,  benevolence, 
and  self-government.  I  shall  now  proceed  to  a  discussion  of  the 
2d. head  of  discourse,  originally  proposed  concerning  this  subject, 
and  endeavour  to 

Explain  the  importance  of  this  attribute  to  Christ,  as  the  High 
Priest  of  mankind. 

I  wish  it  to  be  distinctly  remembered,  that  I  am  not  inquiring 
why  personal  holiness,  or  inherent  moral  excellence,  was  necessary 
to  Christ.  Personal  holiness  is  indispensable  to  every  rational 
being,  in  order  to  his  acceptance  with  God  :  being  no  other  than 
the  performance  of  his  duty  in  whatever  situation  he  is  placed. 
My  inquiries  respect  solely  the  necessity  of  Christ's  manifesting  to 
the  world,  his  holiness  of  character  in  a  life  of  perfect  obedience; 
such  as  he  actually  exhibited.  Christ  might  have  become  incar- 
nate, and  died  immediately ;  and  yet  have  been  a  perfectly  holy 
being.  I  ask  here  why  it  was  necessary  for  him,  as  the  High 
Priest  of  men,  to  exhibit  such  a  life,  as  he  actually  lived. 

The  pre-eminent  holiness  of  Christ  zcas,  in  this  character,  neces- 
sary to  him. 

I.  To  give  him  that  distinction,  zohich  roas  indispensable. 

We  are  so  accustomed  to  regard  Christ  as  an  extraordinary 
Person,  as  hardly  to  ask  for  any  reason,  why  this  peculiarity  of 
character  was  necessary  to  him  ;  or  what  influence  it  had,  or  was 
intended  to  have,  on  his  priesthood.  I  shall  not  be  able  to  do 
justice  to  this  subject;  yet  I  will  suggest  a  few  considerations, 
which  have  occurred  to  me,  at  the  present  lime. 

It  will  be  readily  believed  by  all  persons,  who  admit  the  priest- 
hood of  Christ,  that  this  office  was  the  most  important,  ever  assum- 
ed in  the  present  world.  He  who  has  expiated  the  sins  of  mankind, 
and  opened  the  way  for  their  reconciliation  to  God,  their  restora- 
tion to  holiness,  and  their  introduction  to  heaven,  has,  undoubtedly, 
sustained  the  most  important  character,  and  ])ei-formed  the  most 
important  acts,  which  have  been  ever  known  to  the  human  race. 
That  a  person,  of  whom  these  things  ran  be  truly  said,  must  be 


SER.  LIII]  PRIESTHOOD  OF  CHRIST,  &.C.  I73 

rationally  supposed  to  be  separated  from  the  rest  of  mankind  by- 
many  marks,  both  of  personal  and  official  distinction,  is  an  asser- 
tion, which  needs  no  proof.  All  men  are  by  the  very  nature  of 
the  case  prepared  to  admit,  beforehand,  that  he,  who  is  destined  to 
so  extraordinary  an  office,  must  also  possess  an  extraordinary 
character. 

The  Jcws^  led  by  the  several  predictions,  given  in  their  Scrip- 
tures concerning  the  Messiah,  and  perhaps  in  some  degree,  also, 
by  the  nature  of  the  case,  formed  concerning  him  apprehensions, 
generally  of  this  nature.     They  mistook,  indeed,  the  things,  by 
which  his  personal  character  was  to  be  distinguished ;  but  were 
perfectly  correct  in  their  belief,  that  his  character  was  to  be  singu- 
lar, as  well  as  his  office.     His  life,  in  their  view,  was  to  find  its 
peculiar  distinction  in  external  splendour,  conquest,  and  dominion 
over  all  nations  ;  who  were  to  be  subjugated  by  his  arm.     He  was 
to  reign  with  a  glory,  utterly  obscuring  that  of  every  preceding 
conqueror;  and  was  to  divide  among  them,  his  favourite  people, 
the  pomp,  wealth,  and  power,  of  this  lower  world.     To  them,  as 
the  People  of  the  Saints  of  the  Most  High,  was,  in  a  literal  sense,  to 
be  given  the  kingdom  and  dominion,  and  the  greatness  of  the  king- 
dom under  the  whole   heaven.     To  a  people,  conquered   as  they 
were,  impatient  of  their  yoke,  panting  for  liberty  and  independence, 
proud  of  their  pre-eminence  as  the  chosen  people  of  God,  gross 
in  their  conceptions  of  divine  truth,  and  confining,  with  an  animal 
relish,  all  real  good  to  the  gratifications  of  sense ;  it  can  scarcely 
seem  strange,  that  this  should  appear  a  rational  interpretation  of 
the  prophecies  concerning  the  Redeemer ;  particularly  of  some, 
which  are  couched  in  terms  highly  figurative.     From  such  a  peo- 
ple, in  such  a  state,  we  could  hardly  expect  just  apprehensions 
concerning  those  sublimer  glories  of  the  Messiah,  which   lay  in 
excellence  of  mind,  and  excellence  of  life  ;  obtained  the  unmingled 
complacency  of  the  Father ;  and  called  forth  the  admiration,  love, 
and  homage,  of  all  the  virtuous  among  mankind.     Still,  even  the 
expectations  of  the  Jews  accord  with  the  general  truth,  that  he, 
zoho  sustains  such  an  office,  must  also  possess  a  character  suited  to 
that  offce. 

The  necessity  of  this  character  to  give  distinction  to  Christ  as 
the  High  Priest  of  mankind,  appears  in  a  striking  manner  from  sev- 
eral considerations.  Particularly,  it  was  indispensable  to  the 
accomplishment  of  the  end  of  his  priesthood  ;  and,  therefore,  of  his 
whole  Mediatorial  office,  that  he  should  engage,  to  a  great  extent, 
the  attention  of  mankind.  On  this,  in  a  great  measure,  depended 
the  importance  and  success  of  his  pubhc  ministry,  both  among  his 
cotemporaries,  and  among  men  of  all  succeeding  ages.  Had  he 
not  been  an  object  of  public  curiosity,  and  inquiry,  in  his  own 
time ;  his  instructions,  if  uttered  at  all,  must  have  been  uttered  to 
the  rocks  and  the  winds ;  and  his  character,  unregarded  in  that 
age,  would  have  been  forgotten  in  the  next.     Or,  if  we  suppose  a 


174  PRIESTHOOD  OF  CHRIST ,  HIS  HOLINESS.       [SER.  LIII. 

record  to  have  been  made  of  his  instructions,  they  would  have 
been  the  instructions  of  an  individual,  obscure,  not  only  on  account 
of  his  parentage,  and  the  humble  circumstances  of  his  life,  but  on 
account  of  every  thing  else.  Whatever  they  were  ;  however  w  ise, 
pure,  and  unexceptionable,  they  would  have  failed  to  arrest  the 
attention,  and  command  the  regard,  of  future  times,  because  they 
were  not  enforced  by  a  distinguished  character  in  their  author. 
For  extraordinary  sentiments  the  mind  instinctively  looks  to  an 
extraordinary  man.  If  Christ  had  not  been  separated  from  the 
rest  of  the  children  of  Adam  by  singular  characteristics,  it  would 
have  been  boldly  questioned  whether  these  instructions  ever  came 
from  him ;  and  the  record,  which  asserted  them  to  be  his,  could 
scarcely  have  been  furnished  with  such  proofs  of  authenticity,  as 
to  place  the  question  beyond  rational  doubt.  If  this  point  had 
been  admitted  ;  new  and  equally  perplexing  inquiries  would  have 
arisen  concerning  the  authority  of  the  teacher ;  concerning  the 
strangeness  of  the  fact,  that  God  had  destined  such  a  man  to  the 
office  of  giving  such  precepts  to  the  world ;  and  concerning  the  ir- 
reconcileableness  of  so  insignificant  an  appearance  with  a  charac- 
ter, distinguished  by  such  wonderful  wisdom.  Strong  objections 
are  even  now  made  by  Infidels  to  the  humble  character,  in  which 
Christ  appeared.  What  would  they  not  have  objected,  if  he  had 
been  marked  by  nothing  extraordinary? 

These  observations  respect  Christ  in  all  his  offices.  Had  he 
not  possessed  this  distinction  in  some  clear,  acknowledged  man- 
ner, and  in  a  degree  unquestioned,  he  would  never,  in  any  sense, 
have  become  the  object  of  any  peculiar  regard  ;  and  would,  of 
course,  have  failed  of  the  end  of  his  mission.  The  arguments, 
already  alleged,  are,  therefore,  applicable  to  every  part  of  his 
character  as  Mediator.  But  they  are,  in  some  respects,  peculiarly 
applicable  to  his  Priesthood.  A  great  part  of  the  truths,  which  he 
taught,  respected  himself,  as  the  High  Priest  of  the  human  race. 
These  were  truths,  indispensable  to  the  salvation  of  mankind. 
The  Atonement,  made  by  him  in  this  office  for  the  sins  of  men,  is 
the  only  foundation,  even  for  the  hope  of  eternal  life.  The  belief 
of  men  in  this  great  fact  is  the  basis  of  all  our  confidence  in  Christ 
as  our  Saviour ;  and  this  confidence  is  the  only  mean  of  our  justi- 
fication. But  in  this  fact  few  men,  to  say  the  most,  can  be  sup- 
posed to  have  believed,  had  not  Christ  been  distinguished  from 
other  persons  by  peculiar  and  very  honourable  characteristics. 
There  is  something  so  repugnant  to  all  our  most  rational  and  sat- 
isfactory thoughts,  in  the  supposition,  that  a  person,  ranking  in  all 
things  with  such  beings  as  we  are,  should  sustain  this  glorious 
office,  and  accomplish  this  marvellous  end;  that  it  can  hardly 
be  imagined  to  have  gained  admission  into  the  mind  of  any  sober 
man. 

Should  it  be  answered,  that  a  distinction  of  some  kind  or  other^ 
in  the  degree  specified^  was  indeed,  necessary  to  the  character  of 


SEft  LIIL]  IMPORTANCE  OF  THIS  ATTRIBUTE.  175 

Christ,  in  order  to  render  him  the  object  of  the  confidence,  or 
even  the  attention,  of  mankind  ;  but  that  this  distinction  zoas  suffi- 
ciently established  by  his  power  of  working  miracles,  so  often,  and 
so  illustriously,  exemplified  while  he  was  in  the  world  :  I  answer, 
that  this  power  distinguished  Christ  from  other  inhabitants  of 
the  earth  very  honourably,  but  could  not  distinguish  him  sufficiently 
for  the  purpose  in  view.  For,  to  say  nothing  of  the  fact,  that  in  this 
respect  he  was  not  sufficiently  unlike  Moses  and  Elijah,  who  also 
wrought  many  and  great  miracles,  or  his  Apostles,  who  did  greater 
works  than  his  own ;  to  say  nothing  of  the  contrariety  to  all  rational 
thinking,  in  the  supposition,  that  a  man,  invested  with  no  other 
proofs  of  an  extraordinary  character,  should  work  such  stupendous 
miracles,  or  any  miracles  at  all :  It  is  perfecdy  evident,  that  he 
could  never  be  the  object  of  any  moral  regard,  unless  in  his  moral 
character  he  had  appeared  sufficiently  important  to  claim  it ;  much 
less  of  that  supreme  moral  regard,  Evangelical  Faith.  In  the  ex- 
ercise of  this  Faith,  the  Soul  surrenders  itself  absolutely  into  the 
hands  of  Christ.  But  such  a  surrender  cannot  be  made,  unless 
to  a  being  of  such  consequence,  as  to  make  the  act  rational,  and 
warrantable,  in  the  view  of  the  understanding.  But  the  under- 
standing can  never  be  persuaded,  that  a  person,  undistinguished 
by  pre-eminent  holiness,  however  superior  might  be  his  natural,  or 
supernatural,  endowments,  could  be  regarded  by  God  as  an  ac- 
ceptable propitiation  for  its  sins.  Nor  could  it  by  any  means,  of 
which  I  am  able  to  conceive,  feel  itself  warranted  to  exercise  this 
confidence  toward  any  being,  unpossessed  of  that  consummate 
rectitude,  particularly  of  that  sincerity  and  good-will,  upon  which 
it  is  ultimately  founded.  If  Christ  had  not,  in  this  respect,  been 
superior  to  other  men,  the  faith  placed  in  him  would,  I  think,  have 
been  the  same  with  that,  which  is  placed  in  other  men ;  and  have 
differed  from  that,  neither  in  kind,  nor  degree. 

Holiness  is  the  supreme  distinction  of  moral  beings,  and  the  su- 
preme object  of  moral  regard.  Especially,  in  all  cases,  where  the 
approbation  and  acceptance  of  God,  or  the  confidence  of  intelli- 
gent creatures,  are  concerned ;  is  this  the  object,  on  which  our 
thoughts  ultimately  rest,  in  comparison  with  which  all  others  are 
of  little  importance. 

II.  To  enable  him  to  magnify  the  Law  of  God,  and  make  it  hon- 
ourable. 

Christ  performed  this  important  office,  an  office  predicted  by  the 
Prophet  Isaiah,  and  also  by  himself,  many  ages  before  his  incarna- 
tion, in  a  manner  absolutely  perfect.  The  following  particulars 
will,  if  I  mistake  not,  illustrate  this  subject  with  advantage. 

1st.  Christ  in  his  own  obedience  showed,  that  the  Law  was  capable 
of  being  perfectly  obeyed  by  mankind. 

By  this  I  mean,  that  beings,  possessing  exactly  such  natural 
powers  as  we  possess,  are,  if  properly  disposed,  proved,  by  the 
obedience  of  Christ,  to  be  capable  of  perfecdy  obeying  the  law  of 
God. 


176  PRIESTHOOD  OF  CHRIST;  HIS  HOLINESS.  [SER.  Llll 

There  is  no  reason  to  believe  that  Chri.-.t  |)osscssed  any  other 
natural  powers,  than  those  which  are  possessed  by  mankiiul  gen- 
eniily.  The  diflerence  between  him  and  ihcm,  lay,  radically,  In 
th«  'iisposition  :  Ilis  being  that  of  a  dutiful  child  ;  and  theirs  being 
froward  and  rebellious.  AVith  these  powers  Christ  perfectly  obey- 
ed the  law  of  God ;  and  thus  proveu,  that  it  might  be  perfectly 
obeyed  by  any  other  person,  possessing  the  same  powers.  No 
dilierence  of  mtellect  can  be  pleaded  here;  because,  Christ  thus 
obeyed  m  every  stage  of  his  life  ;  with  the  intelligence  of  an  in- 
fant; of  a  child;  of  a  youth;  and  of  a  man.  The  least  degree 
of  uitelligence  which  he  possessed,  after  he  became  a  moral  agent, 
is,  ilieretore,  sufficient  to  enable  any  other  moral  agent  thus  to  oljey. 
The  difficulty  of  obeying,  experienced  by  us,  does  not,  therefore, 
lie  in  the  want  of  understandino-. 

The  importance  of  this  article  will  be  easily  realized,  if  we  call 
to  mind  how  prone  we  are  to  justify  ourselves  in  sin,  and  to  feel 
secure  from  the  danger  of  punishment,  from  the  consideration  that 
we  have  not,  naturally,  sufficient  power  to  obey;  and,  if  at  the 
same  time,  we  remember,  that,  even  to  the  present  day,  not  only 
ordinary  men  and  plain  Christians,  but  even  philosophers  and  di- 
vines, hold  this  doctrine,  and  insist  on  it  as  a  part  of  their  customa- 
ry instruction.  The  proof  here  furnished,  that  the  doctrine  is 
w  holly  erroneous,  is  complete :  for  it  can  never  be  said  that  the 
mind  of  Christ,  at  its  entrance  upon  moral  agency,  possessed 
more  intelligence,  and  more  natural  ability  to  obey,  than  that  of  a 
mature  man.  Christ  obeyed  throughout  his  infancy  and  childhood. 
Bacon,  Mzoton,  and  Locke,  were  sinful  beings.  The  reason  why 
they  were  sinful  beings,  was  not  a  defect  of  intelligence.  The 
diHcrence  between  them,  as  moral  beings,  and  Christ,  while  an 
infant,  or  a  child,  was  a  moral  difference ;  involved  moral  turpi- 
tude on  their  part ;  and  rendered  them  deserving  of  blame  and 
punishment. 

In  this  manner  Christ  proved  the  practicabihty  of  obedience, 
and  the  reasonableness  of  the  law.  If  He,  with  the  same  natural 
powers  which  we  possess,  could  obey  the  law  ;  obedience  is  natur- 
ally, and  certainly,  practicable  to  us.  If  Christ  obeyed,  while  an 
infant,  or  a  little  child  ;  the  requisitions  of  the  law  cannot  be  unrea- 
sonable. The  importance  of  his  glorifying  the  larv,  in  this  respect, 
needs  no  illustration. 

idly.  Christ,  in  obeying,  furnished  mankind  an  extensive,  and 
most  usefid  comment  on  the  law  of  God. 

A  moment^s  recollection  will  show  us,  if  we  need  to  be  shown, 
that  the  nature  of  all  precepts  is  more  perfectly  seen  in  those  ac- 
tions which  are  conformed  to  them,  than  it  can  be  in  the  abstract 
contemplation  of  the  precepts  themselves.  The  life  of  Christ  was 
exactly  conformed  to  the  precepts  of  the  divine  law  ;  and  was, 
therefore,  a  more  perfect  exhibition  of  their  true  nature,  than  any 
other  of  which  they  were  capable.     It  was,  particularly,  a  perfect 


SER.  LIII.]  IMPORTANCE  OF  THIS  ATTRIBUTE.  177 

exhibition  of  the  nature,  and  extent  of  every  requirement^  so  far  as 
it  was  applicable  to  him.  In  seeing  what  he  did,  we  learn,  exactly, 
whatrwe  are  required  to  do;  more  exactly,  than  we  could  possibly 
learn  from  the  precept  itself. 

It  exhibited,  also,  the  beauty  and  excellency  of  obedience.  This 
is  discerned  very  imperfectly  in  the  mere  contemplation  of  the  pre- 
cept by  which  it  is  required.  That  application  of  the  precept, 
through  which  alone  its  proper  influence  can  be  discerned  by  mere 
contemplation,  is  made  so  imperfectly,  and  seen  so  obscurely,  by 
the  mind,  that  the  proper  efficacy  of  the  precept  cannot,  in  this 
way,  be  ever  realized.  In  example,  in  actions,  on  the  contrary, 
the  true  nature,  the  beauty,  the  desirableness,  of  the  wise  and 
good  precepts,  by  which  such  actions  are  governed,  are  distinctly 
perceived,  and  comprehended.  The  example  of  Christ  is,  be- 
yond debate,  far  the  most  amiable  and  glorious  of  all  the  moral 
objects,  ever  exhibited  to  mankind.  At  the  same  time,  it  is  an  exact 
display  of  the  nature  and  influence  of  the  precepts  of  the  di- 
vine law  ;  as  being  other  than  a  course  of  mere  obedience  to 
them. 

Thus  Christ  has  taught  us  what  it  as  to  obey  the  Law  of  God; 
what  conduct  is  obedience,  in  every  situation  in  which  he  was 
placed ;  in  what  respects,  within  what  limits,  and  to  what  degree, 
obedience  is  to  be  exhibited  •,  what  words  we  are  to  use ;  what  ac- 
tions to  perform;  what  affections  to  indulge,  and  to  discover;  and 
when,  or  how  far,  we  are  to  withhold,  to  restrain,  and  to  deny, 
them  all.  These  several  things,  also,  he  has  taught  us  with  a 
distinctness  and  perfection,  of  which  all  other  instruction  is  inca- 
pable. At  the  same  time  he  has  shown  us  the  beauty  and  loveliness 
of  Obedience  in  the  strongest  colours;  divinely  fair,  divinely  amia- 
ble ;  beheld  by  God  the  Father  with  infinite  complacency;  and 
admired,  loved,  and  adored,  with  supreme  regard,  by  Angels  and 
good  men. 

3dly.  Christ  in  his  obedience  has  made  the  Law  honourable, 
because  it  was  the  Obedience  of  a  Person,  possessed  of  infinite 
dignity. 

I  have  formerly,  and,  as  I  flatter  myself,  Avith  success,  attempted 
to  show,  that  Christ  was  God  as  well  as  Man.  In  these  united  na- 
tures he  was  one  person ;  and  all  his  actions  were  the  result,  not 
only  of  human  views  and  affections,  but  of  a  divine  approbation 
and  choice  ;  of  a  created  mind,  voluntarily  devoted  to  perfect  rec- 
titude, and  to  perfect  truth,  and  thus  coinciding  in  the  most  exact 
manner  with  the  will  of  God ;  and  of  the  divine  wisdom,  compla- 
cently regarding  all  the  dictates  and  conduct  of  this  mind,  and 
concurring  with  it  in  every  affection  and  effort.  The  obedience  of 
Christ  is  the  obedience  of  this  glorious  person. 

As  Christ  is  a  person  of  infinite  knowledge,  it  is  impossible,  that 
he  should  not  discern  with  entire  exactness  the  propriety,  or  im- 
propriety, of  becoming  a  subject  to  the  law  of  God.  in  the  character 

Vol.  II.  23 


178  PIUESTHOOD  OF  CHRIST ;  HIS  HOLINESS.         [SER,  LIII 

of  Mediator.  In  conformity  to  this  perfect  discernment  he  became 
such  a  subject.  In  this  character  he  discerned  with  the  same  ex- 
actness the  propriety,  or  impropriety,  of  all  the  conduct,  presented 
by  the  circumstances  in  which  he  was  placed,  to  his  view  ;  and  of 
course  the  propriety,  or  impropriety,  of  his  absolute  obedience  to 
the  divine  law.     But  in  this  manner  he  actually  obeyed. 

The  infinite  rectitude,  of  Christ  prompted  him  to  that  conduct, 
and  that  only,  which  in  all  respects  was  right.  But,  under  the  in- 
fluence of  this  rectitude,  he  became  subject  to  the  law  ;  and,  when 
he  had  become  a  subject,  conformed  his  whole  life,  in  every  minute, 
as  well  as  every  important  particular,  to  the  precepts  of  that  law. 
In  this  manner  he  showed  with  the  most  decisive  evidence,  the 
evidence  of  life  and  conduct,  that  infinite  knowledge  and  rectitude 
dictated  to  him  to  assume  the  office  of  Mediator  ;  to  become  a  sub- 
ject of  the  divine  law  ;  and  in  that  character  to  yield  to  its  precepts 
an  universal  and  perfect  obedience. 

Christ  is  a  person  of  infinite  dignity.  By  this  I  mean,  not  only 
the  splendour  of  moral  and  intellectual  greatness,  with  which  his 
character  is  invested;  but  the  dignity  also,  which  is  conferred  by 
omnipotence,  eternity,  and  immutability,  and  by  supremacy  of  sta- 
tion and  dominion.  With  this  transcendent  exaltation  over  all 
things  in  heaven  and  in  earth,  he  still  chose  to  become  subject  to 
the  divine  law ;  and,  as  a  subject,  to  obey  every  one  of  its  pre- 
cepts, which  at  any  time  respected  either  his  character  or  his  con- 
duct. Thus  he  taught,  in  a  manner  which  cannot  be  questioned, 
and  with  a  decisiveness  allowing  of  no  doubt,  that  infinite  Knowl- 
edge and  Rectitude  regarded  the  divine  law  as  possessing  such 
infinite  excellence  and  glory,  that  it  was  not  unbecoming  a  divine 
person  to  conform  his  own  actions  to  its  dictates,  even  in  the  mi- 
nutest particulars  ;  that  it  was  not  unsuitable  to  a  divine  person  to 
become  subject  to  its  control,  and  in  this  state  of  subjection  to  obey 
its  precepts  in  an  absolute  manner. 

These  considerations  exhibit  my  own  views  of  that  active  obedi- 
ence, or  Righteous7iess  of  Christ,  by  which  we  are  said  in  the  Scrip- 
tures to  be  justified.  Christ,  as  a  mere  wa7i,  was  of  necessity  subject 
to  the  law  of  God,  equ>.lly  with  all  other  moral  creatures.  His 
obedience  in  this  character,  therefore,  was  necessary  to  his  own 
justification,  and  could  not  be  the  means  of  ours,  .^s  a  divine 
Person,  he  was  subject  to  no  law ;  and  needed,  and  could  need,  no 
justification.  By  the  union  of  his  divine  and  human  natures  he 
became  One  Person,  as  Mediator  between  God  and  man ;  in  such 
a  sense  One,  that  all  his  actions  and  suflferings  became  the  actions 
and  sufl'erings  of  this  One  Mediator.  The  value  which  was  inher- 
ent in  his  conduct,  as  a  divine  Person,  was  in  consequence  of  this 
union  extended  to  all  the  conduct  of  the  Mediator,  Jesus  Christ. 
When,  therefore,  this  glorious  Person  voluntarily  yielded  himself 
.  as  a  subject  of  the  divine  Law ;  the  act  was  the  result  of  infinite 
knowledge,  and  rectitude ;  and  was  instamped  with  the  worth,  ne. 


SER.  LIIL]  IMPORTANCE  OF  THIS  ATTRIBUTE.  179 

cessarily  belonging  to  all  the  determinations,  and  conduct,  to 
which  these  Perfections  give  birth.  The  same  moral  excellence 
and  glory  are  attached  to  all  the  acts  of  Christ's  obedience,  sub- 
sequent to  his  assumption  of  the  character  of  a  subject.  Every 
one  of  them  is  an  act  of  the  Mediator;  and  derives  its  true  worth 
and  importance,  from  the  greatness  and  excellency  of  his  Personal 
character. 

As  Christ  assumed  the  Office  of  a  Mediator,  and  the  condition  of 
a  subject,  voluntarily ;  as  he  was  originally  subject  to  no  law,  and 
could  be  required  to  yield  no  act  of  obedience  ;  he  could,  if  he 
pleased,  become  with  propriety  a  substitute  for  others;  and  per- 
form, in  their  behalf,  vicarious  services,  which,  if  possessing  a  na- 
ture and  value,  suited  to  the  case,  might  be  reckoned  to  their  bene- 
fit, and  accepted  in  their  stead.  Had  these  services  been  due  on 
his  own  account,  and  necessary  to  his  own  justification,  as  all  the 
services  of  Intelligent  creatures  are,  throughout  every  moment  of 
their  existence ;  they  could  never  have  assumed  a  vicarious  char- 
acter, nor  have  availed  to  the  benefit  of  any  person,  at  his  final 
trial,  beside  himself.  JVbry,  the  services  of  the  real  Mediator  were 
all  gratuitous ;  demanded  by  no  law  ;  and  in  no  sense  necessary  to 
the  justification  of  himself.  All,  therefore,  that  could  in  this  case  be 
required,  to  render  them  the  means  of  justification  to  others,  must 
be  these  two  things  only:  that  they  should  be  of  such  a  kind,  as 
to  suit  the  nature  of  the  case  ;  and  that  they  should  be  of  sufficient 
value. 

That  the  actual  services  of  the  Mediator  were  suited  to  the  real 
nature  of  the  case,  we  know  ;  because  they  were  prescribed,  and 
accepted,  by  the  Father.  We  may,  also,  be  satisfied  of  this  truth 
by  the  manner,  in  which  the  subject  is  exhibited  by  the  Scriptures. 
The  law  of  God  is  there  declared,  as  it  is,  also,  by  the  nature  of 
the  fact  itself,  to  be  dishonoured  by  the  transgressions  of  men. 
This  dishonour,  as  is  evident  from  both  these  sources  of  informa- 
tion, is  equally  done  to  the  character  and  government  of  the  Law- 
giver. To  pardon  the  transgressors  in  this  case  would  be  to  con- 
sent to  the  dishonour ;  and  to  acknowledge,  practically,  that  the 
law  which  they  had  transgressed,  the  character  of  the  Lawgiver 
who  prescribed  it,  and  the  government  founded  on  it,  were  unrea- 
sonable and  unjust.  It  would  be  to  declare,  and  that  in  the  most 
solemn  manner,  that  such  obedience,  as  was  enjoined  by  the  law, 
could  not  be  demanded,  nor  expected,  by  a  righteous  and  benevo- 
lent Lawgiver.  But  this  declaration  would  be  false  ;  and  could 
therefore  never  be  made  on  the  part  of  God. 

But,  when  Christ  offered  himself  as  the  substitute  for  sinners,  he 
restored,  to  use  his  own  language,  that,  rohich  he  look  not  away. 
He  restored  that  honour  to  the  divine  law,  character,  and  govern- 
ment, which  men  had  refused  to  render ;  and  removed  the  dishon- 
our, done  to  them  all  by  their  disobedience.  Nay,  he  did  much 
more.     In  obeying  the  precepts  of  the  law,  he  testified,  that  they 


180  PRIESTHOOD  OF  CHRIST;  HIS  HOLINESS.         [3ER.  LIII. 

were  such,  as  Infinite  perfection  was  pleased  to  obey  ;  that  the 
government  founded  on  them,  and  the  character  of  him  who  pub- 
lished them  to  the  universe,  as  the  rule  by  which  he  intended  to 
govern  it  for  ever,  were  of  the  same  glorious  and  perfect  nature. 
This  testimony  none  but  Christ  could  give.  A  testimony  of  equal 
weight,  the  universe  could  not  furnish.  Thus  in  a  manner,  which 
nothing  else  could  rival,  he  magnified  the  law,  and  made  it  honour- 
able, according  to  the  prediction  of  God  by  the  prophet  Isaiah,  in 
the  sight  of  Angels  and  men. 

The  influence  of  this  conduct  of  Christ  upon  the  future  obedi- 
ence of  virtuous  beings  could  not  fail  to  be  supreme.  What  crea- 
ture, however  exalted,  can  refuse  to  be  subject  to  that  law,  to  which 
the  Son  of  God  voluntarily  became  subject  /  Who  can  deny  those 
])recepts  to  be  reasonable,  all  of  which  he  exactly,  and  cheerfully, 
obeyed  ?  Who  can  hesitate  to  believe  that  lazo  to  be  holy,  just,  and 
good ;  who  can  doubt,  that  it  is  infinitely  honourable  to  its  Author, 
and  supremely  beneficial  to  the  universe,  when  he  knows,  and  re- 
members, that  a  person  of  infinite  knowledge,  rectitude,  and  digni- 
ty, of  his  own  accord,  submitted  both  his  affections  and  his  conduct 
to  its  absolute  control.  So  far  as  I  can  see,  higher  glory  was  re- 
flected on  this  great  rule  of  righteousness  by  the  obedience  of 
Christ,  than  could  have  resulted  from  the  united  obedience  of  the 
whole  Intelligent  creation. 

It  is  hardly  necessary  to  observe,  that  the  obedience  of  Christ, 
nnd  his  holiness,  are  convertible  terms  ;  and  that  all  the  importance 
of  the  things,  mentioned  under  these  three  heads,  is  no  other  than 
the  imj)ortancc  of  this  attribute  to  his  priestly  character. 

111.  To  give  the  necessary  ejfficacy  to  his  sufferings  for  man- 
kind. 

The  sufferings  of  Christ  were  of  no  value,  as  mere  sufferings. 
There  is  no  worth,  or  excellence,  in  the  mere  endurance  of  evil. 
The  real  merit  of  the  sufferings  of  Christ,  as  of  all  other  meri- 
torious sufferings,  lay  in  these  two  things  :  that  they  were  under- 
gone for  a  valuable  End ;  and  that  they  were  borne  by  a  good 
Mind  with  the  spirit  of  Benevolence  and  Piety.  The  End,  for 
which  Christ  endured  the  Cross,  and  all  the  other  evils  of  his  hu- 
miliation, was  the  best  of  all  ends  ;  the  glory  of  God,  and  the  sal- 
vation of  men.  The  Mind  of  Christ  is  the  best  of  all  minds  ;  and 
the  Spirit,  with  which  he  encountered,  and  sustained,  his  sufferings, 
was  that  of  supreme  Benevolence  and  supreme  Piety. 

In  undertaking  the  Oflice  of  a  Mediator  between  God  and  man, 
he  gave  the  most  solemn  and  glorious  testimony  to  the  equity  of 
the  divine  law  in  all  its  precepts,  and  in  all  its  jienalties.  In  en- 
during the  sulferings,  which  he  underwent  as  the  substitute  for  sin- 
ners, he  completed  this  testimony  by  cheerfully  consenting,  in  this 
character,  to  obey,  and  to  suffer.  If  he  had  not  been  perfectly 
holy,  he  would,  instead  of  becoming  a  substitute  for  others,  have 


SER.  LIII.]  IMPORTANCE  OF  THIS  ATTRIBUTE.  181 

needed  a  substitute  for  himself,  to  expiate  his  sins.  No  supposi- 
tion can  be  more  absurd,  than  that  Christ  should  make  an  atone- 
ment for  the  sins  of  others,  when  he  needed  an  atonement  for  his 
own  sins ;  or  that  God  should  accept  him  as  a  Mediator  for  sinners, 
when  he  himself  was  a  sinner ;  or  that  he  should  become  the  means 
of  delivering  mankind  from  the  penalty  of  the  law,  when  he  him- 
self deserved  to  suffer  that  penalty. 

Thus  it  is  evident,  that  without  consummate  hohness  Christ 
would  not  only  have  utterly  failed  to  execute,  to  the  divine  accept- 
ance, the  office  of  a  priest ;  but  that  he  could  not  have  entered  up- 
on that  office. 

IV.   To  qualify  him  for  executing  the  office  of  Intercessor. 

Absolute  holiness  seems  entirely  necessary  to  render  the  prayers 
of  any  being,  even  when  offered  up  for  himself,  if  offered  in  his  own 
name,  acceptable  to  God.  The  same  holiness  seems  even  more 
indispensable  to  render  intercession  for  others  accepted ;  and  es- 
pecially for  a  world  of  sinners.  Such  intercession,  also,  appears 
plainly  to  demand,  as  a  previous  and  essential  qualification  on  the 
part  of  the  intercessor,  that  he  should  acknowledge,  in  the  amplest 
manner,  the  perfect  rectitude  of  the  divine  government  in  condemn- 
ing sinners  to  that  punishment,  for  their  deliverance  from  which  his 
intercession  is  undertaken.  It  cannot,  I  think,  be  supposed,  even 
for  a  moment,  that  God  would  accept  of  any  person  in  this  office, 
who  denied,  doubted,  or  did  not  in  the  most  open  and  complete 
manner  acknowledge,  the  equity  and  propriety  of  his  administra- 
tions. It  seems  further  necessary,  that  he,  who  made  this  acknow- 
ledgment, should  be  a  competent  judge  of  the  nature  of  the  divine 
government;  so  that  the  acknowledgment  should  be  made  with 
intelligence  and  certainty,  and  not  be  merely  a  profession  of 
faith. 

The  holiness  of  Christ,  manifested  in  his  obedience  both  to  the 
preceptive  and  penal  parts  of  the  divine  law,  was  the  most  direct 
and  complete  acknowledgment  of  the  rectitude  of  the  divine  law, 
and  the  divine  government,  which  was  possible ;  because  it  was 
voluntarily  undertaken,  and  perfecdy  accomplished.  It  was,  at 
the  same  time,  the  obedience  of  a  person,  who  was  a  finished 
judge  of  the  nature  of  both,  from  the  entire  rectitude  of  his  dispo- 
sition, and  the  unlimited  greatness  of  his  understanding.  It  was, 
also,  the  acknowledgment  of  a  person,  possessed  of  infinite  dignity, 
in  the  nature  of  all  his  attributes,  in  the  supremacy  of  his  station, 
and  in  the  eternal  and  immeasurable  extent  of  his  dominion. 

As  an  intercessor,  therefore,  Christ  comes  before  his  Father, 
both  in  the  most  amiable  and  the  most  exalted  character  ;  having 
confirmed,  beyond  all  future  debate,  the  rectitude  of  his  law  and 
government,  and  supremely  glorified  his  name  in  the  sight  of  the 
Universe ;  and  pleading  with  divine  efficacy  both  his  obedience 
and  his  sufferings,  on  the  behalf  of  those  for  whom  he  intercedes. 


182  PRIESTHOOD  OF  CHRIST;  HIS  HOLINESS.        [SER.  LIU. 

What  must  not  such  an  Intercessor  be  able  to  obtain  ?  From  such 
an  intercession  what  may  not  penitent  sinners  hope  ?  How  plain 
is  it,  that  such  an  high  priest  became  us ;  was  fitted  to  expiate  all 
our  sins,  and  to  secure  to  us  an  inheritance  undejiled  and  unfailing 
in  the  everlasting  love  of  God ;  an  high  priest  who  was  holy,  harm- 
less^ undejiled,  separate  from  sinners,  and  made  higher  than  the 
heavens ! 


SERMON  LIV. 


THE    PRIEStHOOD    OF    CHRIST. HOLINESS    OF    HIS       CHARACTER. 

IMPORTANCE    OF    THIS    ATTRIBUTE. HIS    EXAMPLE. 


1  .ToHN  ii.  5. — He,  that  saith  he  abidelh  in  him,  ought  himself  also  so  to  walk,  even  as 

he  tcalked. 

In  my  last  discourse,  I  considered  the  Importance  of  the  Holi- 
ness of  Christ,  in  his  character  of  High  Priest,  as  being  necessary 
to  give  him  that  distinction,  xoithout  which  the  attention  and  confi- 
dence of  men  could  not  have  been  excited  towards  him  :  as  necessary 
to  enable  him  to  magnify  the  Law  of  God ;  and  to  become  a  propi- 
tiation, and  an  Intercessor,  for  the  children  of  Adam. 

The  subject,  which  naturally  offers  itself  next  for  our  considera- 
tion, is  the  Importance  of  this  attribute  to  Christ,  as  an  Example  to 
mankind. 

That  Christ  was  intended  to  be  an  example  of  righteousness  to 
ihe  human  race  is  completely  evident  from  the  passage  of  Scrip-: 
ture,  which  I  have  chosen  for  the  theme  of  this  discourse,  //e, 
that  saith,  he  abidelh  in  him ;  that  is,  he,  who  professes  himself  a 
Christian  ;  ought  himself  also  so  to  walk,  even  as  he  walked.  Every 
Christian  is  here  required  to  follow  the  example  of  Christ.  But 
every  man  is  bound  to  become  a  Christian.  Therefore,  every 
man  is  required  to  follow  the  same  example.  I  have  given  you  an 
example,  said  our  Saviour,  when  he  washed  his  disciples'  feet,  that 
ye  should  do,  as  I  have  done  to  you.  John  xiii.  15.  And  again; 
If  any  man  will  serve  me,  let  him  follow  me.  John  xii.  26.  Be  ye 
followers  of  me,  says  St.  Paul,  even  as  I  also  am  of  Christ.  1  Cor. 
xi.  1.  Let  this  mind  be  in  you,  which  was  also  t«  Christ  Jesus,  says 
the  same  Aposde,  urging  upon  the  Philippians  the  duty  of  humil- 
ity, and  arguing,  at  length,  their  obligations  to  be  humble,  from 
our  Saviour's  example.  Phil.  ii.  54,  Sic.  In  the  hke  manner,  he 
urges  upon  the  Romans  the  character  of  benevolence,  from  the 
same  source  of  argument;  Rom.  xv.  1,  &c.  and  the  Hebrews  to 
patience  and  fortitude  in  the  Christian  race;  Heb.  xi.  1,  Sic.  It 
will  be  useless  to  multiply  passages,  any  farther,  to  this  purpose. 
Even  these  will  probably  be  thought  to  have  been  unnecessarily 
alleged. 

The  example  of  Christ  is  formed  of  his  holiness,  directed  by  his 
wisdom,  or  more  properly  by  his  understanding.  Of  all  its  parts, 
holiness  is  the  substance,  and  the  soul.  Without  this  attribute,  he 
would  only  have  been  a  more  sagacious  sinner,  and  therefore  a 
more  malignant  example,  than  other  men.  A  proper  exhibition 
of  the  example  of  Christ,  in  which  its  nature  and  usefulness  are 


184 


PRIESTHOOD  OF  CHRIST.  [SER.  LIV 


sufficiently  displayed  for  the  present  purpose,  will,  of  course,  be  a 
proper  exhibition  of  the  importance  of  this  attribute  to  Christ,  in 
this  character. 

The  excellence  of  Christ,  as  an  example  to  mankind,  I  shall  at- 
tempt to  exhibit  under  the  following  heads. 
1.   He  was  an  Example  of  all  virtue. 

By  this  1  intend,  that  he  was  an  example  of  piety,  benevolence, 
and  self-government,  alike.  This  truth  has  been  sufficiently  illus- 
trated in  the  two  first  sermons  on  this  subject.  To  add  any  thing, 
therefore,  to  what  has  been  so  lately  said,  must  be  unnecessary. 

By  the  Example  of  Christ,  considered  in  this  light,  we  are  deci- 
sively taught,  that  virtue  is  no  partial  character.  The  apprehen- 
sion, not  unfrequendy  entertained,  that  a  man  may  love  God,  and 
not  love  his  neighbour,  and  yet  be  a  virtuous  man  ;  that  is,  in  the 
Evangelical  sense ;  the  contrary  apprehension,  much  more  fre- 
quendy  entertained,  that  a  man  may  love  his  neighbour,  and  not 
love  God ;  and  the  opinion,  still  more  generally  adopted,  that  a 
man  may  love  both  God  and  his  neighbour,  and  thus  be  virtuous, 
while  he  yet  does  not  confine  his  passions  and  appetites  within 
scriptural  bounds  5  are  completely  done  away  by  the  example  of 
Christ.  He,  that  saith,  he  abideth  iji  him,  is,  in  the  text,  required 
to  walk  as  he  walked:  and  in  Rom.  viii.  9,  St.  Paul  declares,  that 
if  any  man  hath  not  the  Spirit  of  Christ,  he  is  none  of  his.  But  it 
any  man  has  the  spirit  of  Christ,  it  will  dictate  the  same  conduct, 
which  it  dictated  to  Christ.  If  he  is  Christ's,  therefore  ;  in  other 
words,  if  he  is  a  virtuous  man ;  the  subject  of  that  hoUness,  of 
which  Christ  was  the  subject,  and  beside  which  there  is  no  virtue  ; 
he  will  walk  as  Christ  also  walked.  This  is  one  of  those  com- 
mands of  our  Saviour,  which  he  himself  has  made  the  test  of  our 
discipleship,  and  of  our  love  to  him.  If  therefore  we  are  his  disci- 
ples indeed  ;  if  we  love  him  ;  we  shall  keep  this  command  ^  and  be, 
as  he  was,  pious,  benevolent,  and  self-governed,  alike. 

Further,  Christ  performed  all  the  duties  of  life,  prompted  by  these 
three  great  divisions  of  virtue.  This  conduct  of  our  Saviour  teach- 
es us,  irresistibly,  that  he^  who  does  not  carry  the  virtue,  which  he 
professes,  into  practice ;  or  who  does  not  perform  those  acts,  or 
external  duties,  which  are  the  proper  effusions  of  such  a  spirit, 
as  that  of  Christ;  is  not  a  disciple  of  Christ.  Christ  habitually 
prayed  to  God.  He,  who  docs  not  thus  pray,  is,  therefore,  not  a 
disciple  ofChrist.  Christ  praised  God  ;  blessed,  and  gave  thanks 
for,  his  food  ;  worshipped  God  in  his  house ;  and  celebrated  all 
the  institutions  of  the  sanctuary.  He,  therefore,  who  does  noi 
these  things,  since  he  walks  not  as  Christ  also  walked,  has  not  the 
Spirit  of  Christ,  and  is  none  of  his.  Christ,  also,  universally  be- 
friended, in  all  the  ways  of  justice  and  charity,  his  fellow-men,  by 
furnishing  that  relief  to  their  wants  and  distresses,  which  they 
needed.  In  vain  will  that  man  pretend  to  be  his  disciple,  who  is 
unjust  in  treatment  of  others  ;  or  who  does  not  readily  open  his 


SER.  LIV.]  HIS  EXAMILE.  185 

heart,  and  his  hand,  to  relieve  his  fellow-creatures  in  their  wants 
and  distresses  ;  or  who  does  not,  like  the  Redeemer  also,  adminis- 
ter to  them  advice,  reproof,  and  consolation,  as  they  need  ;  and 
employ,  with  sincere  and  tender  affection,  all  the  proper  means,  in 
his  power,  to  promote  their  salvation.  Christ  spoke  the  truth,  at 
all  times,  with  perfect  exactness.  No  liar,  no  prevaricator,  no 
sophist,  can  be  his  disciple.  Christ  abstained  from  every  fraud, 
and  from  every  hard  bargain;  from  gaming;  from  reproaches; 
from  obloquy  ;  from  obscenity ;  from  jesting  with  sacred  things ; 
from  loose  and  irreverent  observations  concerning  God ;  his  works, 
word,  and  institutions  ;  fiom  oW  idle  words  ;  and  from  wrath,  bit- 
terness, and  revenge.  He  who  indulges  himself  in  these,  or  any 
of  these,  is  not  Christ's  disciple. 

At  the  same  time,  the  example  of  Christ,  in  this  respect,  teaches 
us  in  the  most  decisive  manner,  that  he,  who  performs  one  class  of 
these  external  duties,  and  neglects  the  others  ;  or  who  abstains 
from  one  class  of  sins,  and  commits  another;  is  not  a  disciple  of 
Christ.  For  example  ;  a  man  may  pay  his  debts ;  speak  truth ; 
and  give  alms  to  the  poor ;  yet,  if  he  does  not  pray  to  God  in  his 
closet,  his  family,  and  the  church,  he  is  not  a  disciple  of  Christ. 

Generally,  the  example  of  Christ  teaches  us,  beyond  a  debate, 
what  may,  indeed,  be  clearly  proved  from  the  nature  of  the  subject, 
that  virtue  has  not,  and  cannot  have,  a  partial  existence.  No  man 
can  love  God,  without  loving  his  neighbour  ;  or  his  neighbour,  with- 
out loving  God  ;  or  both,  without  restraining  his  passions  and  ap- 
petites. He,  who  supposes  himself  to  do  one  of  these  things,  when 
he  does  not  the  others,  is  guilty  of  a  gross  self-deception ;  and  is 
employed  in  preventing  his  own  attainment  of  eternal  life. 
II.  Christ  was  an  example  to  all  classes  of  men. 
It  ought,  I  think,  rationally  to  be  expected,  as  plainly  it  ought 
to  be  most  earnestly  desired,  that  the  person,  intended  by  God  to 
be  the  great  pattern  of  righteousness  to  mankind,  should  so  appear, 
and  live,  and  act,  in  the  world,  as  to  become  such  a  pattern  to  men 
of  every  description.  Such  a  pattern  Christ  has  in  fact  become  ;  a 
fact,  derived,  in  a  great  measure,  from  the  lozoly  circumstances, 
in  which  he  was  born,  lived,  and  died. 

Had  our  Saviour  appeared,  as  the  Jews  expected  him  to  appear, 
in  the  character  of  a  prince,  and  conqueror,  reigning  with  unprece- 
dented splendour,  perpetual  triumph,  and  universal  dominion ;  he 
would,  as  an  example,  have  been  useful  to  but  few  of  mankind ; 
and  to  them  in  comparatively  few  respects.  The  great  and  splen- 
did, only,  would  have  been  materially  benefitted;  and  even  they, 
in  but  a  small  part  of  the  truly  excellent  human  characteristics. 
In  the  seat  of  splendour  and  dominion,  certain  exercises  of  virtue 
may  be  exhibited  with  peculiar  advantage  ;  such,  for  instance,  as 
are  attendant  on  the  just  and  wise  administrations  of  government, 
and  the  honourable  distributions  of  princely  favour.  But  these  are 
chiefly  such,  as  few  of  mankind  have  it  in  their  power  to  imitate. 
Vol.  II.  24 


186  PRIESTHOOD  OF  CHRIST.  [SER.  LIV. 

Men  in  exalted  stations ;  princes,  nobles,  and  statesmen  ;  may,  in- 
deed, learn  wisdom,  worth,  and  dignity  of  character,  from  these  at- 
tributes, when  disjilayed  in  a  snprrior  manner  by  persons, occupy- 
ing places  of  superior  distinction.  How  few  persons  derive  moral 
advantages  from  reading  the  actions  of  kings  and  con(|ucrors,  re- 
corded in  general  history,  compared  with  the  multitudes^  who  are 
seriously  profited  by  a  single  instance  of  well  conducted  biography  ? 

In  the  humble  station,  which  Christ  actually  occupied,  all  his  ex- 
cellencies were,  and  are  plainly  seen  to  have  been,  merely />er50M- 
al ;  sj)ringing  from  nothing  accidental;  blended  with  nothing  ad- 
ventitious ;  the  inherent  excellencies,  and  the  natural  emanations, 
of  his  own  goodness  of  character;  neither  enhanced,  nor  obscured, 
by  the  dazzling  glare  of  office  ;  nor  liable  to  any  misapprehensions 
of  ours  from  that  prejudiced  awe,  that  imposing  veneration,  with 
which  we  are  prone  to  regard  the  great.  The  virtues  of  Christ 
were,  in  the  strictest  sense,  all  his  own  ;  the  excellencies  of  an  In- 
telligent being  merely  ;  of  a  man,  unincumbered  WMth  office,  place, 
or  power,  or  any  other  of  those  gaudy  trappings,  in  our  attention 
to  which,  just  views  of  the  real  character  are  apt  to  be  perplexed, 
or  lost.  These  excellencies  constitute  an  example  for  man,  as 
such ;  and  are,  therefore,  fitted  to  instruct,  and  improve,  every 
child  o(  Adam. 

To  \hQ  great  he  became  a  glorious  pattern  of  that  condescension, 
meekness,  and  humility,  which  they  ordinarily  need  in  a  peculiar 
manner,  to  learn ;  and  which,  when  learned,  is  their  prime  orna- 
ment and  glory.  When  kings  and  nobles  behold  him,  who  was  de- 
clared by  a  voice  from  heaven  to  be  the  Beloved  Son  of  God;  and 
who,  on  earth,  commanded  the  winds  and  the  waves,  and  raised  the 
dead  to  life  ;  characterizing  himself  as  meek  and  loioly  of  heart,  and 
retiring  into  a  desert  to  avoid  the  ofl'cr  of  a  throne  ;  it  is  impossible, 
that  they  should  not  feel,  unless  lost  to  rational  sentiments,  their 
own  pride,  haughtiness,  and  irritability,  strongly  reproved.  If  they 
have  hearts  open  to  rational  conviction,  and  not  dead  to  virtuous 
impressions,  it  is  impossible  for  them  not  to  feel,  that  the  meekness 
and  lowliness  of  mind,  which  in  the  Redeemer  were  so  excellent 
and  exalted,  must,  of  course,  constitute  the  highest  amiableness  and 
exaltation  of  their  own  characters. 

To  men  of  inferior  classes,  down  to  the  peasant  and  the  beggar, 
the  slave  and  the  child,  Christ  is  an  universal  example.  In  all  the 
excellencies  of  which  they  are  capable,  or  which  are  compatible 
with  their  circumstances,  Christ  has  gone  before  them,  as  a  glori- 
ous original,  which  they  are  required  unceasingly  to  copy.  The 
pattern  is  distinct ;  it  can  therefore  be  clearly  seen.  It  is  exactly 
suited  to  their  circumstances ;  with  a  suitable  disposition  it  can, 
therefore,  be  easily  followed.  It  is  faultless ;  and  can,  therefore, 
conduct  them  to  no  sin.  It  is  sublime  and  lovely ;  and  allures, 
therefore,  irresistibly  to  virtue. 

When  we  remember,  that  men  of  these  classes  constitute  almost 


SER.  LIV.]  HIS  EXAMPLE.  *  187 

all  the  human  race  ;  when  we  remember,  that  among  them  are  found 
almost  all  those,  who  are  willing  to  follow  any  virtuous  example ; 
when  we  remember,  that  Chiist,  by  appearing,  and  living  in  hum- 
ble circumstances,  has  furnished  a  perfect  pattern  of  righteousness 
to  this  part  of  mankind,  and  consulted  in  this  efficacious  manner 
their  highest  good  :  when  we  remember,  that  he  has,  at  the  same 
lime,  with  equal  efficacy,  pursued  the  best  interest  of  the  remain- 
ing class  ;  those  in  exalted  stations ;  by  recommending  to  them 
the  virtues,  which  they  most  need  to  be  taught :  we  shall  see, 
in  the  clearest  manner,  the  perfect  wisdom  of  the  Redeemer,  in 
condescending  to  appear  in  so  humble  a  character.  To  the  Jews 
this  was  a  slumhling  block ,  to  Infidels  it  has  hcen  foolishness.  But 
the  foolishness  of  God  is  in  this,  as  in  all  other  respects,  wiser  than 
men. 

To  Ministers  of  the  Gospel  the  example  of  Christ  commends  itself 
with  peculiar  energy.  Christ  himself  was  a  Minister  of  the  Gos- 
pel; sent  by  his  Father  in  the  same  manner,  in  which  he  has  sent 
them.  As  a  Ruler  in  his  Church ;  as  a  Preacher,  and  a  Pattern, 
of  Righteousness;  he  is  the  great  Archetype,  of  which  they  are 
bound  to  be  as  exact  copies,  as  it  shall  be  in  their  power  to  become. 
It  ought,  here,  to  be  observed,  that  Christ,  not  improbably  to  ren- 
der liis  example  more  useful  to  them  by  adapting  it  more  to  their 
circumstances,  and  their  capacity  of  imitation,  has,  in  this  respect, 
acted  almost  only  in  the  character  of  a  mere  man,  and  not  as  the 
Searcher  of  hearts,  nor  as  the  Lawgiver  of  his  Church.  Where 
he  has  acted  otherwise,  the  distinction  is  so  clearly  and  successful- 
ly made,  that  it  may  usually  be  understood  without  difficulty.  His 
example  in  this,  as  in  all  his  private  conduct,  is  that  of  a  mere, 
though  perfect,  man  ;  is,  of  course,  easily  transferred  to  the  practi- 
cal concerns  of  every  Minister,  and  is  both  understood,  and  follow- 
ed, without  perplexity.  Ministers,  therefore,  are  peculiarly  without 
excuse,  if  they  are  not  followers  of  Christ. 

I  shall  only  add,  on  this  part  of  the  subject,  that  the  example  of 
Christ  is  to  all  men  authoritative.  It  is  not  merely  a  bright  and 
beautiful  pattern,  which  we  are  invited  to  copy,  because  this  con- 
duct will  be  pleasing,  honourable,  and  useful  to  us  ;  but  it  is  a  law, 
also ;  requiring  of  us,  with  divine  authority,  to  go,  and  do  like- 
wise. Our  obligation  to  obey  is  indispensable.  Nor  can  any  man 
be  excused  for  a  moment,  who  does  not  labour  faithfully  to  re- 
semble Christ  in  all  the  merely  personal  and  moral  parts  of  his 
character. 

III.   The  example  of  Christ  zoas  perfect. 

By  this  I  intend,  that  in  all  cases  he  did  exactly  that,  and  that 
only,  which  was  right.  The  truth  of  this  observation  I  have  suffi- 
ciendy  illustrated  in  a  former  discourse.  Nothing  more,  therefore, 
will  be  necessary  on  this  subject,  at  the  present  time,  than  to  show 
its  application,  and  usefulticss,  to  the  concerns  of  mankind.  Re- 
garded in  this  light,  Christ  is,  to  us,  a  finished  standard  of  moral 
excellence ;  and  as  such  has  taught  us. 


188  "  PRIESTHOOD  OF  CHRIST.  [SER.  LIV 

1st.    What  we  ought  to  be. 

In  the  progress  of  these  discourses,  I  have  endeavoured  to  show 
the  manner  in  which  Christ  walked  ;  in  which  he  glorified  God,  and 
did  good  to  men.  The  two  great  commands  of  the  moral  law, 
which  regulate,  or  should  regulate,  the  conduct  of  all  Intelligent 
creatures,  are,  Thou  shall  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy  heart  ,* 
and  thy  neighbour  as  thyself. 

In  conformity  with  the  first  of  these  commands,  God  held  the 
supreme  place  in  his  views  and  affections.  He  came  into  the  world 
to  accomplish  a  work,  which  his  Father  had  appointed  him.  This 
work,  in  all  its  parts,  he  steadily  pursued,  while  he  was  in  the 
world ;  and,  when  he  left  the  world,  his  work  was  done :  so  that 
he  was  able  to  say  at  the  close  of  life.  Father,  I  have  glorified  thee 
on  earth  ;  /  have  finished  the  work,  rohich  thou  gavest  me  to  do. 
But  he  did  nothing  else.  When  he  loft  the  world,  he  left  nothing 
unfinished,  and  nothing  superadded.  The  end  of  all  which  he 
did,  or  said,  or  thought,  was  the  glory  of  his  Father.  This  end 
he  accomplished  ;  and,  in  the  pursuit,  left  himself  out  of  con- 
sideration ;  cheerfully  subordinating  to  it  his  own  convenience, 
pleasure,  and  comfort;  and  cheerfully  undergoing  every  trouble, 
difficulty,  and  danger.  The  whole  language  of  his  heart,  on 
■which  the  whole  language  of  his  life  was  a  glorious  comment,  was, 
JVb<  my  will,  but  thine,  be  done  !  This  is  the  pattern,  which  w^e  should 
set  always  before  us  ;  this  the  piety,  at  which  we  should  unceasingly 
aim. 

To  Mankind,  also,  he  yielded  himself,  to  promote  their  comfort, 
relieve  their  distresses,  and  secure  their  salvation.  God  is  always 
glorified,  when  good  is  voluntarily  done  to  mankind ;  and  was  in 
this  manner  singularly  glorified  by  Christ.  He  taught  men  truth 
and  righteousness.  He  taught  them  all  the  doctrines  which  they 
needed  to  know,  and  all  the  duties  which  they  were  required  to 
perform,  for  the  attainment  of  eternal  life.  At  all  times  he  prayed 
for  them,  even  while  he  was  agonizing  on  the  cross  ;  and  wrought 
for  them,  with  extreme  self-denial,  many  wonderful  and  beneficent 
miracles.  In  a  word,  he  lived  in  such  a  manner,  that  even  his 
bard-hearted,  unbelieving,  and  malignant  countrymen  were  com- 
pelled to  say.  He  hath  done  all  things  well. 

In  the  mean  time,  he  did  nothing  ill.  He  never  omitted  a  duty, 
nor  committed  a  sin.  He  was  neither  idle,  nor  vain.  He  neither 
flattered  nor  slandered,  neither  deceived  nor  defrauded,  neither 
corrupted  nor  neglected,  his  fellow-men.  By  their  favour  he  was 
not  enticed;  by  their  resentment  he  was  not  awed.  His  mind  in- 
dulged no  wrath ;  his  bosom  harboured  no  revenge.  Boldly  and 
uniformly,  without  fear  and  without  fondness,  he  told  the  truth,  and 
did  that  which  was  kind,  just,  and  right. 

To  friends  he  was  never  partial;  to  enemies  he  was  never  resent- 
ful.    In  his  virtues  he  was  not  rigid ;  in  his  doctrines  not  severe  ; 


SER  LIV.]  HIS  EXAMPLE.  *  I39 

in  his  worship  not  superstitious :  but  in  all  was  rational,  gentle, 
meek,  faithful,  self-possessed,  and  sublimely  excellent. 

He  was  born  in  an  age,  in  which  pure,  undefiled  religion  had  won- 
derfully decayed,  and  given  place  to  an  almost  absolute  round  of 
superstitious  and  vain  extemities.  Whenever  men  rely  on  these 
observances  for  acceptance  with  God,  they  resign  of  course  all 
ideas  of  internal  purity.  He  who  expects  that  washing  of  hands 
will  give  him  a  title  to  heaven,  will  never  concern  himself  with 
cleansing  his  heart.  In  such  a  state  of  things,  wickedness  of  eve- 
ry kind  will  triumjih ;  all  the  doctrines  of  Religion  will  be  modelled 
to  the  views  and  feelings  of  those,  who  practise  it ;  and  the  whole 
system  of  faith  will  become  a  complication  of  folly,  falsehood,  au- 
thoritative dogmas,  and  implicit  submissions  of  credulity.  But  in 
an  age,  and  country,  distinguished  by  these  evils  more  than,  per- 
haps, any  other,  Christ  uniformly  and  victoriously  resisted  ihem  all. 
He  received  no  doctrine,  he  required  his  hearers  to  receive  none, 
except  when  known  and  proved  by  unanswerable  evidence,  to  be 
from  heaven.  All  his  own  instructions  he  proved  in  this  manner. 
Not  an  instance  can  be  produced,  in  which  he  used  the  argument 
from  authority.  In  his  conduct  there  is  not  an  example  of  super- 
stition, enthusiasm,  or  bigotry.  Harmless  enjoyments  he  never  re- 
fused ;  sinful  ones  he  never  indulged.  No  man  was  the  better,  or 
the  worse  treated  by  him,  on  account  of  the  sect,  party,  or  nation, 
to  which  he  belonged. 

In  his  beneficence  he  was  a  glorious  example  to  all  men.  His 
affections  were  literally  universal :  and  his  beneficence  was  an  ex- 
act expression  of  his  affections.  As  it  was  dictated  by  no  idle 
dreams  of  Philosophy,  by  no  cobweb  system  of  abstraction,  but 
by  plain,  practical  truth ;  it  was  real,  useful,  uniformly  honourable 
to  himself,  and  invariably  profitable  to  mankind.  He  never  spent 
his  time  in  sending  his  thoughts  abroad  to  distant  countries,  to  in- 
quire what  eri'ors,  abuses,  or  sufferings,  existed  there,  which  de- 
manded correction,  reformation,  or  relief.  He  did  not  sit  down  in 
the  exercise  of  vain  philanthropy,  to  employ  life  in  unavailing 
sighs,  and  tears,  for  the  sufferings  of  distant  countries,  and  ages ; 
nor  give  himself  up  to  the  useless  despair  of  doing  any  good  to 
mankind,  because  he  could  not  do  all  which  their  circumstances  re- 
quired. He  did  not  satisfy  himself  with  lamenting  the  distresses 
of  his  fellow-men,  and  teaching  others  to  relieve  them.  In  a  man- 
ner, directly  opposed  to  this  visionary,  useless  philosophy,  he  made 
his  whole  life  a  life  of  the  most  active  beneficence.  Instead  of 
seeking  for  objects  of  charity  in  Persia,  or  at  Rome,  he  found  them 
in  his  own  Country  ;  on  the  spot,  where  he  was ;  among  the  suf- 
ferers, daily  presented  to  his  eyes.  During  his  private  life,  he 
contributed  by  his  daily  efforts  to  support,  and  befriend,  the  family 
of  his  Father.  Throughout  his  ministry,  he  took  an  effectual  and 
daily  charge  of  his  own  family  of  disciples ;  and  travelled  unceas- 
ingly from  one  place  to  another,  to  find  new  objects,  on  whom  his 


190  PRIESTHOOD  OF  CHRIST  LSER.  LIV 

kindness  might  be  successfully  employed.  Thus  he  loved  man- 
kind, not  in  word,  neither  in  tongue,  but  in  deed,  and  in  truth.  The 
weight  of  his  example  is,  in  this  respect,  singular;  because  the 
great  purposes  of  his  mission  were  more  extensive,  more  abso- 
lutely general,  than  any  which  ever  entered  into  the  human  mind. 
Like  his  views,  his  benevolence,  also,  was  in  the  absolute  sense 
universal.  Yet  he  spent  his  life  in  doing  good  within  the  sphere, 
in  which  he  lived,  and  to  the  objects,  within  his  reach.  Thus  he 
has  taught  us  irresistibly,  that,  instead  of  consuming  our  time  in 
wishes  to  do  good,  where  we  cannot,  the  true  dictate  of  universal 
good-will  is  to  do  it  where  we  can. 

At  the  same  time,  he  denied  all  ungodliness  and  worldly  lusts. 
No  avaricious,  ambitious,  proud,  or  sensual  desire,  found  a  place 
in  his  mind.  Every  selfish  aim  was  excluded  from  his  heart ;  every 
unworthy  act,  from  his  life.  Omniscience  itself,  looking  into  his 
soul  with  a  perfect  survey,  saw  nothing  but  pure  excellence,  su- 
preme beauty,  and  divine  loveliness:  a  sun  without  a  spot :  a  splen- 
dour, formed  of  mere  diversities  of  light  and  glory. 

The  perfection  of  this  wonderful  example  we  cannot  expect, 
nor  hope,  to  attain :  but  a  character  of  the  same  nature  we  may, 
and,  if  we  would  be  interested  in  the  favour  of  God,  we  must,  ac- 
quire. Like  him,  we  must  consecrate  ourselves  absolutely  to  the 
glorification  of  God.  Like  him,  we  must  willingly,  and  ahvay  do 
good.  Like  him,  we  must  steadily  resist  temptation,  and  overcome 
iniquity. 

Obedience,  and  not  pleasure,  must  be  the  commanding  object  of 
our  purposes.  The  pleasure,  at  which  we  supremely  aim,  must 
be,  not  the  pleasure  of  sense  ;  but  the  peace,  which  passeth  all  un- 
derstanding ^  the  joy  which  no  stranger  meddles  withal  j  a  self- 
approving  mind  ;  the  consciousness  of  personal  worth  ;  the  enjoy- 
ment of  virtuous  excellence ;  accompanied,  and  cherished,  by  a 
glorious  hope  of  the  final  approbation  of  God,  and  an  eternal  resi- 
dence in  his  house,  in  the  heavens. 

2dly.  The  example  of  Christ  teaches  us  hoxu  far  the  character  of 
mankind  is  from  what  it  ought  to  be. 

We  are  often  told  very  flattering  things  concerning  the  dignity 
and  worth  of  man  ;  the  number  and  splendour  of  his  virtues ;  and 
the  high  moral  elevation  to  which  he  has  attained.  The  errors, 
into  which  we  fall  in  forming  this  estimate  of  the  human  character, 
are,  together  with  many  others  respecting  our  own  character,  the 
consequence  of  referring  the  conduct  of  ourselves,  and  our  fellow- 
men,  to  a  false  standard  of  moral  excellence.  No  man  ever  intends 
to  rise  above  the  standard,  which  he  prescribes  for  himself.  AH 
men  expect  to  fall  below  it.  If  the  standaixl,  then,  be  too  low ; 
their  character  will  be  lower  still.  If  it  be  imperfect;  their  life 
will  be  more  imperfect.  If  it  be  erroneous  ;  their  conduct,  under 
its  influence,  will  err  still  more  extensively.  The  true  aim  of 
every  man  ought  to  be  pointed  at  perfection.     Of  perfection  he 


6£R.  LIV]  HIS  EXAMPLE  I9J 

will,  indeed,  fall  short ;  but  his  hfe  will  be  more  excellent,  than  if 
he  aimed  at  any  inferior  mark.  For  this  reason,  probably,  among 
others,  the  Scriptures  have  directed  us  to  make  the  attainment  of 
perfection  our  daily,  as  well  as  ultimate,  aim. 

The  formation  of  a  defective  standard  of  excellence  was  one  of 
the  predominant  errors,  and  mischiefs,  of  the  ancient  philosophy. 
The  wise  man  of  the  Stoics,  Platonists,  and  Peripatetics,  felt  him- 
self to  be  all  that  he  ought  to  be,  because  he  so  grossly  mis- 
conceived of  what  he  ought  to  be.  Proud ;  vain  ;  impious  to  the 
Gods;  a  liar;  an  adulterer;  and  even  a  Sodomite ;  he  still  boasted 
of  his  morality  and  piety,  just  as  the  Stoic  boasted  of  his  happi- 
ness, while  writhing  under  the  pangs  of  the  colic,  or  the  gout. 
The  reason  plainly  was :  he  beheved  all  these  enormities  to  be 
consistent  with  the  character  of  a  Wise  man.  Cicero  thought  war^ 
(that  is,  the  butchery  of  mankind,  and  the  devastation  of  human 
happiness)  when  undertaken  for  the  love  of  glory,  and  unstained 
with  peculiar  cruelty,  justifiable.  Why  ?  Because  he  had  pre- 
viously determined  the  love  of  glory  to  be  ■virtue,  or  the  real  excel- 
lence of  man;  and  therefore  concluded,  that  the  means  of  indulg- 
ing, and  gratifying,  this  passion,  must  be,  at  least,  consistent  with 
virtue.  In  the  same  manner,  men  of  all  descriptions,  when  they 
have  formed  to  themselves  a  false  standard  of  excellence,  are  satis- 
fied, if  they  only  embrace  the  errors,  and  commit  the  sins,  which 
that  standard  allows ;  and  will  in  fact  embrace  more  errors,  and 
commit  more  sins. 

He,  who  will  compare  himself  with  the  perfect  standard  of  virtue, 
furnished  by  the  life  of  Christ,  will  see  at  once,  and  without  a 
doubt,  how  far  his  character  falls  below  what  God  has  required. 
The  best  man  living  will,  in  this  case,  cordially  unite  with  Paul  in 
exclaiming,  O  zoretched  man,  that  I  am!  Who  shall  deliver  me  from 
the  body  of  this  death?  and,  with  Job,  humbled  by  the  immediate 
presence  of  God,  in  the  kindred  exclamation,  Wherefore  f  abhor 
myself,  and  repent  in  dust  and  ashes.  "  How  different, "  will  he 
say,  "is  my  life  from  that  of  the  Redeemer!  How  different  the 
heart,  from  which  it  has  been  derived  I  To  me  belongeth  shame 
and  confusion  of  face,  because  I  have  sinned,  and  done  this  great 
wickedness.  But  to  thee,  O  Divine  Saviour  of  men,  be  blessing, 
and  honour,  arid  glory,  for  ever  and  ever.     Jlmen.''^ 

If  such  be  the  state  of  the  best,  in  the  light  of  this  comparison, 
what  must  be  the  state  of  others  ?  What  of  men,  who  feel  them- 
selves to  be,  not  only  decent,  but  in  a  good  degree  virtuous,  and 
safe  ?  What  shall  be  said  of  him,  who  neglects  the  worship  of  God 
in  his  family,  or  closet;  who  attends  in  the  sanctuary,  occasionally 
only,  and  is  inattentive  to  the  worship,  when  present ;  who  neg- 
lects the  relief  of  the  poor  and  distressed ;  who  justifies  lying,  in 
certain  circumstances ;  who  uses  sophistry ;  who  makes  hard  bar- 
gains ;  who  preaches  moral  essays,  effusions  of  genius,  and  meta- 
physical disquisitions,  instead  of  the  Gospel ;  and  himself,  his  re- 


192  PRIESTHOOD  OF    CHRIST  [SER.  LIV. 

sentmcnts,  or  his  flattery,  instead  of  Christ;  who  wastes  his  time 
in  hght  and  fanciful  reading ;  or  devotes  life  to  amusement,  instead 
of  duty  ?  All  these,  and  all  other  similar,  persons,  are  contrasts 
to  the  character  of  Christ,  and  not  resemblances.  They  walk  not 
as  Christ  walked.  The  same  mind  is  not  in  them  which  was  in 
Christ. 

The  meek  and  lowly  virtues  were  peculiarly  the  virtues  of  the 
Redeemer.  By  this  I  mean,  that  he  exhibited  them  most  frequently, 
urged  them  most  extensively  and  forcibly,  and  described  his  own 
character  as  being  formed  of  them  in  a  peculiar  degree.  The 
proud,  therefore,  the  vain,  the  insolent,  the  wrathful,  and  the  re- 
vengeful, are  irresistibly  compelled,  when  they  read  his  character, 
to  know  that  they  are  none  of  his. 

IV.    The  example  of  Christ  was  highly  edifying. 

By  this  I  intend,  that  it  was  of  such  a  nature,  as  strongly  to  in- 
duce, and  persuade,  mankind  to  follow  him.  On  this  part  of  the 
subject,  interesting  as  it  is,  1  can  make  but  a  few  observations. 

The  example  of  Christ  was  singular.  No  other,  corresponding 
with  it,  has  ever  appeared  in  the  present  world.  The  best  of  men 
are  only  faint  and  distant  copies  of  his  excellence.  When  exhibit- 
ed by  him,  it  was  a  novelty ;  and  has,  since,  been  always  new,  as 
well  as  always  delightful.  In  this  view,  it  is  formed  to  engage  at- 
tention, and  command  a  peculiar  regard. 

It  was  the  example  of  an  extraordinary  person  ;  who  taught  won- 
tferful  wisdom,  lived  a  wonderful  life,  and  wrought  wonderful  mir- 
acles. Such  a  person  naturally  compels,  beyond  any  other,  our 
admiration  and  respect ;  an  admiration,  mightily  enhanced  by  a 
consideration  of  the  circumstances,  in  which  he  was  born  and 
lived ;  the  humble  education  which  he  received ;  the  lowly  condi- 
tion and  character  of  those  with  whom  he  consorted ;  the  superi- 
ority of  his  precepts  and  life  to  those  of  all  who  went  before  him : 
and  their  total  opposition  to  those  of  his  own  contemporaries. 
All  these  considerations  lead  us  to  a  full  and  affecting  conviction, 
that  his  wisdom  was  self-derived,  and  his  life  the  mere  result  of 
his  own  unrivalled  virtue.  Accordingly,  all  these  facts  astonished 
those,  who  lived  around  him ;  and  have  filled  with  wonder  men  of 
every  succeeding  age. 

The  example  of  Christ  was  an  example  of  benevolence  only.  All 
his  employments  w^ere  directed  to  no  other  earthly  end,  than  the 
promotion  of  human  happiness.  His  miracles  were  directed  only 
to  such  objects,  as  feeding  the  hungry,  healing  the  sick,  giving 
sight  to  the  blind,  and  restoring  life  to  the  dead.  His  precepts, 
and  his  life,  terminated  in  illuminating  the  soul,  diminishing  the 
power  of  sin,  invigorating  virtue,  and  securing  the  salvation  of 
men. 

It  was  the  example,  also,  of  a  person  struggling  with  suffering 
and  sorrow,  unceasing  obloquy  and  bitter  persecution.  The  hea- 
then could  say,  "  The  Gods  themselves  behold  not  a  nobler  spec- 


SER.  LIV.j  HIS  EXAMPLE.  l93 

tacle,  than  a  good  man,  firmly  enduring  Advrrsity."  Christ  was 
supremely  good ;  and  encountered  extreme  Adversity.  The  pa- 
tience with  which  he  submitted,  and  the  firmness  with  which  he 
endured,  invest  his  character  with  greatness,  to  which  there  is  no 
parallel.  The  fire  of  persecution,  instead  of  consuming  him,  mere- 
ly lent  its  gloomy  lustre,  to  show  the  splendour  of  the  object,  which 
it  surrouncted. 

It  was  the  example  of  a  person^  employed  in  accomplishing  the 
greatest  zoork,  which  waa  ev^r  done,  and  introdxicing  into  the  uni- 
verse the  most  extensive  good,  which  it  ever  beheld.  There  is  a 
moral  grandeur,  a  divine  sublimity,  in  this  employment  of  Christ, 
at  which  the  mind  gazes  with  wonder,  and  is  lost;  which  Angels 
behold  with  amazement  and  raptuie  ;  and  which  eternity  itself  will 
hardly  be  able  to  unfold  to  a  created  understanding. 

It  is  the  example  of  a  person,  devoting  all  his  labours,  and  under- 
going all  his  sufferings,  for  the  benefit  of  others,  and  proffering  with 
an  open  hand  the  immense  good,  which  he  prociired  at  an  immense, 
price,  to  strangers,  sinners,  apostates,  enemies  to  himself,  and  chil- 
dren of  perdition.  Not  for  himself,  but  for  guilty,  ruined  men,  he 
was  born,  lived,  laboured,  suffered  through  life,  and  expired  on 
the  cross.  To  every  one,  who  is  willing  to  be  like  him,  he  shut 
the  prison  of  wo,  and  opened  the  gates  of  heaven. 

//  is  an  example,  in  itself  pre-eminently  beautiful  and  lovely.  His 
meekness,  gentleness,  liumility,  compassion,  and  universal  sweet- 
ness of  dispositioii,  are  not  less  distinguished,  than  his  greatness 
and  glory.  Solomon,  beholding  his  character  in  distant  vision, 
exclaimed.  He  is  the  chief  among  ten  thousand,  and  altogether  love- 
ly !  David,  in  prophetic  view  of  the  excellence  of  his  life,  exclaim- 
ed. Thou  art  fairer  than  the  Sons  of  men  !  God  the  Father,  be- 
holding him  with  infinite  complacency,  announced  his  character  to 
the  world  with  a  voice  from  heaven.  This  is  my  beloved  Son,  in 
7ohom  lam  well  pleased.  To  these  divine  declarations  all  virtuous 
beings  have  subjoined  their  Amen. 

Finally  ^  it  is  an  example,  in  which  divine  zoisdom  and  excellence 
iinited  with  the  most  perfect  human  mind  ;  coinciding  zmth  all  its  de- 
signs,  and  guiding  it  to  unminghd  excellence.  To  the  amiableness 
and  beauty  of  the  most  finished  created  virtue,  were  superadded, 
and  united,  the  authority  and  greatness  of  the  Divinity,  by  which 
that  Mind  was  inhabited.  The  combination,  therefore,  was  a  com- 
bination of  all  that  is  lovely  with  all  that  is  awful,  exalted,  and 
divine.  What  mind,  that  can  be  persuaded  from  sin,  must  not  this 
Example  persuade  ?  What  mind,  that  can  be  allured  to  holiness, 
must  not  this  Example  allure  ? 


Vol.  II.  *25 


SERMON  LV. 

THE  PRIESTHOOD  OF  CHRIST. HIS  ATONEMENT. 


Romans,  iii.  24 — 26.  Being  just  ijitd  freely  by  his  grace  through  the  redemption  that  is 
in  Christ  Jesus  ;  whom  God  hath  set  forth  to  be  a  propitiation,  fhroxisk  faith  in 
his  blood,  to  declare  his  righteousnessfor  the  remission  of  sins  that  are  past,  through 
the  forbearance  of  God.;  to  declare,  I  say,  at  this  time  his  righteousness :  thai 
he  might  be  just,  and  the  Justijier  of  him  which  belitveth  in  Jesus. 

In  a  former  discourse,  I  proposed  to  consider,  as  parts  of  the 
Priesthood  of  Christ, 

The  Holiness  of  his  character: 

The  Sacrijice^  which  he  offered  for  sin  :  and, 

The  Intercession  which  he  makes  for  sinners. 

The  first  of  these  subjects  has  been  examined  at  length.  The 
present  discourse  shall  be  occupied  by  the  second. 

The  Sacrifice  of  Christ  for  the  sins  of  men. 

In  considering  this  subject  I  shall  endeavour  to  shoW; 

I.  The  Nature  ; 

II.  The  Necessity ',  and, 

III.  The  Existence  ;  of  an  atonement  for  sin  : 

IV.  The  Manner,  iti  which  it  was  performed  :  and, 

V.  Its  Extent. 

I.  I  shall  attempt  to  shorts  the  Nature  of  an  Atonement. 

The  word  Atonement,  in  its  original  sense,  always  denotes  some 
amends,  or  satisfaction,  for  the  neglect  of  some  duty,  or  the  com- 
mission of  some  fault :  a  satisfaction,  with  which,  when  supposed 
to  be  complete,  the  person  injured  ought  reasonably  to  be  content- 
ed, and  to  demand  of  the  olVeuder  nothing  more  on  account  of  his 
transgression.  This  satisfaction  may,  in  certain  cases,  be  made 
by  the  offender  himself.  Wiienever  he  has  owed  some  piece  of 
service,  and  this  was  all  he  has  owed,  he  may,  if  he  have  failed 
to  perform  this  duty,  atone  for  the  fau-lt  by  a  future  service,  which 
he  did  not  owe  ;  and  which  is  ecjuivalent  to  that  which  he  neglect- 
ed, and  to  the  damage  occasioned  by  his  neglect.  A  servant, 
who  owes  an  estimated  day's  work  to  his  master,  every  day,  may, 
if  he  have  neglected  to  work  half  a  day,  atone,  thus,  for  his  foult 
by  such  future  labour,  as  shall  be  equivalent  to  the  extent  of  his 
neglect,  and  to  the  injury  occasioned  by  it  to  his  Master.  In  this 
case  it  will  be  seen,  that  the  atonement  respects  only  the  fault, 
which  has  been  committed.  The  servant  owed  his  master  so  much 
labour.  The  payment  of  so  much  labour  would  be  a  discharge, 
therefore,  of  the  debt.  But  we  do  not  say,  that  the  debt  in  this 
case  is  atoned.     The  fault,  only,  which  has  been  committed  in 


s1:R.  LV]  priesthood  of  CHRIST,  he.  195 

neglecting,  or  refusing,  to  pay  in  the  proper  season,  and  manner, 
demands,  or  admits,  of  an  atonement.  In  every  other  case  where 
an  atonement  exists,  it  is  in  the  same  manner  a  satisfoction  for  an 
injury,  or  fault. 

In  some  cases,  the  party  offending  cannot  atone  for  his  offence, 
but  the  atonement,  if  made  at  all,  must  be  made  vicariously,  that  is, 
by  the  intervention  of  a  third  person  betiveeti  the  offender  and  the 
offended.  Of  this  nature  is  every  case,  in  which  the  offender  owes, 
as  absolutely,  every  duty,  which  he  could  afterwards  perform,  as 
he  owed  that,  the  non-performance  of  which  constituted  his  fault. 
In  this  case,  all  his  future  efforts  are  necessarily  due  for  the  time 
being  ;  and  can,  therefore,  never  become  a  satisfaction  for  faults, 
which  are  past.  Amends  for  an  injury  can  never  be  made  by  ser- 
vices, Avhich  are  due  to  the  injured  person  on  other  grounds,  and 
the  refusal  of  which  would  constitute  a  new  injury.  In  other  words, 
they  must  be  services,  rendered  only  on  account  of  the  injury,  al- 
ready received.  He,  therefore,  who  owes  to  another  all  his  ser- 
vices for  himself,  can  never  become  the  means  of  atoning  to  him  for 
the  faults  of  another.  In  all  cases  of  vicarious  atonement,  the  sub- 
stitute  must  be  under  no  personal  obligation  to  render  the  services, 
which  are  to  be  accepted  as  a  satisfaction  of  the  principal ;  or  in 
other  words  the  offender.  Nothing  is  more  plain,  than  that  what  is 
due  for  himself,  cannot  be  transferred  to  the  account  of  another. 
In  every  case  of  personal,  or  vicarious,  atonement,  the  services  ren- 
dered must  be  of  such  value  ,•  as  to  become  a  reasonable,  and  full, 
satisfaction  for  the  injury  done  :  all,  that  justice  can  fairly  demand, 
or  render :  such,  as  will  place  the  person  injured  in  as  good  a  situ- 
ation, as  that,  which  preceded  the  injury.  Where  the  injury  has 
been  great,  therefore,  or  multiplied,  the  services  must  also  be  pro- 
portionally great. 

An  atonement  for  a  crime,  committed  against  a  Government,  of  any 
kind,  supposes  the  offender,  if  he  is  to  receive  the  belief  t  of  it,  to  be 
pardoned.  In  this  case,  it  must  be  such,  as  to  leave  the  Govern- 
ment in  as  good  a  state,  as  firm,  as  honourable,  as  easily  and  sure- 
ly efficacious  in  its  future  operations,  after  the  offender  is  pardoned, 
as  it  would  have  been,  if  he  had  been  punished  with  exact  justice. 
In  no  other  manner  can  it  become  a  satisfaction  for  the  injury.  If 
all  the  services  of  the  offender,  in  this  case,  were  due  to  the  Govern- 
ment, after  his  crime  was  committed ;  it  would  be  impossible  for 
the  atonement  to  be  made,  unless  by  another  person. 

Sin  is  a  crime,  committed  against  the  Goveryiment  of  God.  All 
the  services  of  sinners  are  owed  to  God,  for  the  time  being.  No 
future  services  of  any  sinner,  therefore,  can  be  any  satisfaction  for 
his  past  sins.  If  an  atonement  be  made  in  this  case,  then,  it  must 
be  made  by  a  substitute  ;  and  this  substitute  must  be  able  to  render 
services,  of  sufficient  value  to  repair  the  injury  done.  In  the  per- 
formance of  these  services  he  nnist  leave  the  Divine  Government 


196  nilESTIIOOD  OK  CHRIST.  [SER.  LV. 

as  firm,  as  honourable,  as  efficacious  in  its  operations,  after  the 
atonement  is  made,  as  it  was  before  the  crime  was  committed. 

It  will,  perhaps,  be  objected  here,  that  the  Divine  Government 
cannot  become  less  firm,  or  less  honourable,  than  it  origmally  was  ; 
because  it  is  supported  in  its  full  strength  by  Infinite  power  and 
wisdom.  To  this  objection  I  answer,  that  the  Government  of  God 
over  his  moral  creatures  is  a  moral  Government ;  that  is,  a  Govern- 
ment of  rules  and  motives  ;  or  of  laws,  rewards,  and  punishments. 
Such  a  Government,  even  in  the  hand  of  Omnipotence,  may  become 
weak  and  inefficacious,  in  the  view  of  its  subjects.  A  law,  which, 
after  it  has  been  violated,  is  not  vindicated  by  punishing  the  viola- 
tor, loses,  of  course,  a  part  of  its  authority.  A  moral  Governor  will 
cease  to  be  regarded  with  veneration,  if,  when  he  is  insulted  by  his 
subjects,  he  does  not  inflict  on  them  the  pioper  punishment.  A 
Government  oinif  re  power  may  be  uphold  in  its  full  strength  by  the 
exercise  of  power  only.  But  a  moral  Government  cannot  be  thus 
preserved,  unless  the  motives  to  obedience  are  continued,  to  the 
view  of  its  subjects,  in  their  full  force.  An  atonement  for  sin, 
therefore,  that  is,  a  complete  atonement,  must  be  such,  as  to  leave 
these  motives  wholly  unimpaired.  It  must  consist  of  such  services, 
as,  whatever  else  may  be  their  nalure,  will,  after  the  sinners  arc 
pardoned,  leave  the  Government  of  God  in  no  degree  less  vener- 
able, less  efficacious,  or  less  likely  to  be  punctually  obeyed,  than 
before  the  sins  were  committed.  As  these  sins  have  been  numer- 
ous, and  very  great;  it  is  further  evident,  that  the  services, render- 
ed as  a  satisfaction  for  them,  must  be  of  great  value. 

II.  I  shall  endeavour  to  shoro  the  ^ecessiti/  of  an  Atonement, 

In  order  to  understand  this  partof  the  subject,  and  I  forwarn  my 
hearers  that  it  is  a  part,  of  high  imjjortance  to  the  subject  itself,  and 
to  all  just  views  of  the  Christian  system,  it  will  be  necessary  to  bring- 
up  to  view  the  state  of  man,  as  a  transgressor  of  the  divine  law. 

The  language  of  this  law,  and  its  only  language,  was.  He  that 
doth  these  things  shall  live  by  them.  This  do,  and  thou  shalt  live. 
Cursed  is  every  one,  that  continueth  not  in  all  things,  rvritten  in  the 
hook  of  the  Law,  to  do  them.  This  law  God  published,  as  the  rule, 
by  which  his  own  infinite  wisdom  and  rectitude  determined  to  go- 
vern the  world.  Of  course,  it  is  a  right  and  just  rule.  Of  course 
also,  it  is  a  rule,  which  the  same  wisdom  and  rectitude  are  pledged 
to  maintain  in  its  full  force.  The  very  reasons,  for  which  it  was  en- 
acted, require  with  their  full  strength,  that  it  should  be  also  main- 
tained. If  it  was  wise  and  right  to  enact  it,  it  was  equally  wise  and 
right  to  maintain  it.  If  to  enact  it  was  the  dictate  of  Infinite  wis- 
dom and  rectitude  ;  to  maintain  it  must  equally  be  the  dictate  of  the 
same  attributes. 

If  these  observations  be  admitted  ;  and  it  is  believed  that  they 
cannot  be  refused  an  admission  ;  it  follows,  of  necessity,  that  no 
sinner  can  be  forgiven,  consistently  with  this  law,  or  the  honour  of 
the  Lawgiver,  unless  on  the  ground  of  an  Atonement.     In  the  law 


5ER.  LV]  HIS  ATONEMENT.  I97 

he  had  declared,  that  the  soul  which  sinneth  shall  die.  To  pardon  the 
sinner,  without  any  change  from  that  state  of  things,  which  existed 
when  the  law  was  published,  would  be  to  declare,  by  declining  to 
carry  the  sentence  of  the  law  into  execution,  that  Infinite  wisdom 
and  rectitude  had  formed  new  views  concerning  the  sentence  of  the 
law,  and  the  demerit  of  the  sinner ;  views,  contrary  to  those  with 
which  the  law  was  published.  When  the  law  was  published,  God 
declared,  that  the  sinner  should  die.  Now  he  must  declare,  by 
pardoning  the  sinner,  that  he  should  not  die.  Yet  no  change  in  the 
state  of  things  had  taken  place  ;  nor  is  any  supposed  to  have  taken 
place ;  to  occasion  this  change  in  the  divine  conduct.  No  reason 
is  even  supposed,  why  the  conduct  of  God  should  be  thus  changed. 
The  change  itself  must,  of  course,  be  wanton,  causeless,  and  dis- 
graceful to  the  divine  character.  If  the  law  was  originally  just,  it 
was  now  just.  Justice,  therefore,  required  the  execution  of  its 
penalty  upon  every  transgressor.  In  pardoning  the  transgressor, 
God  would  declare,  that  the  law  was  not  just ;  in  direct  contradic- 
tion to  the  declaration,  which  he  made  of  its  justice,  when  he  pub- 
lished it,  as  the  rule,  by  which  he  intended  to  govern  the  w'orld.  If 
the  Law  was  originally  loise ;  it  must  now  be  wise  to  execute  it. 
But  in  pardoning  the  sinner  God  must  declare,  that  the  execution 
of  the  Law  was  not  consistent  with  wisdom.  If  the  Law  was- ori- 
ginally good;  that  is,  formed  by  a  benevolent  mind,  so  as  to  pro- 
mote benevolent  purposes ;  it  was  now  equally  good.  But  in  par- 
doning the  sinner  God  must  declare,  that  the  execution  of  the  law 
was  inconsistent  with  the  dictates  of  benevolence.  The  change, 
therefore,  manifested  in  the  divine  character,  and  conduct,  by  par- 
doning the  sinner,  where  no  change  of  circumstances  existed  to 
justify  it,  would,  on  the  one  hand,  be  great  and  essential ;  no  less 
than  God's  denying  himself;  and,  on  the  other,  would  be  cause- 
less, w^eak,  and  contemptible.  Can  such  a  change  be  attributed, 
pven  in  thought,  to  the  immutable  and  perfect  Jehovah  ? 

In  the  Law,  God  had  manifested  an  infinite  love  to  holiness,  and 
an  infinite  hatred  to  sin  ;  or,  if  the  language  should  be  preferred, 
a  supreme  love  to  the  one,  and  a  supreme  hatred  to  the  other. 
But,  to  pardon  the  sinner,  without  any  change  in  the  state  of  things, 
would  be  to  treat  the  sinner  and  the  faithful  subject  exactly  in  the 
same  manner ;  or  to  treat  the  sinner  in  the  same  manner,  as  if  he 
had  faithfully  obeyed.  Declarations,  made  by  conduct,  are  alto- 
gether the  most  solemn  and  efficacious  of  all  declarations.  In  this 
conduct,  therefore,  God  would  in  the  most  solemn  manner  declare, 
that  he  regarded  holiness  and  sin  alike  ;  because  he  treated  the 
sinner  and  the  saint  alike  ;  and  that  neither  of  them  was  an  object 
of  his  serious  regard.  The  views  of  a  lawgiver  are  always  ex- 
pressed in  the  whole  of  his  Government,  taken  together ;  and  from 
this  cannot  but  be  distinctly  understood.  If  his  Laws  are  unwise  ; 
he  will  be  pronounced  to  be  unwise.  If  his  administration  be  un- 
wise ;  he  will  be  considered  as  sustaining  the  same  character.    If 


198  PRIESTHOOD  OF  CHRIST.  [3ER.  LV. 

fither  of  them  he  unjust;  he  will  be  pronounced  to  be  unjust.  If 
they  be  inconsistent;  inconsistency  will  necessarily  be  attributed 
to  his  character.  How  perfect  a  violation  would  this  conduct  be  of 
the  attributes  of  justice,  wisdom,  and  immutability  ! 

At  the  same  time,  all  subjects  of  the  Divine  Government  would 
be  encouraged  to  disobedience  by  these  proofs  of  a  changeable, 
Aveak,  and  inconsistent  character.  Angels,  we  know,  can  disobey. 
This  is  complete  proof,  that  all  inferior  creatures  are  capable  of 
the  same  disobedience.  Angels  have  disobeyed ;  when,  at  least, 
they  supposed  the  law  to  mean  exactly  what  it  threatens  ;  and 
without  the  least  hope,  founded  on  any  declaration  of  God,  of  any 
possible  exemption  from  the  penalty,  actually  denounced.  Man 
also  disobeyed  in  the  same  circumstances.  Both  also  revolted, 
when  antecedently,  they  had  been  only,  and  perfectly,  holy.  In 
these  facts  we  have  complete  evidence,  that  no  class  of  holy  be- 
ings, is  secure  from  disobedience,  even  under  a  law,  which  gives 
not  a  single  encouragement  to  escape  to  those  who  disobey. 
Should  such  encouragement,  then,  be  holden  out  by  the  actual  for- 
giveness, much  more  by  the  universal  forgiveness,  of  the  penitent, 
without  an  atonement,  who  might  not  be  expected  to  rebel  ?  Who, 
when  temptation  powerfully  assailed,  and  the  wish  to  sin  w-as 
strongly  excited,  would  not  feel  assured  of  his  own  future  repent- 
ance, and  his  consequent  safety  from  future  punishment? 

Of  such  beings,  as  men  now  are,  it  ought  to  be  observed,  that 
they  themselves  furnish  ample  proof  of  what  might  be  rationally 
expected  under  such  a  dispensation.  This  will  appear,  if  we  con- 
sider, 

1st.  That  the  atonement  of  Christ  has  completely  opened  the 
door,  for  the  exemption  of  all  penitents  from  the  punishment, 
threatened  by  the  law  ;  and  yet,  that  the  number  of  those,  who 
really  repent,  is  ordinarily  very  small,  compared  with  the  number 
of  those,  who  transgress. 

2dly.  That  not  even  one  of  these  becomes  a  penitent,  of  his  own 
accord  ;  as  the  Scriptures  abundantly  assure  us;  but  assumes  this 
character,  only  in  consequence  of  the  immediate  influence  of  the 
Divine  Spirit  upon  his  heart. 

3dly.  That,  of  this  number,  few,  very  few,  are  ever  awakened, 
or  convinced,  by  the  encouragements  and  promises  of  the  Gospel ; 
but  almost  nil  by  the  denunciations  of  the  law.  The  blessings  of 
immortality,  the  glories  of  heaven,  are  usually,  to  say  the  least, 
])reachcd,  with  little  efficacy,  to  an  assembly  of  sinners.  I  have 
been  surprised  to  see  how  dull,  inattentive,  and  sleepy,  such  an  as- 
sembly has  been,  amidst  the  strongest  representations  of  these  Di- 
vine subjects,  combining  the  most  vivid  images  with  a  vigorous 
style,  and  an  impressive  elocution. 

4thly.  That  those  persons,  who  disbelieve  a  future  punishment, 
are  distinguished  by  a  licentiousness  of  character,  even  beyond 
other  licentious  men.    Repentance,  and  religion,  are  certainly  never 


SER.  LV.]  HIS  ATONEMENT  199 

seen  by  the  common  eye  among  infidels,  or  universalists ;  and  no 
revival  of  religion,  no  considerable  prevalence  of  religion,  has,  so 
far  as  I  know,  been  the  consequence  of  preaching  Unitarian  doc- 
trines. 

All  these  are  direct  proofs,  that  men,  who  now  sin  so  extensive- 
ly and  perseveringly,  would,  if  the  denunciations  of  the  Law  were 
proved  to  be  false,  by  the  extension  of  forgiveness  to  sinners  with- 
out an  atonement,  sin  with  a  harder  heart,  with  a  bolder  hand,  and 
throughout  a  more  uniformly  guilty  life. 

Restraint  is  a  necessary  part  of  every  law,  and  every  govern- 
ment :  Hitherto  shalt  thou  come,  hut  no  further,  being  invariably 
the  language  of  both.  All  restraint  is  a  hindrance  of  inclination ; 
a  prohibition  of  the  indulgence  of  desire.  In  itself,  it  is  always 
regarded  as  an  evil ;  and  is  really  such,  whenever  it  does  not  pre- 
vent some  other  evil  or  accomplish  some  good.  Adam,  in  a  state 
of  innocence,  in  the  end  considered  the  prohibition  of  the  forbid- 
den tree  as  an  evil.  We,  with  sinful  propensities  only,  should  un- 
doubtedly regard,  and  naturally  do  in  fact  regard,  every  restraint 
in  the  same  manner.  If,  then,  God  were  not  to  execute  the  sen- 
tence of  the  law  upon  us  for  our  transgressions,  but  were  to  for- 
give the  sinner  without  an  atonement,  we  should  undoubtedly  sin, 
not  only  invariably,  but  with  a  boldness,  constancy,  and  extent,  not 
often  seen,  even  in  this  guilty  world. 

If  any  person  should  think  this  conclusion  harsh,  and  severe  ; 
let  him  remember  how  soon  after  the  apostacy  mankind,  in  the  pos- 
session of  long  life,  and  abundant  enjoyments,  forgot  the  loss  of 
their  immortality  ;  and  corrupted  themselves,  to  such  a  degree,  that 
the  infinitely  benevolent  Author  of  their  being  thought  it  necessary 
to  sweep  away  the  whole  human  race,  except  one  family,  with  the 
besom  of  Destruction.  Let  him  remember  how  litde  reformation 
followed  the  overthrow  of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah  ;  or  the  terrible 
plagues  of  Egypt.  Let  him  remember,  that  the  Israelites  worship- 
ped a  calf,  at  the  foot  of  Mount  Sinai;  and  sunk  into  all  the  abomi- 
nations of  the  Canaanites,  as  soon  as  the  generation,  which  destroy- 
ed them,  had  gone  to  the  grave.  Let  him  remember,  that,  amid 
all  the  judgments,  and  mercies,  which  they  received,  they  aposta- 
tized from  God,  at  the  end  of  every  little  period,  and  were  finally 
given  up,  as  hopeless,  to  captivity  and  ruin.  Let  him  remember, 
that  their  descendants  crucified  Christ ;  and  that,  after  the  suffer- 
ings of  eighteen  hundred  years,  and  those  extreme,  they  are  still 
unbelieving,  impenitent,  and  harder  than  the  nether  millstone.  Let 
him  remember,  finally,  how  soon  the  Christian  world  itself  degene- 
rated into  idolatry,  impurity,  persecution,  forgetfulness  of  God,  a 
general  corruption  of  Christianity,  and  a  general  dissolution  of 
morals.  With  these  things  in  his  view,  it  will  be  impossible  for  him 
to  think  the  conclusion,  which  I  have  drawn,  either  unwarrantable, 
or  unkind. 

But  it  may  be  said,  that  although  all  these  evils  might  indeed  take 


200  rRtESTHOOD  OF  CHRIST  [SER.  LY 

place,  if  God  shmdd  pardon  sinners  without  repentance ;  still  the 
forgiveness  of  penitetits  involves  no  such  consequence.     To  this  al- 
legation, which  1  believe  to  be  made  by  almost  every  human  heart, 
I  answer, 

1  St.  The  threatening  of  the  law  against  transgression  is  absolute. 
The  soul  that  sinncth  shall  die.  Fn  this  threatening  there  is  no 
mention,  and  plainly  no  admission,  of  repentance,  as  the  founda- 
tion of  escape  to  the  transgressor.  If  an  exception  was  intended 
to  be  made  in  favour  of  the  penitent ;  why  was  it  not  expressed, 
or  at  least  hinted,  by  the  law  ?  There  is  not,  that  I  know,  a  single 
intimation,  of  this  nature,  in  any  of  the  expressions,  which  it  con- 
tains. Should  it  be  said,  that,  although  this  exception  is  not  made 
in  the  words  of  the  law  itself  yet  it  is  sufficiently  declared  in  the 
Comments  on  the  law,  given  us  by  Moses  and  the  succeeding 
prophets ;  I  answer,  that,  wherever  these  Commentators  speak 
of  repentance,  as  connected  with  our  escape  from  the  curse  of  the 
law,  they  speak  of  it,  either  as  connected  wnth  the  atonement  ot 
Christ,  or  not.  If  they  mention  it,  as  connected  with  this  atone- 
ment; then  the  Objector  will  be  obliged  to  admit,  that  the 
atonement  itself  is  the  foundation  of  the  Penitent's  escape.  If 
they  do  not  speak  of  it  as  connected  with  the  atonement,  then  it 
follows,  that  the  penitent  is  pardoned,  under  the  lazv,  or  legal  dis- 
pensation. An  act  of  pardon  is  an  act  of  grace  ;  and  no  act  is 
more  eminently  gracious,  or  free.  To  this  grace  the  Gospel  can 
add,  and  does  in  fact  add,  nothing  material.  Grace,  therefore, 
came,  according  to  this  supposition,  originally  by  Moses,  and  not 
by  Christ,  and  the  Gospel  is  not  the  good  mws,  or  the  glad  tidings 
ol the  grace  of  God;  as  it  is  often  styled  by  the  writers  of  it;  be- 
cause the  tidings  which  it  professes  to  bring,  were  long  before 
published  by  the  law. 

Fui'ther  ;  it  will  not  be  in  (his  case  true,  that  heaven  and  earth 
shall  sooner  pass  aroay,  than  one  jot,  or  one  tittle,  of  the  hno  shall 
pass,  until  all  he  fulflled.  Not  only  one  jot,  or  one  tittle,  but  the 
whole  penal  sentence,  of  the  law  is,  according  to  this  scheme,  left, 
and  will  for  ever  be  left,  unfulfilled ;  without  any  other  reason  to 
forbid  its  fulfilment,  beside  what  existed,  and  was  known  to  exist, 
at  the  time  when  it  was  published  to  the  world. 

2dly.  The  absolute  threatening  of  the  laiv  was  denounced  by  God 
in  the  exercise  of  his  infinite  perfections.  When  he  denounced  it, 
therefore,  in  this  manner,  that  is,  unconditionally,  he  acted  wisely 
and  justly.  The  denunciation  he  intended  either  to  execute,  or 
not.  If  he  did  not  intend  to  execute  it,  he  acted,  so  far  as  I  am 
able  to  discern,  insincerely;  because  in  publishing  it  he  declared, 
that  he  would  do  what  he  intended  not  to  do.  If  he  intended  to 
execute  it,  he  will  certainly  execute  it ;  because  no  reason  exists, 
in  the  case  supposed,  to  forbid  the  execution,  which  did  not  exist 
in  his  view,  when  he  published  the  threatening.  It  will  not  be 
denied,  that  he  foresaw  every  instance  of  lepentanre,  Avhich  would 


SER.  LV]  HIS  ATONEMENT.  201 

afterwards  be  exhibited  by  mankind.  As  God  is  immutable ;  it 
must,  at  the  least,  be  conceded,  that  he  cannot  be  supposed  to 
change  his  determinations,  in  any  case,  especially  a  case  of  such 
importance,  where  no  reason  whatever  exists  for  the  change,  be- 
side those  which  existed  when  the  determination  was  made. 

3dly.  The  repentance  of  the  sinner  cannot  be  an  atonement  for 
his  crime.  Repentance  consists  in  sorrow  for  sin ;  confession  of 
it ;  an  acknowledgment  of  the  justice  of  God  in  punishing  it;  reso- 
lutions of  future  obedience  ;  and  actual  reformation.  These  things 
undoubtedly  constitute  an  important  change  in  the  character  of  the 
sinner;  but  they  alter  not  the  nature,  or  degree,  of  the  guilt  which 
he  has  already  incurred.  For  this  he  is  condemned  ;  and  for  this, 
even  according  to  his  own  penitential  views,  he  has  merited  pun- 
ishment. In  what  manner  does  his  present  penitence  affect  this 
guilt  ?  Certainly  in  no  such  sense,  as  to  lessen  its  degree,  or 
desert  of  punishment.  In  what  manner,  then,  can  it  prevent  him 
from  being  punished  ?  Plainly  in  none,  except  that,  which  will 
make  amends  for  the  evils,  which  he  has  committed ;  the  dishon- 
our, which  he  has  done  to  the  law,  and  government,  of  God.  But 
what  is  there,  in  his  repentance,  which  can  make  these  amends? 
In  what  manner  will  it  discover,  that  the  character  of  God,  in 
threatening  punishment  to  his  sins,  and  declining,  on  account  of  a 
repentance  originally  foreseen,  to  inflict  that  punishment,  was  the 
same  character;  or  that  God,  when  he  threatened  the  punishment, 
and  when  he  refused  to  execute  it,  regarded  holiness  and  sin  in 
one  unchangeable  manner?  Will  his  sorrow  for  sin  make  it  cease 
to  be  sin  ?  Will  the  confession  of  his  guilt  make  him  cease  to  be 
guilty  ?  Will  his  acknowledgment  of  the  justice  of  the  punish- 
ment, which  he  has  deserved,  make  it  cease  to  be  just  ?  Will  his 
resolutions  of  amendment,  or  his  actual  reformation,  efface,  or 
lessen,  the  guilt  of  his  past  life  ?  INone  of  these  things  will,  I 
suppose,  be  pretended.  How,  then,  can  the  repentance  of  a  sin- 
ner become  a  proper  ground  for  his  forgiveness,  and  acceptance  ? 
If  he  is  actually  forgiven,  on  this  ground,  it  cannot  but  be  seen, 
and  will  with  truth  be  said,  that  God,  in  the  formation  and  the  ad- 
ministration of  his  law,  has  acted  inconsistently ;  and  that  either 
the  law  was  unjust  and  unreasonable,  or  that  his  failure  to  execute 
it  was  unwise  and  dishonourable  to  himself.  For  this  evil,  which, 
for  aught  that  appears,  may  be  great  beyond  any  assignable  limit, 
this  scheme  furnishes,  so  far  as  I  can  see,  no  remedy. 

But  it  may  be  further  asked,  Would  it  not  be  more  honourable  to 
God,  or  at  least  equally  honourable,  to  forgive  the  penitent,  without 
an  Atonement  ?  Whence  is  it,  that  suffering,  or  punishment,  becomes 
necessary  to  the  establishment  of  his  glory  in  the  Government  of  the 
Universe  ? 

To  these  questions  I  answer,  that  it  ill  becomes  a  creature  of 
yesterday  to  employ  himself  in  contriving  a  government  for  the 
Universe ;  or  a  system  of  regulations,  by  which  the  Author  of  the 

Vol.  II.  26 


202  PRIESTHOOD  OF  CHRIST.  ^       [SER.  LV. 

Universe  may  direct  his  immense  and  eternal  administration.  Even 
to  understand  that  state  of  tilings,  which  really  exists,  is,  in  a  few 
instances  only,  possible  for  us;  and,  in  almost  all,  utterly  trans- 
cends the  extent  of  our  faculties.  A  little  child  would  be  very 
absurdly  employed  in  contriving  a  system  of  government  for  a 
kingdom,  or  in  forming  decisions  concerning  the  wisdom  or  lolly, 
the  justice  or  injustice,  by  which  it  was  governed.  The  Universe 
is  more  disproportioned  to  the  powers  of  a  man,  than  a  kingdom 
to  those  of  a  child  5  and  the  government  of  God  as  absolutely 
transcends  the  comprehension  of  an  Angel,  as  that  of  a  pruice 
exceeds  the  understanding  of  a  child.  An  attempt  to  answer  tliese 
cjuestions,  therefore,  must  be,  and  from  the  nature  of  the  case,  be 
seen  to  be,  lame,  imperfect,  and  in  many  respects  unsatisfactory. 
Nothing  more  can  be  expected  on  this  subject  by  a  sober  man, 
than  a  removal,  or  diminution,  of  some  of  the  most  obvious  doubts  ; 
and  even  this,  perhaps,  may  be  attempted  in  vain.  Let  it  be  re- 
membered, however,  that  the  difficulties,  attendant  upon  our 
inquiries  in  the  present  case,  arise,  not  from  any  perceptible  ab- 
surdity of  what  we  know,  but  from  the  mere  inexplicableness  of 
what  we  do  not  know ;  from  the  nature  of  the  subject,  in  itself  free 
from  all  absurdity,  but  incomprehensible  by  such  minds  as  ours. 

With  these  things  premised,  I  will  suggest,  as  a  direct,  but  par- 
tial, answer  to  these  inquiries,  the  following  observations. 

1st.  We  are  prejudiced  judges  of  this  subject.  Our  own  case, 
and  that  a  case  immensely  interesting  to  us,  is  concerned.  Where 
we  have  interests  depending,  of  very  moderate  importance,  our 
judgments  usually  are  partial.  Here  they  must  of  course  be  ex- 
tremely partial. 

2dly.  JVb  government  of  the  Universe  can  become  the  character 
of  the  Creator,  except  a  moral  government,  A  government  of 
force  would  be  absolutely  destitute  of  any  moral  excellence,  or 
any  intellectual  glory.  The  ruler,  so  far  as  he  was  obeyed,  would 
be  obeyed  only  from  fear,  and  never  from  confidence,  or  love. 
This  is  the  obedience  of  a  slave ;  as  the  government  would  be  that 
of  a  tyrant.  It  is  unnecessaiy  to  multiply  words,  to  prove,  that  in 
this  case  the  ruler  could  never  be  reverenced,  nor  loved,  by  his 
subjects  ;  or  that  his  subjects  could  never  be  virtuous  and  amiable 
in  themselves,  or  loved  and  apjjroved  by  him. 

3dly.  The  Law  of  God  is.  and  must  of  necessity  be,  a  rule  of 
action  for  an  immense  midtiiude  of  beings,  that  is,  for  the  whole 
intelligent  Universe,  throughout  eternity.  The  wise  and  perfect 
regulation  of  this  vast  kingdom  cannot  but  require  a  course  of  ad- 
ministration, in  many  respects  different  from  that,  by  which  a  little 
part  of  this  kingdom  might,  perhaps,  be  effectually  governed. 
Regulations,  also,  which  are  to  extend  their  influence  through  eter- 
nity, must  of  course  differ  from  those,  whose  influence  is  confined 
to  a  little  period  of  time.     Particularly, 

4thly.  The  Motives  to  obedience  must  he  great,  wiiform,  always 


SER.  LV.J        ■-  HIS  ATONEMENT.  203 

present,  and  always  operative.  We  well  know  by  familiar  experi- 
ence, that  a  little  State  can  be  kept  in  order  by  what  is  commonly 
called  a  very  gentle  administration  :  that  is,  the  government  may 
consist  of  mild  laws,  holding  out  motives  to  obedience  of  moderate 
efficacy,  and  an  administration  of  those  laws,  presenting  by  its 
gentleness  similar  motives.  Whereas  a  great  empire,  containing 
vast  multitudes  of  people,  can  be  successfully  controlled,  only  by 
what  is  called  a  more  vigorous  or  energetic  government ;  inducing 
obedience  by  more  powerful  motives,  addressed  unceasingly  to 
every  subject,  both  in  the  laws  and  in  the  administration.  The 
degree,  to  which  these  motives  need  to  be  extended  in  the  govern- 
ment of  the  universe,  can  be  comprehended  only  by  an  unlimited 
understanding. 

5thly.  All  motives  to  obedience  are  comprised  in  natural  good  and 
natural  evil  ,•  that  is,  in  enjoyment  and  suffering.  As  a  moral  go- 
vernment influences  only  by  motives,  and  only  in  this  way  preserv^es 
the  peace,  and  insures  the  happiness,  of  those  who  obey ;  it  is 
plain,  that  these  motives,  found  in  enjoyment  and  suffering,  must  in 
such  a  kingdom  as  this,  possess,  if  its  peace  and  happiness  are  to 
be  secured,  very  great  power;  power,  sufficient  to  accomplish  the 
end.  How  great  the  suffering,  or  the  enjoyment,  proposed  by  the 
law,  and  prixluced  by  the  administration,  as  motives  to  obedience 
and  disobedience,  must  be,  God  only  can  determine. 

6thly.  A  great  part  of  all  the  motives  to  obedience,  in  such  a  Go- 
vernment, is  presented  by  the  uniformity,  and  exactness,  of  the  ad- 
ministration. No  State,  in  the  present  world,  is  ever  well  govern- 
ed ;  is  ever  orderly,  peaceful,  and  happy  ;  under  an  administra- 
tion inconsistent  with  itself;  an  administration  at  one  time  rigid,  at 
another  lax  ;  atone  time  severe,  at  another  indulgent.  This  is  pro- 
verbially acknowledged.  Such  a  government  of  the  Universe 
would,  not  improbably  within  a  little  time,  throw  its  affairs  into  con- 
fusion, and  involve  its  inhabitants  in  very  extensive  evil,  if  not  in 
absolute  ruin.  If  the  law  of  God,  then,  were  not  to  be  executed, 
unless  occasionally  ;  if  its  penalties  were  not  inflicted  on  penitents; 
this  inconsistency  would  be  seen  in  all  its  extent,  and  be  produc- 
tive of  all  its  evil  consequences.  But  this  could  not  be  honour- 
able to  God ;  nor,  as  it  would  seem,  useful  to  his  Intelligent  king- 
dom. 

7thly.  The  law  of  God  is  formed  in  such  a  manner,  as  to  insure, 
if  obeyed,  the  supreme  glory  of  his  character,  and  the  highest  happi- 
ness of  his  subjects.  Nothing  can  be  so  honourable  to  God,  as  to 
sit  at  the  head  of  an  immense  and  an  eternal  kingdom,  composed 
of  subjects,  who  love  him  with  all  the  heart,  and  each  other  as  them- 
selves ;  a  kingdom,  therefore,  of  perfect  order,  harmony,  and  rec- 
titude. But  these  immense  blessings  are  secured,  as  well  as  gen- 
erated, by  this  law.  A  law  of  such  importance  can  neither  be  giv- 
en up,  nor  changed  in  any  manner,  consistently  with  the  honour  of 
God. 


204  I'RIESTHOOD  OF  CHRIST.  [SER.  LV. 

8thly.  The  advent  of  Christ  is  every  where  exhibited,  as  fraught 
with  peculiar  blessings  to  mankind.  It  was  published  by  the  Angel 
to  the  Bethlehem  shepherds,  as  an  event,  the  news  of  which  were 
good  tidings  of  great  joy.  It  was  sung  by  his  heavenly  compan- 
ions, as  the  foundation,  and  source,  of  glory  to  God  in  the  highest, 
peace  on  earth,  and  good-will  towards  men.  But  if  Christ  did  not 
make  an  atonement  for  sin,  it  will  be  difficult ;  I  presume  it  will  be 
impossible  ;  to  point  out,  or  to  conceive,  in  what  respect  his  advent 
was  of  such  importance,  either  to  the  glory  of  God,  or  to  the  good 
of  mankind.  On  this  ground,  he  certainly  was  not  the  means  of 
pardon  to  men  ;  because  they  are  pardoned  without  his  interference. 
He  was  not  the  means,  even  of  publishing  this  pardon ;  for  it  had 
been  published  long  before,  and  amply,  by  tlie  Prophets  of  the 
Old  Testament.  A  broken  heart,  and  a  contrite  spirit,  says  David, 
thou  wilt  not  despise.  Let  the  wicked  forsake  his  way,  says  Isaiah, 
and  the  unrighteous  man  his  thoughts  j  and  let  him  turn  to  the  Lord, 
for  he  will  have  mercy  on  him,  and  to  our  God,  for  he  will  abundant- 
ly pardon. 

If  Christ  made  an  Atonement  for  the  sins  of  mankind ;  all  the 
magnificent  expressions  concerning  his  mission,  and  character;  the 
declarations,  that  he  is  the  only  Saviour  of  mankind;  and  that  <Aerc 
is  Salvation  in  no  other  ^  are  easily  understood  ;  if  not,  I  am  unable 
to  see  how  they  can  be  explained.  Particularly,  I  am  unable  to 
discern  how  God  is  so  solemnly  said  to  be  peculiarly  glorified  by 
the  mission  of  Christ :  for,  according  to  this  scheme,  he  was  sent 
for  no  purpose,  which  had  not  been  accomplished  before  ;  and 
which  might  not,  for  aught  that  appears,  have  been  accomplished 
afterwards,  without  his  appearance  in  the  world. 


SERMON  LVI. 


THE  PRIESTHOOD  OF  CHRIST. HIS  ATONEMENT. ITS  EXISTENCE. 

THE  MANNER  IN  WHICH  IT  IS  PERFORMED. ITS  EXTENT. 


Romans  iii.  24 — 26.  Being  justified  freely  by  his  grace  through  the  redemption  thatis 
ill  Christ  Jesus  ;  whom  God  hath  set  forth  to  be  a  propitiation,  through  faith  in 
his  blood,  to  declare  his  righteousness  for  the  remission  of  sins  that  are  past,  through 
the  forbearance  of  God ;  to  declare,  I  say,  at  this  time  his  righteousness :  that 
he  might  be  just,  and  the  Justifier  of  him  which  believeth  in  Jesus. 

In  the  last  sermon,  I  proposed  to  discourse  on  the  Atonement  of 
Christ,  under  the  following  heads  : 

I.  The  Mature  ; 

II.  The  Necessity  ,•  and, 

III.  The  Existence  ^  of  an  atonement  for  sin : 

IV.  The  Manner,  in  which  it  was  performed :  and, 

V.  Its  Extent. 

The  two  first  of  these  I  considered  sufficiently  in  that  discourse. 
The  three  last  I  propose  to  examine  at  the  present  time;  and  shall 
proceed  without  any  preliminary  remarks  to  show, 

III.   The  Existence  of  an  Atonement  for  sin. 

It  is  hardly  necessary  to  observe  here,  that,  as  all  our  knowledge 
of  this  subject  is  revealed,  all  proofs  of  the  fact  in  question  must  be 
derived  from  Revelation.  The  proofs,  which  I  shall  allege,  I  shall 
arrange  under  the  following  heads  : 

1  St.  Those  passages  of  Scripture,  which  speak  of  Christ  as  a  Pro- 
pitiation for  sin. 

These  are  the  Text,  1  John  ii.  2,  and  1  Johji  iv.  10.  Of  these, 
the  Text  first  claims  our  consideration.  In  the  text  it  is  declared, 
that  God  has  set  forth  Christ  to  be  a  propitiation.  The  word,  here 
rendered  propitiation,  is  iXag^i^iov.  This  word  is  used  only  twice  in 
the  Greek  Testament ;  viz.  in  the  text,  and  Hebrews  ix.  5.  Its 
proper  meaning  is  the  propitiatory,  or  mercy-seat ;  as  it  is  rendered 
in  the  latter  passage.  The  mercy-seat,  in  the  tabernacle  or  tem- 
ple, was  the  place  where  God  manifested  himself,  pecuHarly,  by 
the  Shechinah,  or  visible  symbol  of  his  presence  ;  heard  the  prayers 
and  accepted  the  offerings,  of  his  people ;  and  dispensed  to  them 
his  mercy,  in  answer  to  their  supplications.  The  mercy-seat,  we 
are  taught  in  the  text,  was  a  type,  of  which  Christ,  the  true  iXagri^iov, 
was  the  antitype.  In  him  God  hears  our  prayers,  and  dispenses 
his  own  mercy  to  us.  The  mercy-seat,  the  place  where  God  ex- 
hibited himself  as  thus  propitious  to  mankind,  was  itself  a  mere 


206  PRIESTHOOD  OF    CHRIST.  [SER.  LVI. 

shadow,  or  symbol,  denoting  Christ ;  the  means  by  which  he 
is  rendered  propitious.  Ahnough  the  word  difi'ers,  therefore, 
from  that  used  in  the  other  passages  mentioned,  the  meaning  is 
the  same.  It  is  accordingly  rendered  in  the  same  manner  by  the 
translators. 

A  propitiation  for  sin  is  the  means,  by  which  God  is  rendered 
merciful  to  sinners.  Christ  is  here  declared  to  be  this  propitiation. 
But  the  only  possible  sense,  in  which  Christ  can  have  become  the 
means  of  rendering  God  merciful  to  sinners,  is  by  making  an  atone- 
ment for  them.  This  Atonement  I  have  explained  to  consist  in 
making  sufficient  amends  for  the  faults,  which  they  have  committed, 
and  placing  the  law,  and  government,  of  God  in  such  a  situation, 
that  when  sinners  are  pardoned  both  shall  be  equally  honourable, 
and  et^icacious,  as  before.  The  motives  to  obedience,  also,  must 
in  no  degree  be  lessened.  Further  ;  the  character  of  God,  when 
pardoning  sinners,  must  appear  perfectly  consistent  with  itself  and 
exactly  expressed  by  the  law.  Finally;  God  must  be  seen  to  be 
no  less  opposed  to  sin,  and  no  less  delighted  with  holiness,  than 
when  the  law  was  formed. 

This  doctrine  is  completely  established  by  the  text.  God  is 
here  said  to  have  set  forth  Christ  to  declare  his  righteousness,  or,  as 
it  is  better  rendered  by  Macknight,  for  a  proof  of  his  own  right- 
eousness in  passing  by  the  sins,  ivhich  were  before  committed,  through 
the  forbearance  of  Godj  for  a  proof  also,  of  his  righteousness,  at 
the  present  time,  in  order  that  he  may  be  just,  when  justifying  him, 
who  believeth  in  Jesus.  In  this  passage,  the  end,  for  which  Christ 
was  set  forth  to  be  a  propitiation,  is  asserted  to  be,  that  Christ 
might  declare,  or  be  a  proof  of ,  the  righteousness  of  God,  in  passing 
by,  or  remitting,  sins  which  zvere  past^  and  of  his  righteousness, 
also,  at  the  present  time,  zohen  justifying  believers.  In  these  asser- 
tions we  arc  taught  in  the  most  unambiguous  manner,  that,  unless 
Christ  had  been  set  forth  as  a  propitiation,  the  righteousness  of 
God,  in  remitting  past  and  present  sins,  would  not  have  been  man- 
ifested. It  is  also  declared  in  the  same  decisive  manner,  that,  if 
Christ  had  not  been  set  forth  as  a  propitiation,  God  would  not 
have  been  just,  when  justifying  believers.  Christ,  therefore,  in  the 
character  of  a  propitiation,  and  only  in  this  character,  has  made 
the  pardoning,  or  justification,  of  sinners  consistent  with  the  jus- 
tice of  God.  To  pardon  sinners,  therefore,  without  a  propitiation, 
would  have  been  inconsistent  with  divine  justice,  and  of  course, 
impossible. 

The  same  doctrine  is  further  confirmed  by  St.  John,  who  in  his 
first  Epistle  ii.  2,  and  iv.  10,  declares  that  Christ  is  a  propitiation 
for  our  sins.  The  word,  used  in  both  these  passages,  is  iXatfjAog ; 
the  proper  English  of  which  is  a  propitiation,  a  propitiatory  sacri- 
fice, or  sin-oflering.  This  word  is  often  used  by  the  LXX. ;  and 
appropriately  signifies,  in  their  use  of  it,  a  sacrifice  of  atonement. 


SER.LVI.]  HIS  ATONEMENT.  207 

Thus  ^K^iotf  'iXatffAou  is  a  Ram  for  a  sin-offering,  and  t^fotfipE^siv  'iXatfjuiov, 
is  to  offer  a  sin-offering.  The  same  signification  it  has,  and  can 
only  have,  as  used  by  St.  John. 

2dly.  Those  passages  of  Scripture,  which  speak  of  Christ  as  a 
Ransom  for  mankind. 

These  are  Matthezv  xx.  28 ;  the  corresponding  passage  in 
Mark  X.  45  ;  and  1st  of  Timothy  ii.  6.  The  passage  in  Matthew 
is,  Even  as  the  Son  of  man  came  not  to  be  ministered  unto,  but  to 
minister,  and  to  give  his  life  a  ransom  for  many.  That  in  Mark  is 
a  repetition  of  this.  That  in  Timothy  is,  Who  gave  himself  a  ran- 
som for  all,  to  be  testified  in  due  time.  The  word,  translated  ran,' 
som  in  the  two  first  of  these  passages,  is  Xut^ov  ;  which  signifies  the 
price,  paid  for  the  deliverance  of  a  captive  from  the  slavery,  or  death, 
to  which,  among  the  ancients,  a  captive  was,  or  might  be,  regularly 
condemned.  The  word,  in  Timothy,  is  avTiXuT^ov ;  which,  according 
to  Estius,  denoted  the  ransom,  paid  for  the  life  of  a  captive,  by  giv- 
ing up  the  life  of  another  person.  The  Xut^ov  might  be  a  sum  of 
money.  But  the  signification  in  all  these  passages  is  unquestiona- 
bly the  same  in  substance  ;  because  exactly  the  same  thing  is  re- 
ferred to  in  them  all.  This,  in  the  passage  from  Timothy,  is  de- 
clared to  be  giving  up  his  own  life  for  the  life  of  sinners  ;  or  in  oth- 
er words,  dying,  that  sinners  might  live.  1  know  not  how  the  fact, 
that  Christ  made  an  atonement,  could  have  been  declared  in  more 
explicit,  or  more  forcible,  language. 

Of  the  same  nature  are  all  those  passages,  which  declare,  that 
roe  are  redeemed  by  Christ.  The  Greek  word,  which  signifies  to 
redeem,  is  Xut^ow  ;  as  that  which  signifies  redemption  is  a*oXuT^wtfis : 
both  derivatives  from  Xut^ov,  ransom.  Every  one,  who  has  read 
his  Bible,  knows,  that  Christ  is  there  appropriately  styled  our  Re- 
deemer ;  and  that  we  are  often  said  to  be  redeemed,  and  to  have  re- 
demption, by  him.  For  example,  Ephesians  i.  7,  In  whom  we  have 
redemption  throiigh  his  blood.  Rev.  v.  9,  Thou  hast  redeemed  us  to 
God  by  thy  blood.  Gal.  iii.  13,  Christ  redeemed  us  from  the  curse  of 
the  law,  being  made  a  curse  for  us.  In  all  these,  and  various  other 
passages  of  the  New  Testament,  it  is  declared,  that  Christ  redeemed 
us:  that  is,  he  brought  us  out  from  the  bondage  and  condemnation 
of  sin  by  his  blood,  and  by  being  made  a  curse  for  us,  in  that 
he  died  upon  the  accursed  tree.  It  will  be  unnecessary  to  multi- 
ply words,  to  show  that  exactly  the  same  thing  is  here  taught,  as  in 
those  passages,  where  Christ  is  declared  to  have  given  himself  as 
a  ransom. 

3dly.  Those  passages,  in  which  Christ  is  spoken  of  as  a  Substitute 
for  mankind. 

These  are  very  numerous,  and  of  many  forms.  A  few  of  them, 
only,  can  be  recited  at  the  present  time.  Surely,  says  Isaiah,  he 
has  borne  our  griefs,  and  carried  our  sorrows.     But  he  was  wound- 

*  Lev.  vi.  6,  7.  Numb.  v.  8.  t  Ezek.  xliv.  27.    Parkhurst.    Macknight. 


208  PRIESTHOOD  OF  CHRIST.  [SER.  LVI 

ed  for  our  transgressions,  he  was  bruised  for  our  iniquities ;  the 
chastisement  of  our  peace  zuas  upon  him;  and  with  his  stripes  we  are 
healed.  The  Lord  has  laid  on  him  the  iniquity  of  us  all ;  for  the 
transgression  of  my  People  was  he  stricken.  By  his  knowledge  shall 
my  righteous  Servant  just  fy  many;  JVhen  thou  shalt  make  his  soul 
an  offering  for  sin;  For  he  shall  bear  their  iniquities.  And  he  bare 
the  sin  of  many.*  These  passages  can  need  no  explanation.  Lan- 
guage cannot  more  clearly,  or  moi'e  strongly,  assert,  that  Clirist 
was  a  substitute  for  sinners  ;  that  he  bore  their  sins,  and  suflered  for 
their  iniquities  ;  or,  in  other  words,  that  he  became  an  Atonement 
for  them. 

Daniel,  in  his  9th  chapter,  recites,  from  the  mouth  of  Gabriel,  the 
following  words  :  Seventy  weeks  are  determined  upon  thy  people  ; — 
to  finish  the  transgression,  and  to  make  an  end  of  sins,  and  to  make 
reconciliation  for  iniquity,  and  to  bring  in  everlasting  righteousness 
— and  to  anoint  the  most  Holy.  In  the  following  verse,  he  further 
informs  us,  that,  at  the  end  of  the  seventy  weeks,  the  Messiah 
should  be  cut  off,  but  not  for  himself.  Accordingly,  at  the  end  of 
seventy  weeks,  or  four  hundred  and  ninety  years,  from  the  going 
forth  of  the  commandment  to  rebuild  Jerusalem,  published  by  Ar- 
taxerxes  Longimanus,  the  Messiah  was  cut  off,  but  not  for  himself; 
that  is,  within  four  years,  after  he  had  been  anointed  by  the  Holy 
Ghost,  according  to  the  same  prediction.  The  eti'ect  of  his  being 
cut  off  was  to  make  an  end  of  sin,  and  to  make  reconciliation  for 
iniquity. 

1  Cor.  XV.  3,  Christ  died  for  our  sins,  according  to  the  Scriptures. 
Here  it  is  not  only  asserted,  that  Christ  died  for  our  sins  ;  but  this 
fact  is  said  to  have  taken  place,  according  to  the  general  tenour  of 
the  Scriptures.  The  same  doctrine  is  taught  by  Christ  himself,  first 
to  Cleophas  and  his  companion,  and  next  to  the  eleven ;  Luke  xxiv. 
23,  26,  43,  46.  Then  he  said  unto  them,  O  fools,  and  slow  of 
heart  to  believe  all  that  the  prophets  have  spoken  !  Ought  not  Christ 
to  have  suffered  these  things,  and  to  have  entered  into  his  glory  ? 
Then  opened  he  their  understanding  that  they  might  understand  the 
Scriptures;  and  said  unto  them.  Thus  it  is  xcritten ;  and  thus  it  be- 
hoved Christ  to  suffer,  and  to  rise  from  the  dead,  the  third  day.  In 
both  these  passages  our  Saviour  asserts  his  death  to  have  been  due, 
or  necessary ;  because  it  had  been  before  declared  by  the  pro- 
phets, and  in  the  Scriptures  ;  reproves  the  two  disciples  for  not 
thus  understanding,  and  believing,  the  prophets  ;  and  teaches  them, 
that  this  is  the  substance  of  all,  which  the  prophets  had  spoken ; 
and  the  eleven,  that  to  understand  this  great  fact,  in  a  proper  man- 
ner, is  to  understand  the  Scriptures  themselves  at  large. 

Gal.  i.  4,  Who  gave  himself  for  our  sins,  that  he  might  deliver 
us  from  this  evil  world.  Hebrews  i.  3,  Whe?i  he  had  by  himself 
purged  our  sins.      1  Peter  ii.  24,  Who  his  ozori  self  bare  our  sins  in 

"Isaiah  I  iii. 


SER.  LVl.]  HIS  ATONEMENT.  209 

his  own  body  on  the  tree  ;  that  we,  being  dead  to  sins,  should  live 
unto  righteousness  :  by  whose  stripes  ye  zvere  healed.  1  John  iii.  5, 
He  zoas  manifested,  to  take  away  our  sins.  Rtv.  i.  5,  Unto  him,  that 
loved  us,  and  rvashed  us  from  our  sins  in  his  own  blood,  and  hath 
made  us  kings  and  priests  unto  God. 

In  every  one  of  these  passages,  as  well  as  many  others,  it  is  evi- 
dent beyond  all  debate,  that  Christ  stood  in  the  place  of  nian>ind; 
bore  their  sins  ;  and  healed  them  by  the  stripes,  which  he  suf/ered  : 
that  our  iniquities  were  laid  on  him  ;  that  he  washed  our  sins  a\ray  ; 
became  a  curse  for  us  ;  was  wounded  for  our  transgressions  ;  made 
reconciliation  for  iniquity  ;  and  was  cut  off,  not  for  hhnself.  but  for 
mankind.  The  same  doctrine  is  taught  with  equal  precision  in 
many  other  forms  of  expression ;  but,  I  presume,  it  is  unnecessary 
to  add  any  thing  further  on  this  part  of  the  subject. 

4thly.  /  argue  the  same  doctrine  from  those  passages,  in  which  we 
are  said  to  be  forgiven,  or  saved,  for  his  sake,  or  in  his  name. 

Acts  iv.  12,  Neither  is  there  salvation  in  any  other  ;  for  there  is 
none  other  name  under  Heaven  given  among  men,  whereby  we  must 
he  saved.  Acts  xiii.  38,  Be  it  known  unto  yov,  therefore,  men  and 
brethren,  that  through  this  man  is  preached  unto  you  the  forgiveness 
of  sins.  1  Johnu.  I'i,  I  write  unto  you,littU  children, because  your 
sins  are  forgiven  you  for  his  name'^s  sake.  i  Cor.  vi.  11,  But  ye 
are  washed,  but  ye  are  sanctified,  but  ye  are  justified,  in  the  narne  of 
the  Lord  Jesus.  Eph.  iv.  32,  Even  as  God  for  Christ'' s  sake  hath 
forgiven  you. 

Now,  it  is  plain,  that  we  cannot  be  forgiven,  washed,  justified,  or 
saved,  for  the  sake  of  Christ,  unless  Christ  was,  in  some  sense  or 
other,  a  substitute  for  us  ;  stood  in  our  place  ;  did  something,  which 
we  had  failed  to  do  ;  made  amends  for  faidts,  which  we  had  com- 
mitted; or  in  other  words,  made  that  atonement  for  sin,  which  God 
was  pleased  to  accept.  Of  the  very  same  import  are  those  passages 
of  the  Old  Testament,  in  which  sin  is  said  to  be  forgiven,  and 
blessings  to  be  bestowed,  upon  mankind  by  God,  for  his  numc''s 
sake,  or  for  his  own  sake.  In  Exod.  xxiii.  21,  God,  speaking  of 
his  own  Angel,  says,  beware  of  him,  and  obey  his  voice  ;  and  pro- 
voke him  not ;  for  he  will  not  pardon  your  transgressions  :  for  my 
name  is  in  him.  The  Jezos,  of  ancient  times,  considered  the  name 
of  God,  mentioned  in  a  great  number  of  passages  in  the  Old  Tes- 
tament, as  being  no  other,  than  one  appellation  of  the  Messiah ; 
and  construed  those  passages,  in  which  the  forgiveness  of  sin  was 
promised  for  the  sake  of  the  Name  of  God,  in  some,  and  probably 
in  all  instances,  as  intending,  and  really,  though  figuratively,  ex- 
pressing, forgiveness  for  the  sake  of  the  Messiah.  Thus,  when  m 
Isaiah  xlviii.  9,  God  says.  For  my  name''s  sake  will  I  defer  mine 
anger;  and  in  the  11th  verse,  For  miyie  own  sake  will  I  doit; 
when  the  Psalmist  says,  Ps.  xxv.  11,  For  thy  Name'' s  sake  pardon 
mine  iniquity  ;  and  Ps.  cix.  21,  Do  thou  for  me,  0  God,  the  Lord, 
for  thy  Nameh  sake  ;  and  Ps.  cxliii.  11,  Quicken  me  for  thy  name''s 
Vol,  it  27 


210  PRIESTHOOD  OF  CHRIST  [SER.  LVI. 

sake;  and  when  the  Church  says,  Ps.  Ixxix.  9,  Help  us,  0  God  of 
our  salvation,  for  the  glory  of  thy  Name  ;  and  deliver  us,  and  pur gt 
azvay  our  sins  for  thy  Narae^s  sake  :  the  phraseology  is  exactly 
equivalent  to  what  it  would  be,  if  for  the  sake  of  Christ  had  been 
substituted  in  each  of  these  cases.  This,  however,  is  not  mention- 
ed as  being  necessary  to  the  proof  of  the  doctrine  in  hand  ;  but 
as  evidence,  that  the  same  views  ol  it  are  given  us  in  both  Testa- 
ments. 

On  the  same  ground  we  are  required  to  offer  up  our  prayers  to 
God  in  the  Name  of  Christ.  In  John  xvi.  23,  our  Saviour  says. 
Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  whatsoever  ye  shall  ask  the  Father  in 
my  name,  he  icill  give  it  yoiu  Hitherto  have  ye  asked  nothing  in 
my  name  :  ask,  and  ye  shall  receive  ;  that  your  joy  may  be  full ; 
and  again,  At  that  day  ye  shall  ask  in  my  name  :  and  in  John  xiv. 
13,  14,  jlad  whatsoever  ye  shall  ask  inmy  name,  that  will  I  do,  that 
the  Father  may  be  glorified  in  the  Son.  If  ye  shall  ask  any  thing 
in  my  name,  I  will  do  it.  See,  also,  John  xv.  16.  St.  Paul  also, 
(Colossians  iii.  17)  And  whatsoever  ye  do  in  word,  or  deed,  do  all  in 
the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus  j  giving  thanks  to  God  and  the  Father 
by  him.  The  direction,  given  to  us  to  offer  up  our  prayers  and 
thanksgivings  in  the  name  of  Christ,  and  the  promise,  that  in  this 
case,  and  in  this  only,  we  shall  be  heard,  teaches  us  in  the  strong- 
est manner,  that  our  prayers  arc  acceptable  to  God  for  his  sake,  and 
not  our  own;  and  that  in  offering  them  we  are  to  rely,  wholly,  for 
acceptance,  and  for  blessings  of  every  kind,  on  what  he  has  done, 
and  not  on  what  we  have  ourselves  done.  Of  course,  the  audience 
and  acceptance  which  arc  granted,  and  the  blessings  which  are 
given  to  us,  are  granted,  and  given,  for  the  sake  of  Christ,  and 
not  for  our  own  sakes.  But  no  reason  can  be  alleged,  why  bless- 
ings should  be  given  to  us  for  the  sake  of  Christ,  unless  he  has 
interfered  in  some  manner,  or  other,  in  our  behalf,  and  done 
something  for  us,  which  lias  made  it  pleasing,  and  proper,  in  the 
sight  of  God,  to  give  us  blessings  on  this  account,  which,  other- 
wise, he  would  not  have  thought  it  proper  to  give.  If  God  will 
not  give  us  blessings  on  our  own  account,  it  is  undoubtedly,  be- 
cause we  have  done  something,  which  renders  it  improper  for  him 
thus  to  give  them.  Otherwise,  the  same  benevolence,  which  feeds 
the  sparroio  and  the  raven,  would  certainly  be  ready  to  bless  us. 
We,  therefore,  by  our  sins  have  forfeited  our  title  to  all  blessings, 
and  even  to  the  privilege  of  asking  for  them.  If  God  will  give 
us  blessings  on  account  of  Christ,  it  is  certain,  that  Christ  has 
done  something  for  us,  which  has  removed  this  impropriety,  and 
which  God  accepts  on  our  behalf,  notwithstanding  the  forfeiture. 
In  other  words,  he  has  made  it  consistent  with  the  honour  of  the 
divine  character  and  government,  that  the  benevolence,  which  we 
had  forfeited,  should  be  renewedly  exercised  towards  us. 

5t!ily.  /  argue  the  same  doctrine  from  the  Sacrifices,  under  the 
law  of  Moses* 


dER.  LVl]  HIS  ATONEMENT.  211 

St.  Paul  tells  us,  that  the  ancient  tabernacle  was  a  figure  for 
the  time  present.     In  the  service,  performed  in  it,  victims  were 
continually  offered,  under  the  name  of  sin-offerings ;  and  by  them 
an  atonement  was  made  for  the  sins,  and  for  the  souls,  of  the  peo- 
ple.    On  this  subject,  the  passages,  which  declare  the  doctrine, 
here  specified,  are  found  almost  every  where  in  Exodus,  Leviticus, 
and  Numbers ;  and  cannot  need  to  be  repeated,  at  this  time.     But 
we  know,  from  the  same  Apostle,  that  il  is  not  possible  for  the 
blood  of  bulls,  and  of  goats,  to  lake  away  sin.     Yet  this  blood  is 
said,  in  thirty  or  forty  passages,  to   be  the  means  of  making  an 
atonement  for  those  who  offered  it.     In  what  manner  was  this  true' 
St.  Paul  himself  has  taught  us  that  it  was  true,  in  the  typical,  or 
figurative,  sense,  only.     All  these  sacrifices,  as  he  has  taught  us 
expressly  in  the  9th  and   10th  chapters  of  die  Epistle  to  the  He- 
brezvs,  were  only  types  of  the  sacrifice  of  Christ;  and  the  atone- 
ment, professedly  made  by  them,  was  only  a  type  of  the    real 
atonement,   made   by  him.      Particularly,  the  ceremonial  of  the 
sacrifice,  on  the  great  day  of  expiation,  when  the  high  priest  made 
an  atonement  for  himself,  his  family,   the  priests,  and  the  whole 
congregation  of  Israel,  was  a  remarkable  and  most  lively  type  of 
the  death  and  resurrection   of  Christ.     On  this  day,  the  10th  day 
of  the  7th  month,  annually,  two  goats  were  selected  for  an  ofi'ering 
to  God.     One  of  these  was  killed,  and  his  blood  sprinkled  upon 
the  mercy-seat,  and  before  the  mercy-seat,  and  upon  the  horns  of 
the  altar.     This  was  called  making  an  atonement  for  the  holy 
place,  and  reconciling  the  holy  place,  the  tabernacle,  and  the  al- 
tar unto  God  ;  as  having  been  polluted,  during  the  preceding  year, 
by  the  imperfect  and  impure  services  of  sinful  beings.     On  the 
head  of  the  living  goat  the  high  priest  laid  both  his  hands,  and  con- 
fessed over  him  all  the   iniqtiities  of  the  children  of  Israel ;  and 
sent  him  away  by  a  ft  man  into  the  wilderness.     Of  this  goat  it 
was  said,  that  he   should  bear  upon  him  all  their  iniquities  unto  a 
land  not  inhabited.     This  religious  service  cannot,  I  think,  need 
any  explanation. 

I  shall  now  proceed  to  consider, 

IV.   The  Manner  in  which  the  atonement  was  performed. 
On  this  subject,  I  observe, 

1st.  That,  in  my  own  view,  all  the  sufferings  of  Christ  were  in- 
eluded  in  the  atonement,  which  he  made  for  sin. 

Christ  was  perfectly  holy.  No  part  of  his  sufferings,  therefore, 
can  have  been  inflicted,  or  undergone,  for  his  own  sake.  He  was 
always  beloved  of  God  ;  and  whatever  he  thought,  spoke,  or  did, 
was  ever  well-pleasing  in  his  sight.  When,  therefore,  we  are  told, 
that  //  pleased  Jehovah  to  bruise  him,  it  was  not  as  a  punishment ; 
for  he  never  merited  punishment;  not  a  wanton,  causeless  inflic- 
tion ;  for  God  cannot  be  the  author  of  such  an  infliction.  It  was 
only  as  a  substitute  for  mankind,  that  he  was  afflicted  in  any  case, 
or  in  any  degree  ;  or  because  he  had  laid  on  him  the  iniquities  of  us 


212 


PRIESTHOOD  OF  CHRIST.  [3KR.  LVI. 


all.  T  understand  all  sucli  general  expressions  as  these  :  Ought  not 
Christ  to  have  sitff'cred ;  it  behoved  Christ  to  suffer  ;  Christ  must 
needs  have  suffered  j  Christ  si  ffe  red  for  us;  Who  being  rich,  be- 
came poor,  that  i^c  through  him  might  become  rich;  as  directly  in- 
dicating, that  all  his  suti'crings  were  ))arts  of  his  atonement. 

2dly.  The  death  of  Christ,  together  with  its  preceding  and  at- 
tendant agonies,  especially  constituted  his  atonement. 

This  must,  I  think,  have  been  already  made  evident  from  many 
passages,  quoted,  under  the  third  head  of  discourse,  as  proofs  of 
the  Existence  of  an  atonement  for  sin.  I  shall,  however,  add  to 
these,  several  others,  which  must,  it  would  seem,  place  the  point, 
now  in  question,  beyond  a  doubt. 

In  the  text  it  is  said,  that  Christ  is  set  forth  as  a  propitiation, 
through  faith  in  his  blood.  But  if  the  blood  of  Christ  was  not  the 
means  of  his  becoming  a  propitiation,  it  is  difficult  to  conceive  in 
what  sense  his  blood  can  be  the  obj(>ct  of  our  faith,  any  more  tiian 
the  blood  oi  Jeremiah,  Peter,  Paul,  or  any  other  Martyr  to  the  truth 
of  God.  But  if  we  lualk  in  the  light,  says  St.  John — the  blood  of 
his  Son  Jesus  Christ  cleanscth  us  from  all  sin.  Ephesians  i.  7,  In 
whom  we  have  redemption  through  his  blood  ;  the  forgiveness  of 
sins  ;  according  to  the  riches  of  his  grace.  Ephesians  ii.  13,  But 
nnzo  in  Christ  Jesus  ye,  who  sometimes  were  afar  off,  are  made  nigh 
by  the  blood  of  Christ.  1  Peter  \.  18,  19,  Ye  were  not  redeemed 
zoith  corruptible  things, — but  with  the  precious  blood  of  Christ,  as 
of  a  lamb  without  blemish,  and  without  spot.  Rev.  i.  5,  Who  wash- 
ed us  from  our  sins  in  his  blood.  Rev.  v.  9,  Thou  hast  redeemed 
us  to  God  by  thy  blood.  Rom.  v.  9,  Being  justifed  by  his  blood. 
In  these  passages  it  is  directly  asserted,  that  mankind  are  washed, 
cleansed,  justifed,  forgiven,  redeemed,  and  made  nigh  unto  God,  by 
the  blood  of  Christ.  He,  who  admits  the  Existence  of  an  Atone- 
ment, cannot,  with  these  declarations  in  view,  hesitate  to  admit 
also,  that  it  was  accomplished  by  his  blood,  that  is,  by  his  death 
and  its  connected  sutferings.  The  views  of  Christ  himself  con- 
cerning this  subject  cannot  easily  be  mistaken,  if  we  remember, 
that  he  said,  that  he  came  to  give  his  life  a  ransom  for  many  ;  that 
the  good  shepherd  giveth  his  life  for  the  sheep  ;  I  am  the  living 
bread,  which  came  down  from  heaven;  if  any  man  eat  of  this  bread, 
he  shall  live  for  ever.  And  the  bread  that  I  rvill  give,  is  my  flesh  ; 
which  I  will  give  for  the  life  of  the  world.     John  vi.  51. 

3dly.  The  peculiar  agonies,  7t)hich  preceded,  and  attended,  the 
death  of  Christ,  and  in  ruhich  the  atonement,  made  by  him  for  sin, 
peculiarly  consisted,  rvere  chiefly  distresses  of  mind,  and  not  of  body. 
This  1  think  evident  from  many  considerations. 

1st.  There  is  no  reason,  so  far  as  I  can  see,  to  suppose  that  the  bo- 
dily sufferings  of  Christ  were  more  severe,  or  even  so  severe,  as  those 
which  have  been  experienced  by  many  others. 

The  death  of  the  cross,  was  undoubtedly  a  very  distressing  death. 
But  it  was   probably  less  distressing,  than  that,  experienced  by 


SER.  LVI]  HIS  ATONEMENT.  213 

many  of  the  Martyrs.  Some  of  these  were  roasted  by  a  slow  fire. 
Some  were  dislocated  on  the  rack,  and  suffered  to  expire  under 
long  continued  tortures.  Some  had  their  flesh  taken  off,  piece  by 
piece,  in  a  very  gradual  manner,  with  red  hot  pincers.  Others  ex- 
pired under  various  other  kinds  of  exquisite  sufferings,  devised  by 
the  utmost  ingenuity  of  man,  and  protracted  with  the  utmost  cruel- 
ty. Multitudes  of  these  Martyrs,  however,  have  sustained  all  their 
distresses  without  a  complaint,  and  expired  without  a  groan. 

Multitudes  also,  both  of  Martyrs  and  others,  have  died  on  the 
cross  itself ;  and,  for  aught  that  appears,  with  bodily  anguish,  not 
inferior  to  that,  which  Christ  endured.  Yet  of  these,  it  would  seem, 
numbers  have  died  in  the  same  peaceful  manner.  Even  the  thieves, 
who  were  crucified  together  with  our  Saviour,  seem  to  have  died 
without  any  complaint. 

Yet  Christ  uttered  a  very  bitter  complaint  on  the  cross ;  and 
complained,  also,  in  a  similar  manner,  in  the  garden  oiGethsemane. 
Whence  arose  these  complaints  ?  Not  from  his  want  of  resignation 
to  the  will  of  God ;  for  no  other  person  was  ever  so  resigned :  not 
from  the  want  of  fortitude  ;  for  no  other  person  ever  possessed  it 
in  an  equal  degree.  The  very  complaints,  which  he  utters,  do  not 
appear  to  have  any  respect  to  his  bodily  sufferings,  but  to  have 
originated  entirely  from  a  different  cause ;  and  that  cause  purely 
mental ;  as  I  shall  have  occasion  further  onward  to  explain. 

2dly.  Christ  is  expressly  said  to  have  made  his  Soul  an  offering 
for  sin. 

Isaiah  liii.  19,  When  thou  shall  make  his  soul  an  offering  for  sin. 
In  the  margin,  "  fVhen  his  soul  shall  make  an  offering  for  sin." 
In  Lowth,  "  If  his  soul  shall  make  a  propitiatory  sacrifice.''^  But  if 
his  soul  was  indeed  the  sin-offering,  then  the  sufferings  which  he 
underwent  as  an  atonement  for  sin,  were  peculiarly  the  sufferings 
of  his  soul ;  or  mental  sufferings.  Accordingly,  they  are  called  the 
travail  of  his  soul.* 

3dly.  The  complaints  of  Christ  in  the  22d,  40th,  69th,  and  80th 
Psalms,  appear  to  indicate,  that  his  sufferings  were  chiefly  sufferings 
of  mind. 

Such,  at  least,  is  the  impression,  made  on  my  mind  by  reading 
these  passages  of  Scripture  ;  an  impression,  resulting,  not  so  much 
from  detached  parts,  as  from  the  whole  strain,  of  the  composition. 
To  this  mode  of  examining  the  subject  I  shall  refer  those,  who 
hear  .me,  for  their  own  satisfaction. 

4thly.  The  agony,  which  Christ  underwent  in  the  garden  ofGeth- 
semane,  exhibits  the  same  truth. 

Clirist,  in  this  garden,  had  his  sufferings  in  full  view.  The  pros- 
pect was  so  terrible,  that  it  forced  from  him  sweat,  as  it  were  great 
drops  of  blood  falling  to  the  ground.  At  the  same  time,  he  prayed 
earnestly  thrice,  that,  if  it  were  possible,  this  cup  might  pass  from 

*  He  shall  see  of  the  travail  of  his  soul,  and  be  satisfied.    Ibid 


214  PRlESTriOOD  OF  CHRIST.  [^EilLVf. 

him.  It  cannot,  I  think,  be  imagiiioJ,  even  with  (.Ircency,  and  cer- 
tainly not  in  any  consistency  with  the  character  of  Christ,  as  mani- 
fested elsewhere,  that  the  mere  prospect  of  death,  even  of  a  most 
cruel  and  bitter  death,  was  so  overwhelming  to  his  mind,  as  to  con- 
vulse his  constitution  in  this  manner,  or  to  force  from  him  such  a 
prayer.  Perhaps  no  person,  under  the  mere  apprehension  of 
death,  was  ever  agitated  in  an  equal  degree.  Had  it  not  pleased 
Jehovah  to  bruise  him;  there  is  no  reason  to  believe  that  he  would 
liave  been  anxiously  solicitous  concerning  the  utmost  evils,  which 
he  could  suffer  from  the  hands  of  men.  He  had  directed  even  his 
disciples,  notwithstanding  their  frailty,  not  to  fear  them,  who  could 
kill  the  body,  and  after  that  could  do  no  more.  It  cannot  be  suppos- 
ed, that  his  own  conduct  was  not  exactly  conformed  to  this  precept. 

5thly.  Christ  himself  appears  to  have  decided  this  point,  in  the 
manner  already  specified. 

In  his  exclamation  on  the  cross,  he  said.  My  God,  My  God,  why 
hast  thou  forsaken  me?  As  this  was  his  only  complaint,  it  must,  I 
think,  be  believed  to  refer  to  his  principal  suffering.  But  the  evil, 
here  complained  of,  is  being  forsaken  by  God.  In  the  language  of 
the  Psalmist,  God  hid  his  face  from  him;  that  is,  if  I  mistake  not, 
withdrew  from  him,  zoholly,  those  manifestations  of  supreme  compla- 
cency in  his  character  and  conduct,  which  he  had  always  before  made. 
As  this  was  in  itself  a  most  distressing  testimony  of  the  divine 
anger  against  sin ;  so  it  is  naturally  imagined,  and,  I  think,  when 
we  are  informed  that  it  pleased  Jehovah  to  bruise  him,  directly 
declared,  in  the  Scriptures,  that  this  manifestation  was  accom- 
panied by  other  disclosures  of  the  anger  of  God  against  sin,  and 
against  him,  as  the  Substitute  for  sinners. 

The  views,  and  feelings,  of  one  mind  towards  another  can  pro- 
duce the  highest  sense  of  suffering,  of  which  we  are  capable.  The 
esteem,  and  love,  of  Intelligent  beings  are,  when  united,  the  most 
exquisite  of  all  enjoyment ;  and  are  naturally,  and  in  all  proba- 
bility necessarily,  coveted  more  than  any  other,  except  the  appro- 
bation of  our  own  minds.  Their  mere  indifference  towards  us, 
when  they  have  opportunity  of  being  so  far  acquainted  with  us,  as 
to  give  room  for  being  esteemed  and  loved  by  them,  is,  ordinarily, 
the  source  of  severe  mortification.  In  proportion  as  they  are 
more  intelligent  and  worthy,  their  love  and  esteem  are  more  im- 
portant to  us,  and  more  coveted  by  us  ;  and  the  refusal  of  it  cre- 
ates in  us  more  intense  distress. 

The  complacency  of  God,  whose  mind  is  infinite,  and  whose  dis- 
position is  perfect,  is  undoubtedly  the  first  of  all  possible  enjoy- 
ments. The  loss  of  it,  therefore,  and  the  consequent  suffering  of 
his  hatred  and  contempt,  are  undoubtedly  the  greatest  evils,  which 
a  created  mind  can  suffer;  evils,  which  will,  in  all  probability,  con- 
stitute the  primary  anguish,  experienced  in  the  world  of  wo.  Om- 
niscience and  Omnipotence  are  certainly  able  to  communicate, 
during  even  a  short  time,  to  a  finite  mind,  such  views  of  the  hatred 


SER.  LVI]  HIS  ATONEMENT.  215 

and  contempt  of  God  towards  sin  and  sinners,  and  of  course  towards 
a  Substitute  for  sinners,  as  would  not  only  fill  its  capacity  of  suf- 
fering, but  probably  put  an  end  to  its  existence.  In  this  manner, 
I  apprehend,  the  chief  distresses  of  Christ  were  produced.  In  this 
manner,  principally,  was  that  testimony  of  God  against  disobe- 
dience, exhibited  to  the  Redeemer,  and  ultimately  to  the  Universe, 
which  so  solemnly  supported  the  sanctions  of  the  divine  law,  and 
so  illustriously  honoured  the  divine  government,  as  to  prevent  the 
pardon  of  sinners  from  being  regarded  by  Intelligent  creatures,  as 
the  mere  indulgence  of  a  weak  and  changeable  disposition  in  the 
infinite  Ruler. 

6tiily.  The.  active  obedience  of  Christ  was,  in  my  apprehension, 
essentially  concerned  in  his  Atonement. 

This  position  I  shall  illustrate  under  the  following  particulars. 

1st.  If  Christ  had  not  obeyed  the  Law  perfectly,  he  could  not 
have  atoned  for  the  sins  of  mankind  at  all. 

It  was  as  a  lamb  without  blemish,  and  without  spot,  that  he  be- 
came a  proper,  acceptable  offering;  and  in  this  character  only. 
Had  he  been  stained  with  iniquity,  his  sufferings  would  have  been, 
and  would  have  been  regarded,  as  the  mere  punishment  of  his  own 
sins ;  and  not  as  an  expiation  for  the  sins  of  others.  Had  he  been 
of  a  neutral  character,  his  sufferings  would  have  been  of  no  appa- 
rent value.  On  the  contrary,  they  would  have  been  considered  as 
strange,  inexplicable,  and  resembling  those  accidents,  which  being 
unconnected  with  any  thing  preceding  or  succeeding,  are  fitted 
only  to  excite  a  momentary  attention,  and  wonder.  The  excel- 
lency of  Christ  gave  all  the  real  value,  and  efficacy,  to  his  sufferings. 
But  can  it  be  said,  that  that,  which  gave  all  the  real  value  to  his 
sufferings,  constituted  no  part  of  the  atonement,  which  he  made  by 
them  ?  The  atonement  of  Christ  certainly  did  not  consist  in  mere 
suffering;  but  in  such  sufferings  of  such  a  person.  But  Christ 
could  not  have  been  such  a  person  without  his  active  obedience ; 
nor  could  his  sufferings  have  been  of  such  a  nature,  if  he  had  not 
been  such  a  person.  If  he  had  not  suffered,  he  could  not  have 
atoned  for  sin  at  all.  If  he  had  not  obeyed,  his  sufferings  would 
have  been  of  no  value. 

2dly.  It  was  indispensable  to  the  existence  of  the  atonement  of 
Christ,  that  he  should  magnify  the  Law  and  make  it  honourable. 

This  I  consider  as  having  been  done  by  his  obedience  in  the  first 
instance,  and  in  the  second  by  his  sufferings.  The  former  was  as 
truly  indispensable,  as  the  latter;  and  was  indispensable  to  theex- 
rstence  of  the  latter.  In  the  predictions  of  the  Old  Testament, 
and  the  declarations  of  the  New,  similar  stress  is  laid  on  both  these 
great  articles.  I  have  expressed  my  views  of  this  subject  in  a  late 
discourse  ;  I  will  not  repeat  them  here  ;  but  will  only  add,  that  the 
obedience  of  Christ  as  truly  honoured  the  preceptive  part  of  the 
law,  as  his  sufferings,  the  penal.  The  doctrine,  which  has  been 
taught  by  some  wise  and  good  men,  that,  if  the  Law  is  not  discerned 


21 G  PRIESTHOOD  OF  CHRIST  [3ER.  LVI. 

by  itself  to  be  holy,  just,  and  good,  the  obedience  of  Christ  cannot 
make  it  appear  so ;  but  only  show,  that  it  was  a  law,  which  he  was 
so  desirous  to  support  as  to  be  willing  to  obey  it ;  is,  I  am  bound 
to  say,  contrary  to  my  own  conviction.  The  character  of  Christ, 
as  excellent,  is  certainly  capable  of  being  seen,  and  realized,  inde- 
pendently of  the  divine  law.  Christ,  as  all  those  with  whom  I  am 
now  contending,  will  acknowledge,  is  a  Divine  person.  Surely  we 
are  not  obliged  to  have  recourse  to  the  law  of  God,  as  the  only 
means  of  jM'oving  the  excellency  of  his  character.  Independently 
of  this,  we  are  able  to  prove,  that  the  infinite  Mind  is  possessed  of 
infinite  excellence;  and  of  course  cannot  but  discern,  that  a  law, 
which  this  excellence  is  disposed  to  obey,  as  well  as  to  promulgate, 
must  be  of  the  most  glorious  kind  possible.  The  mere  promulga- 
tion of  the  law  consists  in  declarations  only.  But  who  does  not 
know,  that  actions  carry  with  them  an  evidence,  far  more  convinc- 
ing, and  especially  far  more  impressive,  than  any  declarations 
whatever  ?  At  the  same  time,  the  transcendent  dignity  of  the  Son 
of  God  lends  the  same  lustre  to  his  obedience, as  to  his  sufferings; 
and  renders  the  former  of  the  same  inlluence  in  recommending  the 
precepts  of  the  law,  which  the  latter  possess  in  vindicating  its peti- 
alty.  Besides,  the  same  objection  may  be  made  against  the  proof, 
derived  from  the  sufferings  of  Christ,  that  the  penalty  of  the  law 
is  just.  For  it  may  with  the  same  propriety  be  alleged,  that  if  the 
penalty  of  the  law  does  not  appear  just  in  itself,  the  sufferings  of 
Christ  can  never  make  it  appear  so :  since  they  prove  no  more, 
than  that  Christ  was  so  desirous  to  support  the  law,  as  to  be  wil- 
ling, for  this  end,  to  undergo  such  sufferings.  Should  it  be  said, 
that  the  sufferings  of  Christ  involved  self-denial;  and  that  thus 
they  exhibited  the  sincerity  of  his  regard  for  the  law,  because  self- 
denial  is  the  strongest  proof  of  sincerity :  I  answer,  that  his  con- 
sent to  become  a  subject,  and  all  the  parts  of  his  obedience  involv- 
ed self-denial  also;  less,  apparently  at  least,  in  degree;  but  the 
same  in  kind.  Should  it  be  said,  that  the  sufferings  of  Christ  zoere 
a  testimony  of  God''s  displeasure  against  sin,  and  of  the  righteous- 
7iess  of  the  penalty  denounced  against  it:  I  answer;  So  is  his  obe- 
dience equally  a  testimony  of  God^s  complacency  in  the  precepts  of 
the  Law,  and  the  righteousness  of  requiring  his  intelligent  creatures 
to  obey  them.  Should  it  be  said  that  his  sufferings  were  inflictions 
from  the  hand  of  God :  I  answer,  that  his  obedience  was  required 
by  God,  and  was,  therefore,  equally  a  testimony  of  his  pleasure. 
Finally  ;  should  it  be  said,  that  Christ's  obedience  was  voluntary  ; 
1  answer,  that  his  sufferings  were  equally  voluntary:  otherwise, 
they  would  never  have  existed ;  or,  if  we  suppose  them  to  have  ex- 
isted, would  have  had  no  efficacy. 

Upon  the  whole,  the  attempts  made  to  discriminate  between  these 
parts  of  Christ's  mediation,  and  to  assign  to  each  its  exact  propor- 
tion of  influence  in  the  economy  of  redemption,  seem  to  me  to  have 
been  very  partially  successful. 


SER.  LVI.]  HIS  ATONEMENT.  217 

V.  /  shall  noa),  in  a  few  words,  consider  the  extent  of  ChrisVa 
Atonement. 

On  this  subject  I  observe, 

1st.   The  Atonement  of  Christ  was  complete. 

By  this  I  mean,  that  it  was  such,  as  to  vindicate  the  law,  govern- 
ment, and  character,  of  God.  This  we  know,  because  Christ  re- 
peatedly declared,  that  his  work  was  finished ;  because  it  was 
appointed,  and  accepted,  of  God ;  as  we  are  assured  by  the  many 
testimonies  of  his  approbation,  given  to  Christ ;  and  because  the 
Spirit  of  grace  descended  in  a  glorious  manner,  on  the  day  of 
Pente^cost,  to  carry  the  design  of  it  into  execution. 

2dly.  The  degree  of  suffering,  zvhich  Christ  underwent  in  making 
this  atonement,  was  far  inferior  to  that,  which  will  be  experienced  by 
an  individual  sufferer  beyond  the  grave. 

It  will  not  be  supposed,  as  plainly  it  cannot,  that  Christ  suffered 
in  his  divine  nature.  Nor  will  it  be  believed,  that  any  created 
nature  could,  in  that  short  space  of  time,  suffer  what  would  be 
equivalent  to  even  a  slight  distress,  extended  through  eternity. 

3dly.      The  Atonement  of  Christ  zvas  still  of  infinite  value. 

The  Atonement  of  Christ,  great  as  his  distresses  were,  did  not 
derive  its  value  principally  from  the  degree  in  which  he  experienc-' 
ed  them ;  but  from  the  infinite  greatness  and  excellency  of  his 
character.  Although  the  Divine  nature  is  necessarily  unsufi'ering; 
yet,  in  this  case,  it  exactly  coincided  in  its  dictates  with  all  the 
conduct  of  the  created  mind  of  Christ ;  and  lent  to  that  conduct 
its  own  infinite  weight  and  worth. 

4thly.  The  atonement  of  Christ  was  svffcient  in  its  extent  to  open 
the  door  for  the  pardon  of  all  human  sinners. 

This  doctrine  is  so  often  and  so  plainly  declared  in  the  Scrip- 
tures, that  I  am  surprised  to  find  a  doubt  concerning  it,  entertained 
by  any  man.  Who  gave  himself,  says  St.  Paul,  a  ransom  for  all, 
to  be  testified  in  due  time  :  and  again,  IVho  is  the  Saviour  of  all  men, 
especially  of  them  that  believe.  He  is  the  propitiation  for  our  sinsf 
says  St.  John,  and  not  for  ours  only,  but  also  for  the  sins  of  the  whole 
world.     It  is  needless  any  farther  to  multiply  passages  to  this  effect. 

When  this  discourse  was  first  written,  disputes  concerning  the 
Extent  of  the  Atonement  had  not  openly  appeared  in  this  coun- 
try ;  and  1  did  not  suppose  it  to  be  necessary  to  canvass  the  ques- 
tion with  any  particularity.  The  length  of  the  present  discourse 
forbids  me  to  dwell  upon  the  subject  now.  Yet  I  will  very  brief- 
ly suggest  two  or  three  arguments  for  the  consideration  of  my 
audience. 

1  St.  If  the  Atonement  of  Christ  consisted  in  making  such  amends 
for  the  disobedience  of  man  as  should  place  the  law,  government, 
and  character  of  God  in  such  a  light,  that  he  could  forgive  sinners, 
of  the  human  race,  without  any  inconsistency ;  then  these  Amends, 
or  this  Atonement,  were  all  absolutely  necessary,  in  order  to  ren- 
der such  forgiveness  proper,  or  consistent  with  the  law  and  charac- 

VoL.  II.  28 


21f  PRFESTHOOD  OF  CHRIST.  [SER.  LVf. 

tcr  of  God,  in  a  single  instance.  The  forgiveness  of  one  sinner, 
without  these  Amends,  would  be  just  as  much  a  contradiction  to 
the  declarations  of  the  law,  as  the  forgiveness  of  a  million.  If, 
then,  the  Amends,  actually  made,  were  such,  that  God  could  con- 
sistently forgive  one  sinner;  he  might  with  equal  consistency,  and 
propriety,  forgive  any  number,  unless  prevented  by  some  other 
reason.  The  Atonement,  in  other  words,  which  was  necessary  for 
a  world,  was  equally  necessary,  and  in  just  the  same  manner,  and 
degree,  for  an  individual  sinner. 

2dly.  The  Atonement  was  by  the  infinite  dignity  and  excellence 
of  the  Redeemer  rendered  infinitely  meritorious.  But  it  cannot  be 
denied,  that  an  infinitely  meritorious  atonement  is  sufficient  for  all 
the  apostate  children  of  Adam. 

3dly.  If  the  Atonement  of  Christ  consisted  in  suffering  what 
those,  for  whose  sins  he  atoned,  deserve  to  suffer;  his  mediation  did 
not  lessen  the  evils  of  the  apostacy.  All  the  difference,  which  it  made 
in  the  state  of  things,  was,  that  he  suffered  in  the  stead  of  those 
whom  he  came  to  redeem ;  and  suffered  the  same  miseries,  which 
they  were  condemned  to  suffer.  In  other  words,  an  innocent  being 
suffered  the  very  misery,  which  the  guilty  should  have  suffered. 
Of  course  there  is  in  the  divine  Kingdom  just  as  much  misery,  rvith 
the  mediation  of  Christ,  as  there  would  have  been  without  it ;  and 
nothing  is  gained  by  this  wonderful  work,  but  the  transfer  of  this 
misery  from  the  guilty  to  the  innocent. 

4thly.  If  Christ  has  not  made  a  sufficient  Atonement  for  others 
beside  the  Elect;  then  his  Salvation  is  not  offered  to  them  at  all  ; 
and  they  are  not  guilty  for  not  receiving  it.  But  this  is  contrary  to 
the  whole  tenour  of  the  Gospel ;  which  every  where  exhibits  sinners 
as  greatly  guilty  for  rejecting  Christ.  Yet  if  Christ  be  not  offered 
to  them;  they  cannot  be  guilty  of  rejecting  him. 

5thly.  The  Gospel,  or  glad  tidings  published  by  Christ,  is  saidte 
be  good  tidings  unto  all  people.  But,  if  there  be  no  Atonement 
made  for  the  sins  of  all  people  ;  the  Gospel,  instead  of  being  good 
news  to  them,  is  not  addressed  to  them  all. 

Gthly.  Ministers  are  required  to  preach  Faith,  as  well  as  Repent- 
ance, to  all  sinners  as  their  duty.  But  if  no  Atonement  has  been 
made  for  their  sins,  they  cannot  believe :  for  to  them  Christ  is  in  no 
sense  a  Saviour;  and  therefore,  not  even  a  possible  object  of  their 
faith. 

Should  it  be  asked,  why  then,  are  not  all  men  pardoned  ?  I  an- 
swer; because  all  mankind  do  not  evangelically  believe  in  this 
Atonement,  and  its  Author.  No  man  is  pardoned  merely  because  of 
the  Atonement  made  by  Christ;  but  because  of  his  own  acceptance, 
also,  of  that  atonement,  by  faith.  The  way  is  open,  and  equally 
open,  to  all ;  although  all  may  not  be  equally  inclined  to  walk  in  it. 

The  proffers  of  pardon  on  the  very  same  conditions  are  made, 
with  equal  sincerity  and  kindness,  to  every  man.  He  who  does 
not  accept  them,  therefore,  ought  to  remember,  that  nothing  stands 
in  his  way,  but  his  own  impenitence  and  unbelief. 


SERMON  LVIl. 


THE    PRIESTHOOD    OF    CHRIST. HIS    ATONEMENT. OBJECTIONS 

ANSWERED. APPLICATION. 


Romans  iii.  24 — 26.  Being  justified  freely  by  his  grace  through  the  redemption  that  is 
in  Christ  Jesus  ;  whom  God  liath  set  forth  to  be  a  propitiation,  through  faith  in 
his  blood,  to  declare  his  righteousness  for  the  remission  of  sins  that  are  past,  through 
the  forbearance  of  God;  to  declare,  I  say,  at  this  time  his  righteousness:  that 
he  might  be  just,  and  the  Justifier  of  him  which  believeth  in  Jesus. 

Having  finished  the  observations,  which  1  intended,  concern- 
ing the  atonement  of  Christ,  ^s  proof s  of  its  existence,  and  explana- 
lions  of  its  nature  ;  I  shall  now  proceed  to  consider  soyne  Objections 
io  this  dec  trine  ;  and  to  suggest  several  practical  Remarks,  to  which 
it  naturally  gives  birth. 

Among  the  Objections,  alleged,  against  this  doctrine,  I  select 
the  following,  as  particularly  deserving  attention. 

1st.  It  is  objected,  that  a  Vicarious  Atonement  for  sin  is  not  con- 
sistent with  the  dictates  of  reason, 

"  The  sin,  it  is  observed,  is  ours  ;  and  cannot  belong  to  another. 
Whatever  atonement  is  to  be  made  ought,  therefore,  to  be  made  by 
us  :  particularly  such  an  atonement,  as  is  here  insisted  on  ;  viz.  such 
an  one,  as  is  to  be  made  by  suffering.  The  sufferings,  which  are 
necessary  to  expiate  our  guilt,  are  due  from  the  sinner  only ;  and 
cannot  be  justly  inflicted  on  any  other  person." 

I  cheerfully  agree  with  the  objector,  that  the  sinner  cannot  claim 
such  an  interference  on  his  behalf,  as  is  made  by  the  atonement  of 
Christ.  Strict  justice  demands  the  punishment  of  the  sinner  only ; 
and  can,  in  no  wise,  require  the  punishment  of  another  in  his  stead. 
But  I  still  deny  the  consequence,  which  the  objector  derives  from 
these  premises. 

No  person,  who  has  obsei-ved  the  affairs  of  the  present  world 
with  attention,  can  hesitate  toadmit,  that  vicarious  interference,  to  a 
great  extent,  producing  in  great  numbers  both  good  and  evil  con- 
sequences, is  a  prominent  feature  of  the  providential  system,  by 
which  the  affairs  of  this  world  are  regulated.  Children  thus  be- 
come rich,  well  educated,  intelligent,  religious,  and  everlastingly 
happy,  by  the  agency  of  their  parents  :  while  other  children  owe, 
in  a  great  measure,  to  the  same  agency  the  contrary  evils  of  pover- 
ty, ignorance,  vice,  and  final  ruin.  Friends  by  their  interference 
become  the  means  of  wealth,  reputation,  advancement,  holiness, 
and  everlasting  life,  to  their  friends  5  and  rescue  them  from  pover- 


220  PRIESTHOOD  OF  CHRIST.  [SER.  LVII. 

ty,  bondage,  disgrace,  profligacy,  and  perdition.  Enemies  accom- 
plish all  the  contrary  evils  for  their  enemies  ;  and  by  temptation, 
slander,  fraud,  and  treachery,  effectuate  for  those,  whom  they  hate, 
every  kind  of  destruction.  A  great  part  of  the  business  of  human 
life,  both  public  and  private,  is  in  trie  strict  sense  vicarious  :  the 
benefits,  or  the  injuries,  rarely  terminating  in  the  personal  good  of 
the  agent  only,  but  almost  of  course  extending  to  others.  The 
agency  of  Washington  has  beneficially  affected  every  inhabitant  of 
the  United  States.  That  of  Moses  extended  blessings  to  the  Is- 
raelilish  nation  through  fifteen  hundred  years.  That  of  St.  Paul 
and  his  companions  has  spread  holiness  through  the  Christian 
world  for  seventeen  centuries  ;  and  I'.dded  many  millions  to  the 
general  assembly  of  the  first-born.  Nay,  this  very  agency  will 
hereafter  become  the  means  of  converting  the  whole  human  race 
to  Christianity ;  people  heaven  with  a  great  multitude,  which  no 
man  can  number,  of  all  nations,  kindreds,  and  tongues  ;  and  diffuse 
glory,  honour,  and  immortal  life,  throughout  never  ending  ages. 

From  these  observations  it  is  evident,  that  vicarious  agency  is  so 
far  from  being  an  unreasonable  thing  in  itself,  as  in  one  form  and 
another  to  constitute  an  important  part  of  the  present  system  of 
things,  and  to  have  a  very  extensive,  and  very  efficacious,  influence 
on  the  most  interesting  concerns  of  mankind.  The  whole  analogy 
of  human  affairs  in  the  present  world  furnish  us,  therefore,  with 
every  reason  to  expect,  that  vicarious  agency  would  be  adopted, 
more  or  less,  in  every  part  of  the  providential  system. 

What  the  state  of  the  Avorld  thus  naturally  teaches  us  to  look 
for.  Revelation  countenances  in  the  strongest  manner.  A  single 
instance  will  be  sufficient  to  place  this  truth  in  the  clearest  light. 
Every  one,  who  is  at  all  acquainted  with  the  Scriptures,  perfectly 
well  knows,  that  they  require  of  all  men  intercession  for  their  fel- 
low-men ;  and  that  to  this  intercession  blessings  are  both  promised, 
and  declared  to  be  given.  Is  any  sick  among  you?  says  St.  James, 
let  him  call  for  the  Elders  of  the  Church,  and  let  them  pray  over 
him — a7id  the  prayer  of  faith  shall  save  the  sick,  and  the  Lord  shall 
raise  him  up ;  and,  if  he  have  committed  si?is,  they  shall  be  forgiven 
him.  If  restoration  from  disease,  and  the  forgiveness  of  sins; 
blessings  of  the  greatest  temporal  and  spiritual  magnitude ;  are 
promised,  and  given,  in  consequence  of  the  intercession  of  others ; 
our  minds  can  set  no  limits  to  the  propriety,  or  the  efficacy,  of  vi- 
carious interference,  exhibited  in  other  forms. 

In  the  present  case,  (the  case  objected  to)  the  propriety  of  ad- 
mitting vicarious  interfei-ence  is  complet(>.  Mankind  were  all  sin- 
ners ;  were  all  condemned  by  the  unalterable  law  of  God;  and 
were  all,  therefore,  destined  to  final  ruin.  In  themselves  there  was 
no  power  to  expiate  their  sins,  or  to  prevent  their  destruction. 
When  it  is  remembered,  that  their  number  was  incalculable,  and 
that  each  of  them  was  immortal,  the  case  must  be  admitted  to  have 
been   great,  and   interesting,  beyond   any  finite  comprehension* 


SER.  LVII.]  HIS  ATONEMENT.  221 

Roth  the  magnitude  of  the  case,  therefore,  and  its  desperate  na- 
iui'o,  demanded  of  a  benevolent  being  every  effort  capable  of  be- 
ing demanded.  Whatever  could  with  propriety  be  done  was  plain- 
ly, and  loudly,  called  for  by  circumstances  so  deplorable ;  a 
wretchedness  so  vast;  a  doom  extending  to  a  collection  of  intelli- 
gent creatures  so  plainly  incomprehensible.  But  vicarious  efibrts 
could  here  be  made,  and  made  with  propriety,  and  success.  The 
law  and  government,  here  dishonoured,  could,  and  I  hope  it  has 
been  proved  that  they  could,  be  supported  in  their  full  strength  and 
efficacy  ;  the  sin  could  be  expiated ;  the  sinners  restored  to  hoh- 
ness,  the  favour  of  God,  and  immortal  life;  and  the  character  of 
God  appear,  not  only  with  the  same,  but  increased,  glory.  Thus 
fror^i  the  nature  of  the  case,  as  well  as  from  the  analogy  of  things,  a 
vicarious  interference  is  so  far  from  being  in  the  present  instance 
improbable,  or  improper,  that  it  is  strongly  recommended  to  our 
belief  by  the  very  best  presumptive  evidence. 

2dly.  It  is  objected,  that  tJte.  punishment  of  an  innocent  person^ 
such  as  Christ  was,  is  inconsistent  with  the  plain  dictates  of  justice. 

To  punish  an  innocent  person  for  a  fault,  not  his  own,  will  not 
be  denied  to  be  unjust.  Nor  will  an  inquiry  now  be  instituted  con- 
cerning the  question,  whether  it  would  be  consistent  with  justice  to 
require,  in  any  possible  case,  a  being  perfectly  holy  to  suffer  for 
the  sake  of  other  beings  of  a  different  character,  in  order  to  relieve 
them  from  greater  sufferings.  Neither  of  these  will  be  necessary 
at  the  present  time.  The  objection  may  be  completely  answered 
in  another  manner.     For, 

1  St.  That  Christ  actually  suffered,  while  yet  he  was  perfectly  holy, 
the  objector  cannot  deny.  He,  therefore,  suffered  for  himself,  or 
for  mankind.  If  he  suffered  for  mankind,  the  existence  of  an 
atonement  is  admitted.  If  he  suffered  for  himself;  then  the  ob- 
jector must  admit,  that  he  was  punished,  while  yet  he  was  perfectly 
holy ;  and,  of  course,  that  God  can  inflict  suffering,  not  only  on 
holy  beings,  but  for  their  own  sake  ;  or,  in  other  words,  can  retri- 
bute punishment  to  obedience.  I  leave  the  Objector  to  choose 
which  part  of  this  alternative  he  pleases. 

2dly.  Christ  was  not  required  to  suffer.  This  is  taught  in  the 
Scriptures,  in  a  great  multitude  of  passages,  and  in  many  forms, 
too  well  known  to  be  specified  here.  Christ  voluntarily  assumed 
the  office  of  a  Redeemer  ^  voluntarily  became  a  substitute  for  man; 
and  of  his  own  accord  gave  his  life  as  a  ransom  for  many.  It  is 
true,  that  in  all  this  he  obeyed  the  will  of  his  Father ;  but  it  is  not 
true,  that  he  did  not  voluntarily  enter  upon  every  part  of  this 
course  of  obedience.  When  he  was  in  the  form  of  God,  and 
thought  it  no  robbery  to  be  equal  with  God  ;  he  took  upon  himself 
the  form  of  a  servant ;  and  laid  down  his  own  life,  when  none  could 
take  it  out  of  his  hand.  But  it  is  evident,  that  there  can  be  no 
injustice  in  requiring  a  being,  perfecdy  holy,  to  fulfil  his  own 
engagements,  and  to  do  what  he  has  covenanted  to  do  ;  although 


222  PRIESTHOOD  OF  CHRIST.  [3ER.  LVII. 

by  this  covenant  he  has  engaged  to  yield  himself  to  personal  suf- 
fering. To  consent  to  sulVer  may  be  on  his  part  right,  when  by 
his  suHcring  he  can  redeem  others  from  greater  suffering,  or  ac- 
complish in  any  way  what  will,  on  the  Avhole,  be  superior  good. 
On  the  part  of  God  also,  it  may,  and,  if  nothing  extraneous  pre- 
vent, must,  be  right  to  accept  of  his  sufferings  in  such  a  case,  if 
voluntarily  proffered.  The  objection,  therefore,  is  destitute  of 
weight. 

3dly.  It  is  further  objected,  that,  if  Christ  expiated  the  sins  of 
mankind,  God  is  obliged  by  justice  to  bestoio  on  them  Salvation, 

This  objection  is  derived  from  misapprehensions  concerning  the 
nature  of  the  atonement.  The  Scriptures  in  speaking  on  this  sub- 
ject very  frequently,  as  well  as  very  naturally,  speak  in  figurative 
language.  Particularly,  they  exhibit  us  as  bought  with  a  price  ; 
as  purchased ;  as  redeemed ;  that  is,  literally  understood,  as 
bought  from  a  state  of  bondage  and  condemnation  by  the  blood  of 
Christ ;  as  ransomed  by  the  Xut^ov,  or  price  of  redemption.  This 
language,  derived  from  that  fact  in  human  affau-s,  which,  among- 
the  customary  actions  of  men,  approaches  nearest  in  resemblance 
to  the  atonement  of  Christ,  seems  unwarily  to  have  been  considertc 
as  describing  literally  this  atonement.  But  this  mode  of  consider- 
ing it  is  plainly  erroneous.  We  are  not,  in  the  literal  sense,  bought, 
or  purchased,  at  all.  Nor  has  Christ,  in  the  literal  sense,  paid  any 
price,  to  purchase  mankind  from  slavery  and  death. 

The  error,  into  which  the  objector  has  fallen,  has,  I  acknowl- 
edge, been  countenanced  by  many  Christians,  who  have  held  the 
doctrine  of  the  atonement.  These  have  supposed  the  satisfaction 
for  sin,  made  by  the  Redeemer,  essentially  to  resemble  the  satis- 
faction, made  for  a  debtor  by  paying  the  debt,  which  he  owed.  In 
this  case,  it  is  evident,  that,  if  the  creditor  accept  the  payment 
from  a  third  person,  he  is  bound  in  justice  to  release  the  debtor. 
As  the  two  cases  have  been  supposed  to  be  similar,  it  has  been 
concluded,  that,  since  Christ  has  made  such  a  satisfaction  for  sin- 
ners, God  is  in  justice  also  bound  to  release  them. 

This,  however,  is  an  unfounded  and  unscriptural  view  of  the 
subject.  There  is  no  substantial  resemblance  between  the  pay- 
ment of  a  debt  for  an  insolvent  debtor,  and  the  satisfaction,  render- 
ed to  distributive  justice  for  a  criminal.  The  debtor  owes  money ; 
and  this  is  all  he  owes.  If,  then,  all  the  money,  which  he  owes,  is 
paid,  and  accepted  ;  justice  is  completely  satisfied,  and  the  creditor 
can  demand  nothing  more.  To  demand  more,  either  from  the 
debtor,  or  from  any  other  person,  would  be  plainly  unjust.  When, 
therefore,  the  debt  is  paid  by  a  third  person,  the  debtor  is  discharg- 
ed by  justice  merely.  But,  when  a  criminal  has  failed  of  doing  his 
duty,  as  a  subject  to  lawful  government,  and  violated  laws,  which 
he  was  bound  to  obey ;  he  has  committed  afatdt,  for  which  he  has 
merited  punishment.  In  this  case,  justice,  not  in  the  commutative, 
but  the  distributive,  sense  ;  the  only  sense,  in  which  it  can  be  con- 


SER.  LVII]  HIS  ATONEMENT.  223 

cerned  with  this  subject;  demands,  not  the  future  obedience,  nor 
an  equivalent  for  the  omitted  obedience,  but  merely  the  punish- 
ment, of  the  ofiender.  The  only  reparation  for  the  wrong,  which 
he  has  done,  required  by  strict  justice,  is  this  punishment:  a  repa- 
ration necessarily  and  always  required.  There  are  cases,  however 
in  which  an  atonement,  such  as  was  described  in  the  first  of  these 
discourses,  may  be  accepted :  An  atonement,  by  which  the  honour 
and  efficacy  of  the  government  may  be  preserved,  and  yet  the 
offender  pardoned.  In  such  a  case,  however,  the  personal  char- 
acter of  the  offender  is  unaltered.  Before  the  atonement  was 
made,  he  was  a  criminal.  After  the  atonement  is  made,  he  is  not 
less  a  criminal.  As  a  criminal,  he  before  merited  punishment.  As 
a  criminal,  he  no  less  merits  it  now.  The  turpitude  of  his  charac- 
ter remains  the  same;  and,  while  it  remains,  he  cannot  fail  to 
deserve  exactly  the  same  punishment.  After  the  atonement  is 
made,  it  cannot  be  truly  said,  therefore,  any  more  than  before, 
that  he  does  not  deserve  punishment.  But  if  the  atonement  be 
accepted,  it  may  be  truly  said,  that,  consistently  with  the  honour 
of  the  government,  and  the  public  good,  he  may  be  pardoned. 
This  act  of  grace  is  all  that  he  can  hope  for;  and  this  he  cannot 
claim,  on  account  of  any  thing  in  himself,  or  any  thing  to  which 
he  is  entitled,  but  only  may  hope,  from  the  mere  grace,  or  free-gift, 
of  the  ruler.  Before  the  atonement  was  made,  the  ruler,  however 
benevolently  inclined,  could  not  pardon  him,  consistently  with  his 
own  character,  the  honour  of  his  government,  or  the  public  good. 
After  it  is  made,  he  can  pardon  him,  in  consistency  with  them  all; 
and  if  the  offender  discover  a  penitent  and  becoming  disposition, 
undoubtedly  will,  if  he  be  a  benevolent  ruler. 

From  these  observations  it  is  manifest,  that  the  atonement  of 
Christ  in  no  sense  makes  it  necessary,  that  God  should  accept  the 
sinner,  on  the  ground  of  justice ;  but  only  renders  his  forgiveness 
not  inconsistent  with  the  divine  character.  Before  the  atonement, 
he  could  not  have  been  forgiven :  after  the  atonement,  this  im- 
possibility ceases.  The  sinner  can  now  be  forgiven,  notwithstand- 
ing the  turpitude  of  his  character,  and  the  greatness  of  his  offences. 
But  forgiveness  is  an  act  of  grace  only ;  and  to  the  same  grace 
must  the  penitent  be  indebted  for  all  the  future  blessings  connected 
with  forgiveness. 

I  have  now  considered  all  the  objections  against  the  doctrine  of 
the  atonement,  which  I  consider  as  claiming  an  answer;  and  shall 
therefore  proceed,  as  I  proposed  at  the  commencement  of  this 
discourse,  to  make  some  practical  remarks,  arising  from  the  pre- 
ceding observations  on  this  important  subject, 

REMARKS. 

From  these  observations  it  is  evident, 

1st.  That  those,  who  trust  in  the  expiation  of  Christ,  will  certainly 
inherit  the  favour  of  God. 


224  PRIESTHOOD  OF  CHRIST  [SER.  LVII. 

In  the  text  it  is  sfiid,  that  God  set  forth  Christ  as  a  propitiation 
for  sin,  through  faith  in  his  blood,  to  declare  his  righteousness ; 
thai  he  may  he  just,  when  justifying  him  that  believeth  in  Jes%is. 
The  End,  for  which  Christ  was  set  forth  as  a  propitiation,  is,  thaf 
God,  consistently  with  justice,  may  justify  those  who  believe  in 
Christ.  The  peculiar  and  essential  nature  of  the  faith  of  such,  as 
believe  in  Jesus,  is  in  one  important  particular  exactly  defined, 
also,  in  the  text,  when  it  is  styled  faith  in  his  blood  :  the  faith, 
through  which  alone  he  is  exhibited  in  the  text  as  becoming  a 
propitiation  to  men.  This  faith,  or  as  I  shall  take  the  liberty  to 
call  it,  trust,  ov  cotfidence  ^  (for  such  I  hope  hereafter  to  show 
it  to  be)  is  not,  indeed,  nor  s  it  here  asserted  to  be,  faith  in  the 
atonement  only;  but  it  is  faith  in  the  atonement  pre-eminently. 
We  are  required  to  believe  in  the  whole  character,  and  in  all  the 
offices,  of  Christ ;  but  we  are  required,  peculiarly,  to  believe  in 
him,  as  the  great  propitiatory  sacrifice  for  sin.  Every  one,  who 
is  the  subject  of  this  faith,  the  real,  and  only  means  by  which  we 
become  interested  in  this  propitiation,  is  amply  exhibited  in  the 
text  as  entitled  to  justification. 

That  every  such  believer  will  certainly  inherit  the  favour  of 
God  cannot  be  rationally  doubted.     While  he  was  yet  a  sinner, 
condemned  and  ruined,  God,  moved  by  his  infinite  benevolence, 
sent  into  this  world  his  beloved  Son,  to  become  incarnate ;  to  be- 
come a  subject  of  his  law,  and  a  substitute  for  mankind-,  to  lead 
a  life  of  humiliation ;  and  to  die  the  accursed  death  of  the  cross ; 
that  he  might  redeem  such  sinners  from  the  cur.-e  of  the  law  ;  from 
a  guilty  character,  and  the  endless  miseries  of  devouring  fire.   The 
condition,  proposed  by  himself,  on  which  we  become  entitled  to 
the  blessings  of  this  redemption,  are  all  summed  up  in  this  single 
phrase  :  Faith  in  Christ,  and  pre-eminently  in  his  atonement.     This 
condition  the  believer  has  performed ;  and  is,  therefore,  entitled  (o 
these  blessings.     His  title  is  secured  to  him  by  tiie  covenant  of 
Redemption,  by  the  immutable  promise  of  God  to  him,  by  the  glo- 
ry and  excellency  of  Christ's  mediation,  and  by  that  amazing  and 
immense  purpose  of  infinite  love,  which   proposed,  and   accom- 
plished, all  the  parts  of  this  wonderful  work.     Who  can  doubt  for 
a  moment,  that  He,  who  proposed.  He,  who  accomplished,  this  as- 
tonishing design,  will  go  on  to  accomplish  every  thing,   which  it 
draws  in  its  train?     He,  that  spared  not  his  oiun  Son,  but  delivered 
him  up  for  us  all,  how  shall  he  not,  with  him  also,  freely  give  us  all 
things  ?     Can  any  thing  be  too  dear  to  be  given  to  those,  for  whom 
Christ  was  given  ?     Can  any  thing  be  too  great  to  be  exf)ected  by 
those,  who  are  united  to  the  Son  of  God,  as  members  of  his  body,  of 
his  flesh  and  of  his  bones  ;  who  are  become  his  seed  in  the  everlast- 
ing covenant;  and  to  whom,  unasked,  he  has  from  his  own  over- 
flowing goodness  given  the  glory,  which  he  had  xoith  the  Father  be- 
fore ever  the  world  was  / 

Let  every  believer,  then,  be  completelv  assured,  that  his  cause 


SER.  LVII]  HIS  ATONEMENT.  225 

is  safe  in  the  hands  of  God.  He  has  chosen  the  good  part,  and  it 
shall  never  be  taken  from  him.  He,  who  has  begun  to  befriend 
him  in  this  infinite  concern,  will  never  leave  him  nor  forsake  him. 
All  the  steps  of  a  good  man  are  ordered  by  the  Lord.  Though  he 
fall,  yet  shall  he  rise  again  j  and  his  mercy  God  zoill  not  utterly 
take  from  him.  In  the  seed,  sown  in  his  heart,  there  is  a  blessing  ; 
the  beginning  of  immortal  life.  Cold  and  wintry  as  is  the  climate, 
beneath  which  it  has  sprung;  unkind  and  barren  as  is  the  soil,  in 
which  it  grows ;  doubtful  and  fading  as  we  often  see  its  progress ; 
it  cannot  die.  The  hand,  that  planted  it,  will  cultivate  it  with  un- 
ceasing care ;  and  will  speedily  remove  it  to  a  happier  region, 
where  it  will  fiourish,  and  blossom,  and  bear  fruit,  for  ever.  I  am 
persuaded,  says  St.  Paid,  that  neither  death,  nor  life,  nor  angels, 
nor  principalities,  nor  pozuers,  nor  things  present,  nor  things  to  come, 
nor  height,  nor  depth,  nor  any  other  creature,  shall  be  able  to  sepa- 
rate us  from  the  love  of  God,  which  is  in  Christ  Jesus  our  Lord. 

2dly.  It  is  equally  evident,  that  those,  who  reject  the  atonement  of 
Christ,  are  ivithovt  any  hope  of  the  divine  favour. 

The  favour  of  God  is  profiered  to  the  inhabitants  of  this  world 
through  Christ  alone  ;  and  those  only  are  promised  an  interest  in  it, 
who  cordially  believe  in  him,  as  the  expiation  of  sin.  Had  there 
been  any  other  condition,  upon  which  this  glorious  blessing  could 
be  communicated,  the  same  benevolence,  which  planned  and  ac- 
complished our  redemption,  would  undoubtedly  have  communi- 
cated it  to  us.  No  such  communication  has,  however,  been  made. 
On  the  contrary,  it  is  often  declared  in  the  most  explicit  language, 
that  he  who  believeth  not  shall  be  damned. 

Even  if  the  Scriptures  had  been  silent,  and  no  such  awful  decla- 
rations had  been  found  in  them,  the  nature  of  the  subject  holds  out 
the  strongest  discouragement  to  every  presumption  of  this  kind. 
After  such  amazing  efibrts,  made  on  the  part  of  God,  to  bring  man- 
kind back  from  a  state  of  rebellion,  and  to  restore  them  to  virtue 
and  happiness,  it  cannot  but  be  believed,  that  their  obstinate  con- 
tinuance in  sin  must  be  regarded  by  him  with  supreme  abhorrence. 
His  law  condemned  them,  for  their  original  apostacy,  to  final  ruin. 
To  the  guilt  of  this  apostacy,  unatoned,  unrepented  of,  and  there- 
fore remaining  in  all  its  enormity,  they,  in  this  case,  add  the  pecu- 
liar guilt  of  rejecting  the  singular,  the  eminently  divine,  goodness 
of  God,  manifested  in  this  wonderful  provision  for  their  recovery. 
In  what  manner  they  could  more  contemptuously  despise  the  divine 
character,  in  what  manner  they  could  more  insolently  affront  the 
divine  mercy,  it  is  beyond  my  power  to  conceive.     No  other  offer 
can  be  so  kind ;  no  other  blessing  so  great ;  no  other  display  of 
the  divine  character,  of  which  we  can  form  a  conception,  so  lovely. 
The  ingratitude,  therefore,  is  wonderful;  the  insolence  amazing; 
the  guilt  incomprehensible.      If,  then,  the  righteous  scarcely  be 
saved,  xvhere  shall  these  unbelieving,  ungodly  sinners  appear  ?     If 
it  be  a  fearful  thing  for  all  men,  for  heathen  and  for  Mohammf' 
Vol.  II.  '"  29 


22G  JMUESTHOOD  OF  CJIRIST  [SER.  LVH. 

dmis,  to  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  living  God}  what  must  it  be  for 
these  men,  to  whom  Christ  is  oflbrcci  freely,  daily  and  alway  ; 
who  sit,  from  the  cradle  to  the  grave,  under  the  noon-day  light  of 
I  he  Gospel,  and  bask,  through  life,  in  the  beams  of  the  Sun  of 
righteousness. 

Whence  do  these  persons  derive  their  hope  ?  From  their  cha- 
racter ?  That  could  not  save  them  under  the  law.  It  is  the  very 
guilt,  for  which  they  are  condemned.  From  their  repentance  ? 
They  exercise  none.  Even  if  they  did,  it  could  never  be  accept- 
ed. A  perfect  repentance,  as  has  been  heretofore  proved,  cannot 
become  an  expiation  for  sin.  But  such  repentance  was  never  ex- 
hibited by  men.  Their  i-cpentance  is  not  even  a  sorrow  for  sin. 
On  the  contrary,  it  is  the  mere  dread  of  danger;  a  mere,  terrified 
expectation  of  punishment.  Who,  however  abandoned,  does  not. 
at  times,  experience  such  repentance,  as  this?  Who  ever  dreamed, 
that  the  dread  of  death  ought  to  excuse  the  felon  from  the  gibbet? 

Let  every  unbeliever,  then,  tremble  at  the  approach  of  the  judg- 
ment. Let  him  no  longer  sa^  to  himself.  Peace,  peace  ;  whe7i  sud- 
den destruction  is  coming  upon  him.  Let  him  turn  to  the  strong  hold, 
while  he  is  yet  o  prisoner  of  hope.  Let  him  turn  to  the  Lord  with 
all  the  heart,  zoith  fasting,  with  weeping  and  with  mourning  ;  for  he 
is  gracious  and  merciful,  slow  to  anger,  and  of  great  kindness,  and 
repenteth  him  of  the  evil.  Who  knowelh,  if  he  will  turn,  and  repent, 
and  leave  a  blessing  behind  him  ? 

3dly.  his  evident  from  the  observations,  made  in  these  discourses, 
that  mankind  are  ivfinitcly  indebted  to  Christ  for  expiating  their  sins. 

Christ  by  his  atonement  has  redeemed  mankind  from  under  the 
curse  of  the  law.  The  sufterings,  to  which  they  v.ere  doomed  by 
this  curse,  were  endless  sutTerings.  Without  an  expiation,  a  de- 
liverance from  these  sufferings  was  impossible.  Equally  impossi- 
ble was  it  for  any  other  person,  beside  Christ,  to  make  an  expia- 
tion. From  mere  compasMon  to  our  ruined  world,  he  undertook 
the  arduous  labour  of  delivering  us  from  these  stupendous  suffer- 
ings; and  accomplished  it,  at  the  expense  of  his  own  blood.  Infi- 
nitely rich,  for  our  sakes  he  became  poor,  that  we  through  him  might 
become  rich.  For  him  we  had  done  nothing,  and  were  disposed 
to  do  nothing.  For  us,  inlluenced  by  his  own  overflowing  good- 
ness, he  did  all  things.  He  taught  us,  as  our  prophet,  all  things 
pertaining  to  life  and  godliness.  He  lived  before  us,  as  our  ex- 
ample ;  he  died  for  us,  as  our  Propitiation  ;  he  rose  from  the  dead, 
as  the  Earnest  of  our  resurrection  to  endless  life.  He  entered 
heaven,  as  our  Forerunner;  he  assumed  the  throne  of  the  Universe, 
as  our  Ptuler,  Protector,  and  Benefactor.  At  the  end  of  the  world 
lie  will  appear  as  our  Judge  and  Rewarder;  and  will  conduct  to 
the  mansions  of  eternal  life,  all  those,  who  have  cordially  accepted 
of  his  mediation;  and  will  there,  throughout  interminable  cigcs, feed 
them  with  living  bread,  and  lead  them  to  fountains  of  living  waters. 
To  the  obligations,  conferred  by  such  a  benefactor,  what  limits 


SER.  LVIl.]  HIS  ATONEMENT.  227 

can  be  set?  Our  deliverance  from  sin  and  sorrow  is  a  boundless 
good  ;  our  introduction  to  endless  virtue  and  happiness  is  a  bound- 
less good.  But  of  all  this  good  the  atonement  of  Christ  is  the  foun- 
dation, the  procuring  cause,  the  commencement,  and  the  security. 
Worthy  is  the  Lamb,  that  was  slain.,  to  receive  power,  and  riches, 
and  wisdom,  and  strength,  and  honour,  and  glory,  and  blessing. 
Such  is  the  everlasting  song,  to  which  the  four  living  creatures  in 
the  heavens  subjoin  their  unceasing  Amen, 

With  this  glorious  subject  in  our  view,  can  we  fail  to  be  astonish- 
ed at  the  manner  in  which  the  Saviour  of  the  world  is  treated  by 
multitudes  of  those,  whom  he  came  to  redeem  ?  By  what  multi- 
tudes is  he  regarded  with  cold-hearted  unbelief,  and  stupid  indif- 
ference ?  By  what  multitudes,  with  open  opposition  and  avowed 
hostility  ?  By  what  multitudes,  with  shameless  contempt,  insolent 
sneers,  and  impudent  ridicule  ?  How  often  is  his  glorious  name 
profaned,  and  blasphemed,  by  those,  whom  he  died  to  save  from 
endless  perdition  ?  How  many  miserable  wretches,  tottering  on  the 
l)rink  of  eternal  ruin,  while  in  the  house  of  God,  while  in  this 
house,  and  while  his  agonies,  endured  for  them,  are  resounding  in 
their  ears,  quietly  compose  themselves  to  sleep,  or  busily  employ 
themselves  in  whispering,  amusement,  and  mirth;  forgetful,  that 
they  have  souls  to  be  saved,  or  lost ;  and  destitute  of  a  wish  to  be 
interested  in  the  Saviour.  Had  Christ  been  as  regardless  of  these 
miserable  beings,  as  they  are  of  him  ;  nay,  as  they  are  of  them- 
selves ;  what  would  have  become  of  them  in  the  day  of  wrath  ? 
What  will  become  of  them  in  that  dreadful  day,  if  they  continue  to 
treat  Christ,  as  they  have  treated  him  hitherto? 

4thly.  It  is  evident  from  these  observations,  that  the  Gospel  alone 
furnishes  a  consistent  scheme  of  salvation  to  mankind. 

The  Gospel  takes  man,  where  it  finds  him,  in  a  state  of  sin  and 
I'uin,  condemned  by  the  law  of  God  to  final  perdition,  and  incapa- 
h\e  of  justification,  by  his  own  righteousness.  In  this  situation,  it 
announces  to  him  a  Saviour,  divinely  great  and  glorious,  divinely 
(excellent  and  lovely,  assuming  his  nature,  to  become  an  expiation 
for  his  sins;  revealing  to  him  the  way  of  reconciliation  to  God; 
■  and  inviting  him  to  enter  it,  and  be  saved.  The  acceptance  of  this 
expiadon  it  announces  from  the  mouth  of  God  himself.  The  terms, 
on  which  we  may  be  reconciled,  it  discloses  with  exact  precision 
and  perfect  clearness  ;  so  that  he  who  runs  may  read  ;  so  that  beg- 
gars and  children  may  understand,  and  accept  them.  Faith  in  the 
Redeemer,  repentance  towards  God,  and  holiness  of  character,  in- 
volve them  all.  They  are  terms,  reasonable  in  themselves,  easy 
to  us,  and  productive  of  incomprehensible  good  to  all  who  embrace 
them.  To  overcome  the  stubbornness  of  our  hearts,  Christ  has 
commissioned  the  Spirit  of  grace  to  sanctify  us  for  himself;  to 
draw  us  with  the  cords  of  his  love ;  to  guide  us  with  his  wisdom ; 
to  uphold  us  with  his  power;  and  to  conduct  us  under  his  kind 
providence  to  the  heavens.     In  this  scheme  is  contained  all  that 


228  FRIESTHOOD  OF    CHRIST.  [SER.  LVII. 

we  need,  and  all  that  we  can  rationally  desire.  The  way  of  salva- 
tion is  here  become  a  highioai/,  and  way-faring  rncn^  though  fools, 
need  not  err  therein. 

The  Religion  of  the  Gospel  is  a  religion  designed  for  sin7icrs. 
By  the  expiation  of  Christ  it  opens  the  brazen  door,  which  was  for 
ever  barred  against  their  return.  Here  the  supreme,  and  otherwise 
immoveable,  obstacle  to  the  acceptance  of  sinners,  is  taken  away. 
If  sinners  were  to  be  accepted,  it  was  not  possible  that  this  cup 
should  pass  from  Christ.  The  next  great  obstacle  in  the  way  of 
their  acceptance  is  found  in  their  unholy,  disobedient  hearts,  pro- 
pense  to  evil  onhj,  and  continually ;  and  the  next,  their  perpetual 
exposure  to  backsliding,  and  to  falling  finally  away.  These  ob- 
stacles, immoveable,  also,  by  any  means  on  this  side  of  heaven, 
the  Spirit  of  grace  by  his  most  merciful  interference  in  our  behalf 
entirely  removes.  Man,  therefore,  in  the  Gospel  finds  his  return 
from  apostacy  made  possible  ;  made  easy  ;  made  certain  ;  actual- 
ly begun  ;  steadily  carried  on  in  the  present  world  ;  and  finally 
completed  in  the  world  to  come. 

But  no  other  scheme  of  religion  presents  to  us  even  plausible 
means  of  removing  these  difficulties.  Natural  religion,  to  which 
Infidels  persuade  us  to  betake  ourselves  for  safety,  does  not  even 
promise  us  a  return  to  God.  Natural  religion  is  the  religion  of 
law  ;  of  that  law,  which  in  the  only  legal  language  declares  to  us. 
Do  these  things,  and  thou  shalt  live  :  but  the  soul,  that  sinneth,  shall 
die.  These  things,  the  things  specified  in  the  requisitions  of  the 
law,  we  have  not  done  ;  and  therefore  cannot  live.  We  have 
sinned,  and  therefore  must  die.  It  has  been  formerly  shown,  that 
the  law  knows  no  condition  of  acceptance,  or  justification,  but 
obedience.  Concerning  repentance,  faith,  forgiveness,  and  recon- 
ciliation, concerning  the  sinner's  return  to  God,  and  his  admission 
to  immortal  life,  the  law  is  silent.  Its  only  sentence,  pronounced 
on  those  who  disobey,  is  a  sentence  of  final  condemnation. 

Whatever  we  may  suppose  the  law  to  be,  we  have  disobeyed  its 
precepts.  Nothing  has  been  ever  devised,  or  received,  by  man  as 
a  law  of  God,  which  all  men  have  not  disobeyed.  Infidels  cannot 
devise  such  a  law,  as  they  will  dare  to  call  a  law  of  God,  and  pub- 
lish to  men  under  this  title,  which  they  themselves,  and  all  other 
men,  have  not  often  disobeyed.  From  the  very  nature  of  law,  a 
nature  inseparable  from  its  existence  as  a  law,  disobedience  to  its 
precepts  must  be  condemned :  and,  if  nothing  interfere  to  preserve 
the  olTender  from  punishment,  he  must  of  necessity  sufter.  To 
what  degree,  in  what  modes,  through  what  extent,  these  sufferings 
will  reach,  the  Infidel  cannot  conjecture.  To  his  anguish  no  end 
appears.  Of  such  an  end  no  arguments  can  be  furnished  by  his 
mind  ;  no  tidings  have  reached  his  ear;  and  no  hopes  can  rational- 
ly arise  in  his  heart.  Death,  with  all  the  gloomy  scenes  attendant 
upon  a  dying  bed,  is  to  him  merely  the  commencement  of  doubt, 
fear,  and  sorrow.     The  grave,  to  him,  is  the  entrance  into  a  world, 


SER.LVII.3  HIS  ATONEMENT.  229 

of  absolute  and  eternal  darkness.  That  world,  hung  round  with 
fear,  amazement,  and  despair,  overcast  with  midnight,  melancholy 
with  solitude,  desolate  of  every  hope  of  real  good,  opens  to  him 
through  the  dreary  passage  of  the  grave.  Beyond  this  entrance 
he  sees  nothing,  he  knows  nothing,  he  can  conjecture  nothing,  but 
what  must  fill  his  heart  with  alarm,  and  make  his  death-bed  a  couch 
of  thorns.  With  a  suspense,  scarcely  less  terrible  than  the  mise- 
ries of  damnation  itself,  his  soul  lingers  over  the  vast  and  desolate 
abyss ;  when,  compelled  by  an  unseen  and  irresistible  hand,  it 
plunges  into  this  uncertain  and  irreversible  doom,  to  learn  by  ex- 
perience what  is  the  measure  of  wo,  destined  to  reward  those,  who 
obey  not  God,  and  reject  the  salvation  proffered  by  his  Son. 

In  such  a  situation  what  man,  not  yet  lost  to  sense  and  thought, 
not  yet  convinced,  that  he  has  committed  the  sin  which  cannot  be 
forgiven,  would  not  hail  Avith  transport  the  dawn  of  the  Gospel ; 
the  clear  rising  of  the  Sun  of  righteousness ;  to  illumine  his  path 
through  this  melancholy  world ;  to  dispel  the  darkness  of  the  grave ; 
to  shed  a  benevolent  light  upon  the  entrance  into  eternity,  and 
brighten  his  passage  to  the  heavens ! 


c 


SERMON  L.VII1. 

THE    PRIESTHOOD    OF    CHRIST. HIS    INTERCESSION. 


Hebrews  vii.  24,  25. — But  this  man,  because  he  continueth  ever,  hath  an  unchange- 
able priesthood.  Wherefore  he  is  able,  also,  to  save  them  to  the  uttermost,  that  come 
unto  God  by  him  ;  seeing  he  ever  liveth  to  make  intercession  for  them. 

Having  in  a  series  of  discourses  examined,  as  far  as  I  thought 
it  necessary,  the  personal  holiness  of  Christ ;  and  his  atonement  for 
sin;  I  shall  now  proceed  in  the  order,  originally  proposed,  to  con- 
sider his  Intercession. 

In  the  first  verse  of  the  text,  St.  Paul  declares,  that  Christ,  in 
contradistinction  to  earthly  high  priests,  has  an  unchangeable  priest- 
hood ;  or,  as  the  original  more  exactly  signifies,  a  priesthood  which 
passeth  not  from  one  hand  to  another.  In  the  last  verse,  he  infers 
from  this  fact,  that  he  is  able  to  save  his  followers  to  the  uttermost, 
because  he  ever  lives  to  make  intercession  for  them.  The  Interces- 
sion of  Christ,  therefore,  is  here  declared  to  be  real ;  to  be  made 
for  his  followers  j  and  to  be  effectual  to  their  salvation.  Of  course, 
it  claims,  in  a  high  degree,  our  serious  attention. 

To  intercede  denotes,  originally,  to  go  between  one  person  and  ayi- 
other.  In  its  secondary,  or  figurative,  sense,  the  only  one  in  which 
it  seems  now  to  be  used,  it  denotes  offering  petitions  in  behalf  of 
another  ;  and,  in  the  Scriptures,  offering  such  petitions  to  God.  On 
this  subject  we  have  St.  John  as  a  Commentator,  to  direct  us.  If 
any  man  sm,  says  this  Apostle,  zve  have  an  Advocate  with  the  Father. 
Jesus  Christ  the  righteous.  The  original  word,  here  translated  ad- 
vocate, is  iragaxkriTos.  It  denotes  either  a  person,  who,  in  the  Roman 
courts  under  the  appellation  of  Patronus,  attended  a  client,  and  in 
countenancing,  advising,  and  interceding,  for  him,  took  an  effica- 
cious care  of  his  interest :  or  an  Agent  of  one  of  the  States,  either 
allied,  or  tributary,  to  Rome,  who  took  a  similar  care  of  the  inter- 
ests of  that  State  before  the  Roman  Government,  and  interceded, 
from  time  to  time,  with  the  Emperor  on  its  behalf,  as  those  interests 
demanded.  Such  is  one  of  the  offices,  assumed  by  Christ  in  the 
heavens. 

It  will  be  seen  at  a  glance,  that  this  subject  is  merely  a  Scrip- 
tural one.  All  our  knowledge  concerning  it  is  derived  from  Reve- 
lation only.  Reason  can  add  nothing,  but  conjecture,  to  what  the 
Scriptures  have  taught ;  and  you  are  not  now  to  learn,  that  additions 
of  this  nature  are  of  very  little  value.  The  observations,  which  I 
propose  to  make  concerning  it,  I  shall  arrange  under  the  following 
heads. 


SER.  LVIII.]  PRIESTHOOD  OF  CHRIST,  &c.  231 

I.  The  Character  and  Circumstances  of  those  for  whom  Christ 
intercedes  : 

II.  The  Manner^  in  which  his  intercession  is  performed. 
Under  the  former  of  these  heads  I  observe, 

1st.   That  they  are  the  Children  of  God. 

In  proof  of  this  position  I  cite  the  following  passages. 

1st.  The  text.  Wherefore  he  is  able  to  save  to  the  uttermost  them 
that  come  unto  God  by  him  :  seeing  he  ever  liveth  to  make  interces- 
sion for  them.  It  cannot  but  be  seen,  that  St.  Paul  speaks  here 
of  no  other  intercession,  than  that  which  is  made  for  such  as  come 
unto  God  by  Christ. 

2dly.  The  passage  already  quoted  from  1  John  ii.  1,  jyiy  little 
children,  these  things  write  I  unto  you,  that  ye  sin  not.  And  if  any 
man  sin,  we  have  an  Advocate  with  the  Father,  Jesus  Christ  the  right- 
eous. The  persons  who  are  here  said  to  have  an  advocate  with 
the  Father,  are  the  persons  denoted  by  the  word  we :  that  is,  St. 
John,  and  those  to  rvhom  he  writes  ;  or  whom  he  here  styles  little 
children  :  in  other  words,  the  children  of  God. 

3dly.  Romans  viii.  34,  Who  is  he  that  condemneth?  It  is  Christ 
that  died :  yea  rather,  that  has  risen  again :  who  is  even  at  the  right 
hand  of  God  ;  who,  also,  maketh  intercession  for  vs.  The  persons 
for  whom  Christ  is  here  said  to  intercede,  are  those  included  in  the 
word  ws;  those,  zcho  in  the  preceding  verse  are  called  God''s  elect  ^ 
and  of  whom  it  is  said,  that  none  shall  hereafter  be  able  to  lay  any 
thing  to  their  charge  ;  and  of  whom  in  the  verses  following  it  is  de- 
clared, that  nothing,  whether  present,  or  future,  shall  be  able  to 
separate  them  from  the  love  of  God,  which  is  in  Christ  Jesus  our 
T^ord. 

I  know  of  no  passage  in  the  Scriptures,  which  even  seems  to  teach 
any  other  doctrine,  exccpi  Isaiah  liii.  12,  And  he  made  intercession 
for  the  transgressors.  Of  this  passage  1  observe,  frst,  that  saints 
may  be,  and  with  the  utmost  propriety  are,  considered  as  designed  by 
the  word  transgressors,  in  this  place.  Saints,  both  before  and  after 
their  regeneration,  are  transgressors ;  and  in  this  character,  only, 
need  the  intercession  of  Christ. 

Secondly,  the  murderers  of  Christ  are  very  naturally  designated, 
in  this  place,  by  transgressors:  and  the  passage  maybe  considered 
as  a  prophecy  of  the  intercession,  which  he  made  for  them  on  the 
cross. 

In  the  same  verse  it  is  said,  He  was  numbered  with  the  transgres- 
sors:  that  is,  with  the  thieves,  between  whom  he  was  crucified;  and 
with  all  the  other  capital  criminals,  condemned  to  the  same  death. 
All  these  were  eminently  transgressors ;  and  with  them  he  was 
numbered,  or  reckoned,  when  he  was  pronounced  to  have  the  same 
character,  and  sentenced  to  the  same  infamy  and  suffering.  As  the 
word  transgressors  denotes  malefactors,  or  murderers,  in  the  for- 
mer of  these  clauses,  it  is  very  naturally  understood  to  denote  per- 
sons of  the  same  character  in   the  latter.     In  the  former  clause, 


2^2  PRIESTHOOD  OF  CHRIST.  [SER.LVm. 

also,  the  prophet  speaks  of  one  fact,  which  took  place  on  the  day 
of  Christ's  crucifixion  :  it  is  very  naturally  supposed,  therefore, 
that  he  pursues  the  same  subject  through  the  verse,  and  that  the 
intercession,  mentioned  by  him,  was  made  on  the  same  day.  If 
these  remarks  are  just,  the  prophet  may  be  fairly  considered  as 
predicting,  in  this  passage,  the  prayer  of  Christ  for  his  murderers : 
Father,  forgive  them  ;  for  they  know  not  what  they  do  !  This  was  a 
real  and  w^onderful  instance  of  intercession  ;  and  was  gloriously 
answered  in  the  conversion  of  several  thousands  of  these  persons 
to  the  faith  and  obedience  of  the  Gospel. 

2dly.  The  Children  of  God  are,  still,  the  subjects  of  backsliding, 
and  sin,  in  greater  or  less  degrees,  while  they  live. 

In  every  child  of  God  there  still  exists  a  law  in  his  members, 
which  wars  against  the  law  in  his  mind,  and  often  brings  him.  into 
captivity  to  the  law  of  sin,  which  is  in  his  members.  It  is  to  be  re- 
membered, that  all  such  sins  are  committed  not  only  against  the 
law,  but  against  the  grace,  of  God ;  and  are  aggravated  by  this 
high  consideration.  Originally,  they  were  apostates ;  but  after- 
wards they  were  reconciled  to  God  by  faith  in  the  blood  of  his 
Son.  For  this  unspeakable  blessing  their  obligations  to  obedi- 
ence are  increased  beyond  measure.  Against  these  obligations, 
and  against  their  own  solemn  covenant,  recognizing  and  enhancing 
them,  they  still  have  sinned.  Their  ingratitude,  therefore,  is 
pecuHar,  and  all  their  transgressions  are  heightened  by  the  amaz- 
ing consideration,  that  they  have  been  redeemed,  sanctified,  and 
forgiven. 

3dly.  Notwithstanding  their  backslidings,  they  are  not  utterltf 
cast  off. 

My  mercy,  saith  God,  will  I  keep  for  him  for  evermore  ;  and  my 
covenant  shall  stand  fast  zvith  him.  His  seed,  also,  will  I  make  to 
endure  for  ever,  and  his  throne  as  the  days  of  heaven.  If  his  chil- 
dren forsake  my  law,  and  walk  not  in  my  judgments  j  if  they  break 
my  statutes  and  keep  not  my  commandments  :  Then  rvill  I  visit  their 
transgression  with  the  rod  and  their  iniquity  with  stripes.  Neverthe- 
less, my  loving  kindness  J  will  not  utterly  take  from  him,  nor  suffer 
my  faithfulness  to  fail.  Psalm  Ixxxix.  28 — 33.  This  is  the  uni- 
versal language  of  the  Scriptures  concerning  this  subject.  Perse- 
cuted, but  not  forsaken^  cast  down,  but  not  destroyed;  perplexed, 
but  not  in  despair  ;  chastened,  but  not  killed.  Such  is  the  language 
of  the  Apostles ;  and  such  was  their  condition.  Such,  also,  in 
various  respects,  is  that  of  all  their  followers. 

For  the  obliteration  of  the  sins  of  persons,  so  circumstanced,  it 
cannot  be  irrational  to  suppose,  that  some  provision  would  be 
made  by  Him,  who  sent  his  Son  to  die  for  them ;  and  who  had  pro- 
mised in  the  covenant  of  Redemption,  that  they  should  endure  for 
ever, 

II.  I  shall  consider  the  Manner,  in  which  the  Interressioyi  of  Christ 
is  performed. 


9ER.  LVIII.]  HIS  INTERCESSION.  333 

On  this  subject  I  observe, 

1st.  Some  of  the  ancients  were  of  opinion,  thai  Chriat  executes 
this  office  by  presenting,  continually,  his  human  nature  before  the 
throne  of  his  Father.  Aquinas,  also,  a  more  modern  writer,  says, 
"Christ  intercedes  for  us  by  exhibiting,  with  a  desire  of  our  salva- 
tion, to  the  view  of  the  Father,  the  human  nature  assumed  for  us, 
and  the  mysteries  celebrated,  or  accomplished,  in  it." 

It  will  be  admitted  on  all  hands,  that  Christ  does  thus  exhibit  his 
human  nature  in  the  heavens ;  nor  can  it  be  denied,  that  this  is  a 
continual  exhibition  of  what  he  has  done,  and  suffered  for  the  glory 
of  his  Father,  and  the  salvation  of  his  Church.  All  this  was  done 
by  him  in  the  human  nature  ;  which  is,  therefore,  an  unceasing  and 
affecting  symbol  of  his  wonderful  labours  for  these  great  ends. 
The  same  exhibition  is,  also,  a  strong  and  constant  memorial  of 
his  own  love  to  his  followers,  and  his  earnest  desires  that  they  may 
be  forgiven  and  saved.  These  desires,  therefore,  together  with 
these  labours  and  sufferings,  being  all  forcibly  exhibited  in  this 
presentation  of  his  human  nature  before  the  throne  of  the  Majesty 
in  the  heavens ;  it  is,  1  think,  a  well-founded  opinion,  that  in  this 
manner,  the  intercession  of  Christ  is,  partially  at  least,  performed. 
In  support  of  this  opinion,  we  are  to  remember  that  the  high  priest, 
whose  intercession  was  a  type  of  that  of  Christ,  made  this  inter- 
cession, not  by  offering  prayers  for  the  people  in  the  most  holy  place, 
but  by  sprinkling  the  blood  of  sacrifices  on  the  mercy-seat.  As  the 
blood  of  the  sacrifice  was  here  presented  before  God  by  way  of 
intercession ;  so  Christ  is  considered  as  presenting  the  memorials 
of  his  sacrifice  before  God  in  the  heavens :  and  as  the  high  priest 
by  this  act  opened  to  the  Israelites  the  earthly  holy  places ;  so  Christ 
is  considered  as  in  the  like  manner  opening  the  heavenly  holy  places 
to  his  own  followers  for  ever. 

2dly.  Christ  pleads,  substantially ,  for  the  forgiveness  of  the  sins  of 
his  followers,  their  preservation  in  holiness,  and  their  final  accept- 
ance into  heaven. 

Intercession  in  its  very  nature  involves  petition.  The  manner 
in  which  it  is  performed  may  vary,  but  the  substance  is  always  the 
same.  In  whatever  manner,  therefore,  Christ  may  be  supposed  to 
intercede  for  his  children,  he  must,  substantially,  offer  up  petitions 
on  their  behalf.  That  they  need  this  intercession  cannot  be  ra- 
tionally doubted.  The  blessings,  to  which  they  are  conducted,  are 
the  greatest  of  all  blessings;  their  final  forgiveness,  acceptance, 
purification,  and  eternal  life.  Of  these  and  all  other  blessings 
they  are  wholly  unworthy.  That  much  is  necessary  to  be  done 
for  such  persons,  in  order  to  save  them  from  punishment,  and  se- 
cure to  them  immortal  happiness,  is  a  doctrine  accordant  with  the 
dictates  of  common  sense.  In  this  world  great  evils  are  remitted, 
and  great  blessings  procured,  to  the  undeserving,  by  the  interces- 
sion of  the  worthy  and  honourable.  Analogy,  therefore,  leads  us 
to  look  to  similar  means,  for  the  accomplishment  of  similar  pur- 

VoL.  II.  30 


234  PRIKSTHOOD  OF  CHRIST.  [SER.  LVIU. 

poses,  in  the  Universal  providence  of  God.  Especially  will  this 
seem  natural,  and  Jiecessary,  where  the  greatest  blessings  are 
to  be  obtained  for  those,  Avho  arc  unworthy  of  the  least  of  all 
blessings. 

3dly.  In  John  \lth  we  have,  if  1  mistake  not,  an  example  of  this 
very  intercession. 

This  chapter  is  the  last  communication  of  Christ  to  his  Apostles 
before  his  death.  In  it  he  recites,  briefly,  his  wonderful  labours 
for  the  glory  of  his  Father,  and  for  the  good  of  his  children;  declares, 
that  he  had  finished  the  work  allotted  to  him  ;  and  announces,  that 
he  was  bidding  adieu  to  the  scene  of  his  humiliation,  and  preparing 
to  enter  into  his  glory. 

On  these  grounds,  he  prays  his  Father  to  sanctify,  and  perfect, 
his  children  ;  to  keep  them,  while  they  were  in  the  world,  from  the 
evil ;  to  make  them  one  in  their  spirit,  their  character,  and  their 
pursuits  ;  and  to  cause  the  love,  which  He  exercised  towards 
Christ,  to  rest  uj)on  them.  At  the  same  time,  he  declares,  that 
he  had  given  to  them  his  own  glory ;  and  that  it  was  his  will,  that 
they  should  be  where  he  was,  and  behold  his  glory  for  ever.  All 
these  illustrious  things,  also,  he  solicits,  on  the  ground  of  his  Father's 
love  to  him,  and  his  own  labours  and  suft'erings  in  obedience  to 
His  will. 

In  this  prayer  of  Christ  we  have  probably  a  fair  specimen  of  his 
intercession  in  the  heavens.  The  same  things  are  recited,  and  the 
same  things  requested,  here,  which  we  are  taught  to  expect  there ; 
and  all  is  asked  of  God,  which  can  contribute  to  their  safety,  or  their 
happiness. 

If  these  observations  be  allowed  to  be  just ;  it  will  be  seen,  that 
the  great  ends  of  Christ's  intercession  are  to  preserve  his  followers 
from  final  backsliding ;  an  evil,  to  which,  if  left  to  themselves,  they 
would  certainly  be  exposed,  notwithstanding  all  the  virtuous  prin- 
ciples which  they  possess  :  to  obtain  the  forgiveness  of  those  sins, 
which  they  commit  after  their  Regeneration :  and  to  secure  their 
reception  into  the  world  of  glory.  These  ends  are  of  the  highest 
importance  to  them,  and  in  the  highest  degree  declarative  of  the 
goodness  of  God. 

This  method  of  proceeding,  on  the  part  of  God,  is  wholly  ac- 
cordant with  the  common  dictates  of  the  human  mind.  Similar 
means,  as  1  have  observed,  are  used,  and  efficaciously  used,  to  pro- 
cure the  remission  of  punishment,  and  the  enjoyment  of  good,  for 
unworthy  men  in  the  present  world.  That  which  is  done  here, 
therefore,  and  has  ever  been  done  with  the  plainest  propriety,  and 
die  most  decisive  efficacy,  strongly  illustrates  the  reasonableness 
and  propriety  of  what  is  thus  done  in  the  heavens. 

From  these  observations  I  infer, 

1st.    The  perfect  Safety  of  the  Children  of  God. 

Christ,  the  Son  of  God,  and  the  infinitely  meritorious  Redeemer 
of  men,  intercedes  for  their  preservation  in  holiness,  the  forgiveness 


SER.  LVIII]  HIS  INTERCESSION  23J 

of  their  backslidings,  and  their  final  acceptance  into  heaven. 
The  Father  always  heareth  the  Son.  It  is  impossible,  that  his  in- 
tercession should  fail,  or  that  the  purposes  of  it  should  not  be  ac- 
complished. His  followers,  therefore,  though  exposed  to  ten  thou- 
sand dangers,  and  to  numberless  temptations,  enemies,  and  backslid- 
ings ;  though  always  in  a  state  of  peril,  and  living  only  a  doubtful 
and  scarcely  perceptible  life ;  will  pass  safely  through  all  these 
hazards,  and  finally  arrive  at  the  possession  of  perfect  hohness  and 
everlasting  joy. 

In  the  preceding  discourse  I  evinced  the  truth  of  this  doctrine  by 
arguments,  drawn  from  the  Atonement  of  Christ.  It  is  equally 
evident  from  his  intercession.  Christ,  in  his  prayer  at  the  tomb  of 
Lazarus,  says  to  the  Father,  I  ktieiv  that  thou  hearest  me  always. 
In  his  Intercessory  prayer,  in  the  xvii.  of  John,  he  declares,  that 
he  intercedes,  not  only  for  his  Apostles  and  their  fellow-disciples 
then  existing,  but  also  for  them,  zvho  should  believe  on  him  through 
their  word  j  that  is,  the  Gospel.  Those  then,  who  believe  on  him 
through  the  Gospel,  are  universally  interested  in  that  intercession 
of  Christ,  which  the  Father  heareth  always.  Of  course,  their 
safety  is  complete,  their  interest  in  the  divine  favour  indefeasible, 
and  their  title  to  endless  life  unalterably  secure. 

2dly.  IVe  have  here  a  stro7}g  proof,  that  Christ  is  unchangeable. 
In  Proverbs  8th,  after  giving  a  variety  of  testimonies  of  his  com- 
passion for  sinners,  he  informs  us,  that  before  the  mountains  zvere 
settled,  or  the  earth  was  made,  he  rejoiced  in  the  habitable  parts  of 
the  earth,  in  a  glorious  foresight  of  the  good,  which  he  intended  to 
accomplish ;  and  that  his  delights  were  from  eternity  with  the  sons, 
of  men.  In  the  indulgence  of  this  divine  benignity,  though  infi- 
nitely rich  in  the  possession  of  all  good,  yet  for  our  sa/ces  he 
became  poor,  that  zve  through  him  might  become  rich.  The  Word., 
who  was  in  the  beginning  with  God,  and  by  whom  all  things  were 
made,  became  flesh,  and  dwelt  among  us  j  and  we  beheld  his  glory, 
{the  glory  as  of  the  only  begotten  of  the  Father)  full  of  grace  and 
truth.  While  he  dwelt  in  this  Apostate  world,  he  underwent  a 
course  of  extreme  humiliation,  labours,  and  suflcrings,  for  the  sake 
of  mankind;  and,  in  the  end,  purchased  for  them  the  regeneration 
of  the  soul,  and  a  title  to  everlasting  life,  with  the  agonies  of  the 
cross. 

To  the  heavens  he  has  gone  before,  to  prepare  a  place  for  them, 
and  to  receive  them  to  himself.  In  that  glorious  world,  amid  all 
the  splendours  of  his  exaltation,  he  forgets  not  for  a  moment  those 
worms  of  the  dust,  whom  he  came  to  redeem ;  those  backsliding, 
frail,  sinning  apostates,  for  whom  he  poured  out  his  blood  on  the 
accursed  tree;  but,  in  the  strong  language  of  the  Apostle,  ever 
lives  to  make  intercession  for  them.  By  his  intercession,  as  well  as 
by  his  government,  he  secures  their  continuance  in  holiness ; 
cleanses  them  from  secret  faults  j  restrains  them  from  presumptuous 
sins^  and  thus  keeps  them  innocent  of  the  great  transgression. 


230  I'KIESTIIOOD  or  CHRIST.  [SER.  LVIII. 

Thus  his  love  ib,  from  everlasting  to  everlasting,  the  same  bound- 
less love  to  himself,  divinely  glorious ;  to  them  great  beyond 
example,  beneficial  beyond  degree. 

3dly.  The  intercession  of  Christ  most  affectingly  teaches  us  the 
Grace  of  God  in  the  salvation  of  sinners. 

Sinners  arc  originally  redeemed,  forgiven,  and  sanctified,  by  the 
mere,  sovereign  goodness  of  God.  After  all  these  mighty  works 
are  accomplished,  they  arc  still  guilty  and  undeserving  ;  they 
need  the  intercession,  as  well  as  the  atonement,  of  Christ ;  and 
without  it  could  not,  so  far  as  we  are  informed,  be  with  propriety 
blessed  in  the  heavens.  In  consequence  of  this  intercession,  they 
are  preserved  from  fatal  declension  ;  their  sins,  committed  after 
their  regeneration,  are  forgiven;  and  themselves  admitted  to  the 
presence  of  God. 

In  heaven,  this  intercession  is  continued  for  ever.  Throughout 
eternity,  the  children  of  God  are  thus  furnished  with  the  strongest 
evidence,  that  their  everlasting  happiness  is  the  result  of  mere, 
sovereign  goodness  and  mercy ;  and  that  all  the  glory  of  devising, 
accomplishing,  and  bestowing,  this  happiness  is  to  be  ascribed  to 
Him.  The  praises  of  the  heavenly  world,  and  the  gratitude 
whence  they  spring,  will  from  this  source  derive  a  more  exquisite 
rapture;  their  sense  of  dependence  on  God  be  more  humble,  in- 
tense, and  lovely  ;  and  their  perseverance  in  holiness  find  the  most 
delightful,  as  well  as  the  most  powerfiil,  motives. 

4thly.  How  wonderful  is  the  love  of  Christ  to  sinners  ! 
It  is  beyond  measure  wonderful,  that  he  should  love  them  at  all. 
What  are  they  ?  Guilty,  rebellious,  odious  creatures ;  opposed  to 
his  W'ill,  designs,  and  character  ;  requiting  his  love  with  ingratitude, 
hatred,  and  contempt;  crucifying  him  afresh  by  their  unbeliefs 
and  accounting  the  blood  of  the  covenant,  jvherewith  he  %oas  sanc- 
tified, an  unholy  thing.  Why  did  he  love  them  ?  Not  because 
they  were  rational  beings.  With  a  word  he  could  have  created 
millions  of  such  beings,  for  one  of  them  ;  and  all  more  rational,  and 
more  exalted,  than  themselves.  Not  because  of  their  moral  ex- 
cellence;  for  they  had  none.  Not  because  he  needed  them;  for 
he  cannot  need  any  thing ;  and  they  possessed  nothing,  which  they 
did  not  receive  from  him. 

On  the  contrary,  all  his  conduct  towards  them  sprang  from  his 
own  boundless  good-will :  his  disinterested  love.  They  were  not 
deserving ;  but  he  was  pitiful ;  they  were  not  valuable  ;  but  he  was 
bountiful ;  they  were  not  necessary  to  him  ;  but  he  was  infinitely 
necessary  to  them.  Herein  is  love  ;  not  that  we  loved  God,  but  that 
he  loved  us,  and  gave  his  Son  to  die  for  us.  It  was  because  Christ 
was  superlatively  good  ;  and  because  we  were  poor,  and  zoretched, 
and  miserable,  arid  blind,  and  naked,  and  in  joant  of  all  things  that 
this  glorious  Person  had  compassion  on  us  in  our  apostacy  and 
ruin.  He  lived  and  died,  he  reigns  and  intercedes,  that  we  might 
live,  and  not  die.  This  great  work  he  began  to  execute  here ;  and 
he  carries  it  on  in  the  heavens  throughout  eternity. 


SER.  LVIII]  HIS  INTERCESSION.  237 

In  that  world  of  glory,  although  elevated  to  the  throne  of  the 
Universe,  and  beholding  all  things  beneath  his  feet ;  although  loved, 
obeyed,  and  worshipped,  with  supreme  attachment  and  homage 
by  the  great  kingdom  of  virtuous  beings ;  he  assumes,  and  executes, 
the  office  of  an  intercessor  for  the  fallen  children  of  Adam.  In 
that  world  he  is  not  ashamed  to  call  them,  however  degraded  by 
their  apostacy,  and  however  odious  by  their  guilt,  by  the  endear- 
ing names  oi friends  and  brethren.  He  is  the  universal  ruler  ;  but 
he  is  not  ashamed  to  appear  as  the  Elder  Brother,  the  First-born 
of  this  human  assembly  ;  nay,  as  a  suppliant  for  those  whom  he 
rules.  He  is  a  person  of  infinite  dignity  and  perfection  ;  but  he  is 
not  ashamed  to  appear  as  a  companion  to  those,  who  could  origin- 
ally sat/  to  corruption,  Thou  art  our  father,  and  to  the  worm.  Thou  art 
our  mother  and  our  sister.  Thus  the  character,  which  he  exhibit- 
ed on  earth,  he  sustains  in  heaven.  He  is  still  in  the  same  man- 
ner meek  and  lowly  of  heart ;  and  st'iW  feeds  his  disciples  and  leads 
them  to  fountains  of  living  waters.  To  him  they  have  been  indebt- 
ed for  the  atonement  of  their  sins,  and  the  salvation  of  their  souls  ; 
and  to  him  they  will  be  infinitely  indebted  for  the  communication 
of  knowledge,  holiness,  and  enjoyment,  throughout  the  endless  ages 
of  their  being. 

What  character  can  be  compared  with  this  ?  Before  it,  how 
does  all  other  excellence  fade !  In  it  what  exaltation  and  conde- 
scension are  blended  !  What  greatness  and  benignity  united ! 
What  must  be  the  Mind,  in  which  these  majestic,  and  these  sweet 
and  lovely,  characteristics  thus  unchangeably  and  for  ever  harmo- 
nize :  a  mind  supremely  great  and  glorious  in  the  lowly  station  of 
a  man  ;  a  child ;  a  servant  to  a  humble  artisan  ;  and  divinely  meek 
and  condescending  in  the  infinite  splendour  of  universal  dominion! 

What  dishonour  is  here  reflected  on  the  pride  of  Men  and  fallen 
Angels  !  Pride,  unsatisfied  with  all  present  attainments,  and  mak- 
ing the  greatest  communications,  from  God,  of  distinction  and  glo- 
ry, the  mere  foundations  of  claiming  more,  and  of  murmuring,  be- 
cause they  are  not  elevated  to  higher  honours,  and  replenished 
with  more  extensive  enjoyments  !  How  poor,  how  debased,  how 
odious,  how  guilty,  is  that  pride  !  How  contemptible  does  it  ap- 
pear, when  compared  with  the  Redeemer's  condescension  !  In 
heaven  there  is  no  pride  ;  on  earth,  and  in  hell,  it  is  the  prevailing 
character.  Men  are  proud ;  fallen  Angels  are  proud.  Christ  is 
meek  and  lowly  of  heart.  What  would  become  of  the  universe, 
were  pride  to  find  a  place  in  the  infinite  Mind  ? 

5thly.  How  differently  are  Christians  regarded  by  Christ,  and 
hy  evil  men  ? 

Christ  descended  from  heaven,  and  left  the  glory,  which  he  had 
with  the  Father  before  ever  the  world  was,  to  befriend  Christians. 
He  became  a  man  ;  he  lived  ;  he  laboured  through  life ;  he  hung 
upon  the  cross,  and  was  buried  in  the  tomb ;  to  redeem  them  from 
sin  and  death.     He  arose  from  the  dead ;  ascended  to  heaven ;  sat 


238  PRIESTHOOD  OF  CHRIST.  [SER.  LVIII. 

down  on  the  right  hand  of  the  majesty  on  high  ;  became  head  over 
all  things,  governs  all  things;  and  intercedes  with  his  Father  for 
ever ;  for  the  benefit  of  Christians.  To  save  and  bless  them  is,  in 
a  sense,  his  professional  employment  throughout  eternity. 

How  different  is  the  conduct  of  evil  men  towards  the  very  same 
persons  !  In  the  eyes  of  these  men,  Christians  are  objects  of  con- 
tempt and  hatred  ;  and  in  their  customary  language  are  styled  su- 
perstitious, enthusiasts,  hypocrites,  fanatics,  and  bigots.  Men  of 
the  same  character  mocked  and  crucified  Christ ;  their  followers 
have  ever  since  exhibited  the  same  spirit;  at  times  in  the  same, 
at  other  times  in  different  manners;  but  in  all  its  exhibitions  the 
spirit  has  been  the  same. 

Reason  would  naturally  ask,  when  contemplating  this  subject, 
What  evil  have  Christians  done,  to  merit  this  treatment  ?  Have 
they  injured  these  enemies?  Have  they  injured  the  public  ?  Are 
they  not  as  industrious,  as  peaceable,  as  just,  as  sincere,  as  kind, 
as  useful,  as  other  men  ?  Do  they  not,  as  parents,  children,  friends, 
neighbours,  magistrates,  and  citizens,  perform  the  duties  of  life  as 
faithfully,  as  those  who  are  not  Christians  ?  Do  they  transgress 
the  laws,  oppose  the  government,  or  disturb  the  peace,  of  society, 
more  than  their  enemies  themselves  ?  If  they  are  guilty  of  such 
crimes,  it  can  undoubtedly  be  proved  ;  it  ought  to  be  proved  ;  and 
they  ought,  accordingly,  to  be  condemned  and  punished.  "To  this 
no  fair  objection  can  be  made  even  by  Christians  themselves. 

But  how  far  from  these  dictates  of  reason  has  been  all  the  con- 
duct of  their  adversaries  ?  Have  they  even  attempted  any  proof  of 
this  nature  ?  Have  not  their  accusations  been  general  and  indefi- 
nite, like  the  outcry  raised  against  Paul  and  his  companions  :  These, 
that  have  turned  the  world  upside  down,  have  come  hither  also :  the 
mere  exclamations  of  undiscriminating  malevolence ;  not  the  spe- 
cific charges  of  sober  conviction. 

To  this  malevolence  what  an  endless  train  of  men,  women,  and 
children  ;  of  men,  covered  with  the  hoary  locks  of  age,  of  children, 
scarcely  escaped  from  the  cradle ;  have  been  oft'ered  up  on  the  al- 
tar of  persecution !  What  multitudes  by  the  ancient  Heathen  ^ 
what  multitudes  by  the  idolatrous  Apostates  from  Christianity ; 
what  multitudes  by  the  Infidels,  of  modern  times ! 

Where  law  and  government  have  prevented  these  atrocities,  how- 
many  private  and  personal  injuries,  how  many  sneers,  and  taunts, 
how  many  stings  of  gall  and  bitterness,  has  Christianity  been 
obliged  to  endure !  How  many  aspersions  have  been  cast  on  their 
doctrines,  designs,  and  characters,  merely  to  load  them  with  shame ! 
How  frecjuently  are  their  best  intentions  misconstrued,  and  their 
most  benevolent  labours  perverted,  in  this  very  land,  originally 
peopled  by  Christians,  and  consecrated  to  religion  :  this  land  co7i- 
verted  by  Christians  from  a  wilderness  into  a  habitation  of  indus- 
try, peace,  civilization,  and  happiness  :  to  change  which  from  a 
howhng  wilderness  into  an  asylum  of  persecuted  piety,  ChiisUans 


SER.  LVIII.]  HIS  INtERCESSION  23C> 

encountered  the  perils  of  the  Ocean,  and  the  sufferings  of  the 
desert ;  sustained  all  the  horrors  of  savage  war,  and  all  the  evils 
of  famine,  disease,  and  death.  In  this  very  land,  how  many  ene- 
mies have  arisen  up  to  the  Church  of  God,  among  the  descendants 
of  these  very  Christians,  and  among  the  brethren  of  those  who  are 
persecuted  !  They  know  not,  perhaps,  that  their  curses  are  di- 
rected to  the  fathers  who  begat  them,  or  that  theit-  eye  is  evil 
toioards  the  mothers  who  bore  them;  nor  mistrust,  that  their  scorn 
is  pointed  against  the  source,  whence,  under  God,  they  have  deriv- 
ed every  enjoyment,  and  every  hope. 

Against  this  source  of  blessings,  the  religion  of  Christians,  they 
are  more  malignant,  than  even  against  Christians  themselves. 
The  Bible  is  hated  more  than  those  who  beheve  it ;  the  doctrines 
and  duties  of  Christianity  more  than  its  professors.  What  are 
those  duties  ?  They  arc  all  summed  up  in  those  two  great  pre- 
cepts. Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy  heart,  and 
thy  neighbour  as  thyself;  and  in  the  means  of  producing  obedience 
to  these  precepts  in  the  soul  of  man.  What  is  there  in  these  pre- 
cepts, which  can  be  the  object  of  vindicable  hatred  ?  Who  will 
stand  up,  and  say ;  who  will  say  in  the  recesses  of  his  own  heart; 
"  It  is  an  odious  and  contemptible  thing  to  love  God;  to  obey  his 
voice ;  to  believe  in  his  Son ;  to  shun  the  anger  of  God ;  to  escape 
from  endless  sin  and  misery ;  and  to  attain  everlasting  virtue  and 
happiness  ;"  Or  is  it,  in  the  view  of  common  sense,  wise  to  choose 
the  anger  of  God  rather  than  his  favour,  a  depraved  character  rath- 
er than  a  virtuous  one,  the  company  of  apostates  and  fiends  rather 
than  of  saints  and  angels,  and  hell  rather  than  heaven? 

Is  it  odious,  is  it  contemptible,  is  it  ridiculous,  does  it  deserve  ob- 
loquy and  persecution,  to  love  our  neighbour  as  ourselves  ;  to  ex-* 
hibit  universal  kindness;  to  deal  jusdy;  to  speak  truth;  to  fulfil 
promises ;  to  relieve  the  distressed ;  to  obey  laws ;  to  reverence 
magistrates  ;  to  resist  temptation ;  to  be  sober,  chaste,  and  temper- 
ate ;  and  to  follow  all  things,  which  are  honest,  pure,  lovely,  and 
of  good  report  ? 

Is  it,  on  the  contrary,  honourable ;  is  it  praiseworthy  ;  does  it 
merit  esteem  and  reward ;  to  be  impious,  profane,  and  blasphem- 
ous ;  to  be  infidels ;  to  have  a  seared  conscience ;  to  possess  a 
hard  heart ;  to  be  unjust,  unkind,  and  unfaithful ;  to  be  false,  per- 
jured, and  seditious;  to  be  light-minded,  lewd,  and  gluttonous? 

Is  not  the  true  reason  of  all  this  hostility  to  Christians,  the  plain 
superiority  of  their  character  to  that  of  their  enemies  ?  Does  not 
the  hatred  arise  from  their  consciousness  of  this  superiority ;  from 
the  impatience  which  they  feel,  whenever  they  behold  it ;  from  the 
wounds,  which  neighbouring  excellence  always  inflicts  ?  Do  they 
not  feel,  that  good  men  cast  a  shade  upon  their  character ;  reprove 
them,  at  least  by  the  silent  and  powerful  voice  of  their  own  virtue ; 
serve  as  a  second  conscience,  to  hold  out  their  sin  before  their 
eyes ;  and  alarm  their  hearts  with  a  secret  and  irresistible  sense  of 


240  PRIESTHOOD  OF  CHRIST.  [SER.  LVIII 

future  danger  ?  Do  not  wicked  men  say  in  their  hearts,  as  they 
said  at  the  time  when  the  Wisdom  of  Solomon  was  written:  There- 
fore let  us  lie  in  wait  for  the  righteous,  because  he  is  not  for  our  turn  ; 
and  he  is  clean  contrary  to  our  doings.  He  upbraideth  us  with  our 
offending  the  law  j  and  objecteth  to  our  infamy  the  transgressings  of 
our  education.  He  professeth  to  have  the  knowledge  of  God ,  and 
calleth  himself  the  child  of  the  Lord,  He  was  made  to  reprove  our 
thoughts.  He  is  grievous  unto  us,  even  to  behold :  for  his  life  is 
not  like  other  men'^s  ;  his  zoays  are  of  another  fashion.  We  are 
esteemed  of  him  as  counterfeits ;  he  abstaineth  from  our  ways  as 
fromfillhinessy  he  pronounce th  the  end  of  the  just  to  be  blessed} 
and  maketh  his  boast,  that  God  is  his  Father.  Let  us  see,  if  his 
words  be  true;  and  let  us  prove  what  shall  happen  in  the  end  of  him. 
Let  us  examine  him  with  despitefulness,  and  torture,  that  we  may 
know  his  meekness,  and  prove  his  patience.  Let  us  condemn  him 
with  a  shameful  death :  for  by  his  own  saying  he  shall  be  respected. 
Apply  this  description  ;  and  you  will  find  it  as  exact,  and  just,  as 
if  it  had  been  written  yesterday,  and  intended  to  mark  out,  in  the 
most  definite  manner,  the  loose  and  profligate  of  our  own  land. 

But  let  Christians  remember,  that  these  things  will  not  always 
be.  The  time  will  come  ;  it  will  soon  come  ;  when  their  enemies, 
however  numerous,  proud,  and  prosperous,  will,  like  sheep,  be  laid 
in  the  grave.  Death  shall  feed  on  them  ;  and  the  worm  shall  cover 
them.  Their  beauty  shall  consume  away ;  and  the  upright  shall 
have  dominion  over  them  in  the  morning.  Then  shall  all  the  just 
be  far  from  oppression  ;  for  they  shall  not  fear ;  and  from  terror  ; 
for  it  shall  not  come  near  them.  God  shall  redeem  them  from  the 
power  of  the  grave  ;  and  shall  wipe  away  all  tears  from  their  eyes. 
•Then  shall  it  be  seen,  that  their  light  affliction,  in  the  present  world, 
was  but  for  a  moment,  and  that  its  real  and  happy  efficacy  was 
no  other,  than  to  xoork  for  them  a  far  more  exceeding  and  eternal 
weight  of  glory. 


SERMON  LIX. 

CHARACTER    OF    CHRIST,    AS    A    KING. 


Ephesians  i.  20 — 22.  —  Which  he  wrought  in  Christ,  when  he  raised  him  from  the 
dead,  and  set  him  at  his  own  right  hand  in  the  heavenly  places  ;  Far  above  all  prin- 
cipality, and  power,  and  might,  and  dominion,  and  every  name  that  is  named,  not 
only  in  this  world,  but  also  in  that  which  is  to  come.  Jlnd  hath  put  all  things  un- 
der his  feet ;  and  gave  him  to  be  the  head  over  all  things  to  the  Church. 

1  HAVE  now  in  a  series  of  sermons  examined  the  character  of 
Christ,  as  the  prophet,  and  high  priest.,  of  mankind.  Under  his  pro- 
phetical character  I  have  considered  his  preaching,  by  himself,  and 
by  his  Apostles  ;  the  Things,  taught  by  both  ;  the  Manner,  in  which 
they  were  taught  ;  and  their  consequences.  Under  his  Priesthood  I 
have  considered  his  personal  holiness  /  his  atonement ;  and  his  In- 
tercession. 

I  shall  now,  according  to  the  original  scheme  mentioned  when 
I  began  to  discuss  the  mediation  of  Christ,  proceed  to  consider  his 
character  as  a  King. 

That  this  character  is  given  to  Christ  in  the  Scriptures,  in  in- 
stances almost  literally  innumerable,  is  perfectly  well  known  to 
every  reader  of  the  Bible.  In  the  second  Psalm,  there  is  a  solemn 
annunciation  of  the  Kingly  office  of  Christ  to  the  world.  It  is  in- 
troduced with  these  words:  I  have  set,  or  as  in  the  Hebrew,  have 
anointed,  My  King  on  my  holy  hill  of  Zion.  Unto  us,  says  Isaiah, 
a  child  is  born ;  unto  us  a  Son  is  given;  and  the  Government  shall 
be  upon  his  shoulders  ;  and  his  name  shall  be  called  Wonderful. 
Counsellor,  the  mighty  God,  the  Father  of  the  everlasting  age,  the 
Prince  of  peace  ;  and  of  the  increase  of  his  Government,  and  of  his 
peace,  there  shall  be  no  end  :  Upon  the  throne  of  David,  and  upon  his 
Kingdom,  to  order  it,  and  to  establish  it  with  judgment,  and  with  jus- 
tice, from  henceforth,  even  for  ever.  The  Lord  hath  szvorn,  says 
David,  and  will  not  repent,  Thou  art  a  priest  for  ever  after  the  or- 
der of  Melchisedek.  Melchisedek  was  both  a  King  and  a  priest. 
The  priesthood  of  Christ,  therefore,  was  a  royal  priesthood ;  or  the 
priesthood  of  a  person  who  was,  at  the  same  time,  a  King  :  Like 
Melchisedek,  a  King  of  righteousness,  and  a  King  of  peace.  Thy 
throne,  O  God,  says  David,  is  for  ever  and  ever  ;  and  the  sceptre  of 
thy  Kingdom  is  a  sceptre  of  righteousness.  He  shall  reign,  says  Ga- 
briel, when  predicting  his  birth  to  Mary,  He  shall  reign  over  the 
house  of  Jacob  for  ever,  and  of  his  Kingdom  there  shall  be  no  end. 
His  name,  says  St.  John,  is  called  the  Word  of  God  ;  and  he  hath  on 
his  vesture  and  on  his  thigh  a  name  written  ;  King  of  kings  and 
Lord  of  lords. 

Vol.  II.  31 


242  CHAUACTER  OF    CHRIST,  [SER.  LIX 

Tn  the  tpxt  we  are  presented  with  several  interesting  particulars 
concerning  the  Kingl\  office  of  Christ,  which  shall  now  be  the  sub- 
ject of  our  consideration. 

We  arc  taught  in  this  passage, 

I.  That  God  hath  exalted  Christ  to  this  Dominion: 

II.  The  Extent  of  this  Dominion: 

III.  That  this  Dominion  tvas  give?},  and  assumed,  for  the  benefit 
of  the  Church. 

I.    JVe  are  tavght  that  God  hath  exalted  Christ  to  this  Dominion. 

This  doctrine  is  repeatedly  taught  in  the  text,  in  the  following 
expressions.  He  set  him  at  his  own  right  hand  in  the  heavenly 
places.  He  hath  put  all  things  under  his  feet.  He  gave  him  to  be 
head  over  all  things.  In  these  expressions  the  exaltation  of  Christ 
to  the  dominion  and  dignity,  ascribed  to  him  in  the  text,  is  as  une- 
quivocally attributed  to  the  Father,  as  it  can  be  in  human  language. 
Of  course,  their  plain  import  must  be  acknowledged  by  every 
Christian.  I  insist  on  this  doctrine  of  the  text;  I  have  insisted  on 
it,  particularly,  because  it  has  been  made  by  Unitarians  an  argu- 
ment against  the  Divinity  of  Christ.  "  If,"  they  say,  "Christ  is  a 
Divine  person  ;  whence  is  it,  that  we  hear  so  many  things,  said  in 
the  Scriptures  concerning  his  exaltation ;  and  particularly  of  his 
exaltation  by  the  Father?  If  Christ  is  God;  how  is  it  possible, 
that  he  should  be  in  any  sense  exalted?  But,  should  we,  contrary 
to  plain  probability,  suppose  him  to  have  undergone  voluntarily  an 
apparent  humiliation  ;  can  he,  who  is  truly  God,  be  indebted  to 
any  other,  than  himself,  for  a  restoration  to  his  former  dignity  and 
greatness?  To  be  exalted  at  all,  necessarily  involves  a  preceding 
state  of  inferiority,  particularly,  to  the  state,  to  which  he  is  exalted; 
and,  certainly,  of  inferiority  to  the  proper  state  and  character  of 
Jehovah.  He,  who  has  all  power,  knowledge,  wisdom,  and  great- 
ness, cannot  have  more ;  and,  therefore,  can  in  no  sense  be  exalt- 
ed. To  be  exalted  by  another  person,  also,  involves  depend- 
ence on  that  person  :  and  a  dependent  being  cannot  be  God." 

As  this,  in  my  view,  is  the  most  plausible  argument  against  the 
Divinity  of  Christ ;  and  that,  which  has  had  more  weight  in  my 
own  mind,  than  any  other;  though,  I  believe,  less  relied  on,  and 
less  insisted  on,  by  Unitarians,  than  some  others;  I  shall  consider 
it  with  particular  attention. 

As  a  preface  to  the  answer,  which  I  intend  to  this  objection,  I 
observe,  that  the  argument,  contained  in  it,  is  in  my  own  view  con- 
clusive; and,  if  applied  to  the  subject  without  any  error,  must  be 
admitted  in  its  full  force.  The  error  of  those,  who  use  it,  lies  in 
the  application,  made  of  it  to  Christ.  That  exaltation  involves  a 
slate  of  preceding  inferiority,  is,  I  apprehend,  intuitively  certain  ; 
and  that  ho,  who  is  exalted  by  another,  must  be  a  dependent  be- 
ing ;  dependent  on  him,  by  whom  he  is  exalted  ;  cannot  be  denied. 
Let  us  see  how  far  this  argument  is  applicable  to  Christ ;  and  how 
far  it  will  conclude  against  his  Deity. 


SER.  LIX]  AS  A  KING.  O43 

It  must  be  acknowledged  by  all  Trinitarians,  as  well  as  others, 
that-,  if  Christ  be  God  in  the  ti'ue  and  jDi-oper  sense,  it  is  impossible 
for  him  to  be  exalted  above  the  dignity  and  greatness,  which  he 
originally  and  alway  j)ossessed.  He  cannot  be  more  powerful, 
wise,  or  excellent.  He  originally  possessed  all  things ;  and, 
therefore,  can  have  nothing  given  to  him.  It  cannot,  of  course, 
be  in  this  sense,  that  the  scriptural  writers  speak  of  Christ  as  ex- 
alted. 

But  it  is  equally  clear,  and  will  be  equally  insisted  on  by  every 
Trinitarian,  that  Christ  is  man  as  well  as  God.  In  this  character, 
it  is  evident,  that  he  can  receive  exaltation ;  and  that,  to  any  de- 
gree less  than  infinite.  It  is  further  evident,  according  to  the 
Trinitarian  doctrine  concerning  Christ,  that  the  Messiah,  or  Medi- 
ator, Jesus  Christ,  is  distinguishable  from  Christ,  considered  as 
God,  and  from  Christ  considered  as  man :  being  constituted  by 
the  union  of  the  Eternal  Word  with  the  man  Christ  Jesus:  An 
union,  as  the  Westminster  Assembly  express  it,  of  two  distinct  na- 
tures in  one  person  for  ever.  This  Mediator,  in  his  complete 
character,  began  to  exist  at  the  birth  of  the  man  Jesus  Christ ;  as 
being  a  person,  then  new  to  the  Universe.  Of  this  Mediator,  then 
commencing  his  perfect  existence,  the  predictions  concerning  the 
Kingdom  of  Christ,  and  the  accounts  concerning  his  assumption  of 
that  Kingdom,  are,  I  apprehend,  all,  or  nearly  all,  written.  It  is 
of  the  Mediator,  that  it  is  said,  /  set  my  King  on  the  holy  hill  of 
Zion.  It  is  of  the  Son  who  was  born,  and  whose  name  roas  called 
Wonderful;  Counsellor^  the  mighty  God ;  on  whose  shoulder  the 
Government  was  to  be  placed.  Of  the  Mediator,  Gabriel  said.  He 
shall  reign  over  the  house  of  Jacob  for  ever,  and  of  his  Kingdom 
there  shall  be  no  end.  Of  the  Mediator,  St.  Paul  says,  Wherefore 
God  hath  highly  exalted  him,  and  given  him  a  name  which  is  above 
every  name;  that  at  the  name  of  Jesus  every  knee  should  bow,  of 
things  in  heaven,  and  things  in  earth.  It  is  of  the  Mediator,  that 
it  is  said  in  the  text,  God  set  him  at  his  own  right  hand  in  the 
heavenly  places,  far  above  every  name,  that  is  named  in  this  world, 
and  in  that  which  is  to  come :  and  that  it  is  further  said.  He  hath 
put  all  things  under  his  feet ;  and  given  him  to  be  head  over  all 
things  to  his  Church. 

As  the  Mediator,  Jesus  Christ  began  to  exist  at  the  birth  of 
the  man  Jesus  Christ ;  so,  until  his  resurrection,  he  existed  in  a 
state  of  humiliation  only.  The  Word,  though  originally  m  the 
form  of  God,  and  justly  thinking  it  no  robbery  to  be  equal  with 
God,  yet  voluntarily  took  upon  himself  the  form  of  a  servant,  and 
was  made  in  the  likeness  of  men.  In  this  form,  or  character,  of  a 
Servant,  he  fulfilled  all  the  several  duties,  which  he  had  engaged 
to  perform  ;  and  in  this  humble  character  he  acted,  till  he  arose 
from  the  dead. 

It  will  not  be  denied,  that  this  person,  allowing  him  to  have  ex- 
isted, was  capable  of  exaltation  ;  nor  that,  if  he  received  it  at  all, 


244  CHARACTER  OF  CHRIST,  [SER.  LIX. 

he  must  receive  it  from  Him,  under  whose  commission  he  acted, 
and  to  whom  he  had  voluntarily  become  a  servant,  when  he  was 
made  in  the  likeness  of  mm. 

This  person,  it  is  plain,  iiad  received  no  Kingdom,  until  his  as- 
cension to  heaven;  had  not  betore  been  head  over  all  things  to  the 
Church  j  nor  been  exalted  above  every  name  that  is  named  in  this 
world,  and  that  to  come.  This  Kingdom  is  frequently  spoken  of 
as  the  reward  of  the  labours  and  sufferings  of  Christ,  in  the  char- 
acter of  Mediator.  These  labours  and  sutfcnngs  had  never  before 
existed  ;  and,  therefore,  could  not  have  been  rewarded  at  an  ear- 
lier j)eriod. 

From  these  views  of  the  subject  it  is  clear,  that  although  Christ, 
as  God,  was  incapable  of  exaltation,  equally  as  of  sutTering;  yet, 
as  Mediator,  he  was  capable  of  both ;  and  that  his  exaltation  was 
with  perfect  propriety  given  him  by  the  glorious  Person,  under 
whose  authority  he  placed  himself  by  voluntarily  assuming  the 
form  of  a  servant.  In  this  view  of  the  subject  the  Trinitarians 
are  so  far  from  being  inconsistent  with  themselves,  that  they 
merely  accord  with  the  necessary  consequences  of  their  own  doc- 
trine. 

II.    We  are  (might  in  the  text  the  Extent  of  this  Kingdom. 

The  word  Kingdom  sometimes  denotes  the  rule,  which  is  exer- 
cised by  a  King ;  and  sometimes  the  persons  and  regions,  which 
he  rules.  According  to  the  former  of  these  senses,  David  says, 
Thou  hast  prepared  thy  throne  in  the  heavens  ;  and  thy  Kingdom  is 
over  all.  Of  the  latter  sense.  It  shall  be  given  thee,  to  the  half  of 
the  Kingdom,  is  an  example. 

1st.   Tlien,  the  Kingdom  of  Christ  is  the  Universe. 

In  the  text,  the  extent  of  Christ's  kingdom  is  repeatedly  denoted 
by  the  phrase  all  things.  The  absolute  universality  of  this  phrase 
is  sufficiently  manifest  from  the  text  itself,  when  it  is  said,  that 
he  is  set  at  the  right  hand  of  God,  far  above  all  principality,  and 
pozver,  and  might,  and  dominion,  and  every  name  that  is  named  in 
this  world,  and  that  which  is  to  come.  But  it  is  placed  beyond  all 
doubt  in  the  corresponding  passage  in  Philippians  ii.  10,  where  it 
is  said,  that  every  knee  should  bow,  of  things  in  heaven,  and  things 
in  earth,  and  things  under  the  earth ;  and  that  every  tongue  should 
confess,  that  Jesus  Christ  is  Lord.  Heaven  and  Earth,  is  the 
phrase,  by  which  the  Jews  denoted  the  Universe.  When  they 
meant  to  express  this  idea  with  emphasis,  they  sometimes  added 
the  phrase,  under  the  Earth.  Here  we  have  the  most  emphatical 
language,  ever  used  by  a  Jew  to  denote  the  Universe,  and  all 
things  which  it  contains.  Every  knee  in  this  vast  dominion  we  are 
assured  will  one  day  bow  to  Christ ;  and  every  tongue  found  in  it 
will  confess,  at  a  future  period,  that  Christ  is  Lord.  In  the  same 
manner,  in  Colossians  i.  16,  All  things  are  said  to  be  created  by 
him,  and  for  him  /  whether  they  be  visible  or  invisible,  whether  m 
heaven  or  in  earth.     As  in  this  absolutely  universal  sense  they 


SER.  LIX.]  AS  A  KING.  345 

were  made  by  and  for  himself;  so  from  this  passage  we  cannot 
doubt,  that  in  the  same  sense  they  will  be  his  absolute  possession; 
and  that  after,  as  well  as  before,  he  became  Mediator.  This 
world,  therefore,  the  planetary  system,  the  stellary  systems,  the 
highest  heavens  above,  and  hell  beneath,  are  all  included,  and 
alike  included,  in  the  immense  empire,  of  which  he  is  the  head. 
Men  are  his  subjects.  Angels  both  fallen  and  virtuous  are  his 
subjects ;  and  the  inhabitants  of  the  innumerable  worlds,  which 
compose  the  Universe,  corf  ess  that  he  is  Lord,  to  the  glory  of  God 
the  Father, 

2dly.   His  authority  over  this  great  kingdom  is  supreme. 

The  whole  course  of  providence  is  under  his  immediate  con- 
trol. He  upholds  all  things  by  the  word  of  his  power  ;  and  directs 
them  with  an  universal  and  irresistible  agency  to  their  proper 
ends.  The  affairs  of  this  world,  and  all  its  inhabitants,  are  di- 
rected by  his  hand.  He  has  the  keys  of  hell  and  of  death,  or  of 
the  world  of  departed  spirits.  He  openeth,  and  no  one  shutteth; 
and  shutteth,  and  no  one  openeth.  Into  that  world  none  enter 
without  his  bidding  ;  and  out  of  it  none  can  come  but  by  his  per- 
mission. The  world  of  misery,  beneath,  is  in  the  same  manner 
under  his  absolute  dominion  ;  and  the  glorious  system  of  happi- 
ness in  the  heavens,  above,  is  the  mere  result  of  his  wisdom, 
goodness,  and  power. 

In  the  exercise  of  this  dominion  he  will,  at  the  close  of  this  prov- 
idential system,  summon  the  dead  from  the  grave ;  consume  the 
world  with  fire  ;  and  judge  both  the  righteous  and  the  wicked,  both 
Angels  and  men.  Iti  the  exercise  of  the  same  authority,  also,  he 
will  send  the  wicked  down  to  the  regions  of  darkness,  and  punish 
them  zoith  an  everlasting  destruction  from  his  presence,  and  from  the 
glory  if  his  power. 

III.  JVe  are  taaight  in  the  text,  that  this  kingdom  was  given,  and 
assumed^  for  the  beneft  of  the  Church. 

This  doctrine  is  directly  asserted  in  the  text ;  and  will,  therefore, 
not  be  questioned.  In  the  exercise  of  this  Government  over  all 
things  for  the  benefit  of  his  Church,  He,  in  the 

1st  place,  Defends  it  from  all  his  enemies. 

The  enemies  of  Christians  are  their  temptations,  internal  and 
external ;  their  sins  ;  death  ;  evil  men  ;  and  evil  angels. 

Against  their  temptations  he  furnishes  them  with  defence  by  all 
the  instructions,  precepts,  warnings,  reproofs,  threatenings,  and 
promises  which  are  contained  in  his  Word.  These  constitute  a 
continual  and  efficacious  protection  from  the  influence  of  the  lusts 
Avithin,  and  the  enemies  without,  by  rectifying  the  views  of  the  soul 
concerning  its  interest  and  duty  ;  awakening  in  it  solemn  consider- 
ation ;  alarming  it  with  affecting  apprehensions ;  encouraging  it 
with  hope  ;  alluring  it  with  love  and  gratitude  ;  stimulating  it 
with  the  prospect  of  a  glorious  reward  ;  and  thus  prompting  it  to 
suspend  the  dangerous  purpose,  to  watch  against  the  rising  sin,  to 


246  CHARACTER  OF  CHRIST,  [SER.  LIX 

oppose  with  vigour  the  intruding  temptation,  and  to  pray  unceas- 
ingly for  that  divine  assistance,  Avhich  fvery  one  that  askdh  shall 
receive. 

To  the  means  of  defence,  furnished  by  his  word,  he  adds  con- 
tinually the  peculiar  influences  of  his  Spirit.  This  glorious  Agent, 
commissioned  by  Christ  for  this  divine  purpose,  diffuses  through 
the  soul  the  spirit  of  resistance,  the  hope  of  victory,  the  strength 
necessary  to  obtain  it,  and  the  peace  and  joy  which  are  its  happy 
as  well  as  unfailing  consequences. 

From  their  sm.9  he  began  to  deliver  them  by  his  Atonement.  This 
work  he  carries  on  by  his  intercession  ;  and  completes  by  his  prov- 
idence. In  the  present  world,  where  all  things  are  imperfect,  this 
deliverance  partakes,  it  must  be  acknowledged,  of  the  common  na- 
ture :  yet  it  is  such,  as  to  secure  them  from  every  fatal  evil;  and 
such,  as  Ave  know  to  be  one  of  those  things,  which  zvork  together 
for  their  good.  Their  progress  towards  perfect  holiness  is  slow, 
irregular,  and  interrupted :  yet  it  is  real,  and  important :  produc- 
ing hope,  comfort,  and  perseverance  imto  the  end. 

At  the  Judgment  this  deliverance  will  be  complete.  There  the 
glorious  effects  of  his  Atonement  and  Intercession  will  be  all  real- 
ized. Every  one  of  his  followers  will  find  himself  entirely  interested 
in  them  both  ;  and  will  see,  at  that  trying  period,  all  his  sins  wash- 
ed away,  and  nothing  left  to  be  laid  to  his  charge.  These  dreadful 
enemies,  at  this  dreadful  season,  will  be  powerless,  and  overthrown ; 
and  Christians  will  be  more  than  conquerors  through  him  that  hath 
loved  them. 

From  Death  he  has  taken  away  its  sting,  and  from  the  grave  its 
victory.  Death,  so  terrible  to  the  impenitent,  will  be  found  by 
them  to  be  no  other  than  a  rough,  gloomy,  unwelcome  messenger  ; 
sent  to  summon  thorn  to  the  house  of  their  Father.  Over  all  its 
dangerous  power  they  will  triumph  in  a  glorious  manner;  and  be 
enabled  to  sing  with  everlasting  exultation,  O Death!  where  is  thy 
sting P  O  Grave!  where  is  thy  victory?  All  the  preceding  diseases, 
sorrows,  and  trials,  through  which  they  have  passed  in  this  vale  of 
tears,  they  will  distinctly  perceive  to  have  been  scarcely  enemies 
at  all.  On  the  contrary,  they  will  appear  to  have  been  sent  with 
infinite  kindness,  to  check  them  in  the  career  of  iniquity,  to  warn 
them  of  approaching  danger,  or  existing  sin,  and  to  call  them  ef- 
fectually to  the  j)ath  of  life. 

7\gainst  evil  men  and  evil  Angels  he  furnishes  them,  throughout 
their  pilgrimage,  with  a  continual  and  sufficient  protection  :  not  a 
protection,  indeed,  which  will  prevent  them  from  suffering  and  sor- 
row; but  this  is  because  suffering  and  sorrow  are  necessary  to  their 
safety  and  improvement.  Hence,  they  are  maligned,  calumniated, 
despised,  persecuted,  and  at  times  brought  to  a  violent  death. 
They  are,  also,  at  times  perplexed,  ensnared,  allured,  and  tempted 
to  wander  from  their  duty,  by  art,  sophistry,  and  falsehood.  By 
the /or/ncr  class  of  evils  they  are  gradually  weaned  from  that  love 


SER.  LIX]  AS  A  KING.  347 

of  the  worlds  that  desire  of  human  favour,  and  that  lust  for  human 
applause,  which  so  naturally  charm  the  eyes,  and  fascinate  the 
hearts,  even  of  Christians,  and  which  are  wholly  inconsistent  with 
the  love  of  God.  By  the  latter  they  are  made  sensible  of  their 
own  weakness,  taught  their  dependence  on  God,  driven  to  their 
closets  and  their  knees,  and  induced  to  walk  humbly  with  God,  all 
their  days,  in  the  intimate  and  most  profitable  communion  of  faith 
and  prayer. 

The  triumphing  of  the  wicked  is  short ;  and  the  upright  shall  have 
dominion  over  them  in  the  morning.  When  Christians  ar^  redeemed 
from  the  power  of  the  grave,  they  shall  see  all  these  enemies  retir- 
ing behind  them,  and  speedily  vanishing,  with  the  flight  of  ages,  to 
a  distance,  immeasurable  by  the  power  of  the  imagination.  All 
around  them  will  then  be  friends.  God  will  then  be  their  Father ; 
Angels  their  brethren  ;  happiness  their  portion  ;  and  heaven  their 
everlasting  home. 

2dly.  In  the  exercise  of  this  authority, he  bestows  on  them  all  good, 
temporal  and  eternal. 

Of  temporal  good  he  gives  them  all  that  is  necessary,  or  useful, 
for  such  beings,  in  such  a  state.  The  world  may  be,  and  often  is, 
a  vale  of  tears ;  and  life  a  solitary  pilgrimage  through  a  weary 
land.  Poverty  may  betide,  afflictions  befall,  diseases  arrest,  and 
death,  at  what  they  may  think  an  untimely  period,  summon  them 
away.  By  enemies  they  may  be  surrounded,  and  by  friends  for- 
saken. They  may  be  exposed  to  hatred,  contumely,  and  perse- 
cution. Their  days  may  be  overcast  with  gloom,  and  their  nights 
with  sorrow.  But  He  has  assured  them,  and  they  will  find  the  as- 
surance verified,  that  these  are  light  afflictions  which  only  work  for 
them  an  eternal  weight  of  glory  ^  and  that  these,  as  truly  as  all  oth- 
er, things  work  together  for  their  good.  Even  these,  therefore, 
however  forbidding  their  aspect,  will  be  found  to  be  good  (or  them; 
good  upon  the  whole ;  good  in  such  a  sense,  as  to  render  their 
whole  destiny  brighter,  better,  and  more  happy. 

In  the  mean  time,  he  furnishes  them  also,  and  furnishes  them 
abundandy,  with  spiritual  good.  He  furnishes  them  with  the  sanc- 
tification  of  the  soul.  He  gives  them  light,  to  discover  their  own 
duty,  and  his  glory,  and  excellency.  He  gives  them  strength,  ta 
resist  temptations;  sorrow  for  their  sins  ;  patience,  resignation,  and 
fortitude,  under  afflictions ;  faith  to  confide  in  him,  and  to  overcome 
the  world ;  hope,  to  encourage  their  eflbrts,  and  to  fix  them  firmly 
in  their  obedience  ;  peace,  to  hush  the  tumults  of  the  mind,  and  to 
shed  a  cheerful  serenity  over  all  its  affections ;  and  joy,  to  assure 
them  of  his  glorious  presence,  and  to  anticipate  in  their  thoughts 
the  everlasting  joy  of  his  immortal  kingdom. 

In  the  future  world,  when  death  shall  have  been  swallowed  up  in 
victory,  and  all  tears  shall  be  wiped  away  from  their  eyes,  he  will 
begin  to  bestow  upon  them  eternal  good.  In  this  fidness  of  joy., 
every  thing  will  be  only  delightful.     Their  bodies,  raised  from  the 


248  CHARACTER  OF  CHRIST,  [SER.  LIX. 

grave  in  incorniption, power,  and  glory,  will  be  spiritual,  immortal, 
ever  vigorous,  and  ever  young.  Their  souls,  purified  trom  every 
stain,  and  luminous  vvilh  knowledge  and  virtue,  will  be  images  of 
his  own  amiableness  and  consummate  beauty.  Their  stations,  al- 
lotments, and  employment,  will  be  such,  as  become  those  who  are 
Kings,  and  Priests,  in  the  heavenly  world.  Their  companions  will 
be  Cherubim  and  Seraphim  •,  and  their  home  will  be  the  house  of 
their  Father,  and  their  God. 

At  the  same  time,  in  bestowing  all  this  good  he  himself  is  the 
dispenser,  and  the  good  dispensed.  /,  says  Christ,  am  the  light  of 
the  world.  The  city,  saith  St.  JoJin,  had  no  need  of  the  sun,  neither 
of  the  moon,  to  shine  in  it ;  for  the  glory  of  God  did  lighten  it,  and 
the  Lamb  is  the  light  thereof.  In  other  words,  Christ  is  the  medi- 
um, through  which  all  the  knowledge  of  God  is  conveyed  to  the 
intelligent  Universe,  his  character  discovered,  and  his  pleasure 
made  known.  Of  the  heavenly  world,  particularly,  he  is  here  ex- 
pressly declared  to  be  the  light :  The  glory  of  God  did  lighten  it, 
and  the  Lamb  is  the  light  thereof.  The  Lamb  is  this  glory  of  God, 
which  is  said  to  be  the  light  of  heaven.  Christ  is  not  only  the  dis- 
penser of  the  good  enjoyed  in  heaven,  but  the  very  good,  which  is 
dispensed;  not  only  the  dispenser  of  knowledge,  but  the  thing 
known ;  not  only  the  communicator  of  enjoyment,  but  the  thing 
enjoyed  ;  the  person  divinely  seen,  loved,  worshipped,  and  praised, 
for  ever.  In  his  presence,  all  his  followers,  and  all  their  happy 
companions,  with  open  face  beholding  in  him,  as  in  a  glass,  the  glo- 
ry of  the  Lord,  will  be  changed  into  the  same  image  from  glory  to 
glory,  as  by  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord. 

REMARKS. 

From  these  observations  may  in  the 

1st  place,  Be  conclusively  argued  the  Divinity  of  Christ. 

From  the  text,  and  the  comments  here  given  on  it,  it  is  evident, 
that  Christ  holds  the  sceptre  of  the  L^niverse,  and  rules  the  great 
Kingdom  of  Jehovah.  Let  me  ask.  Who,  but  the  infinitely  perfect 
One,  can  possibly  hold  such  a  sceptre,  or  control,  successfully,  or 
even  at  all,  such  an  empire  1  Unless  he  be  every  where  present, 
how  can  he  every  where  act,  rule,  and  bring  to  pass  such  events, 
as  he  chooses ;  such  as  are  necessary  to  the  divine  glory,  and  the 
universal  good?  Unless  thus  present,  acting,  and  ruling,  how  can 
he  prevent  the  existence  of  such  things,  as  will  be  injurious  to  this 
good ;  or  fail  to  be  disap|)ointed  of  his  own  purposes,  and,  ultimate- 
ly, of  the  supreme  end  of  all  his  labours?  How  evident  is  it,  even 
to  our  view,  that  inanimate  things  must  cease  to  operate,  and  to 
move  in  their  destined  course  ;  that  animated  beings  must  wander 
out  of  it;  and  that  rational  beings  must,  if  virtuous,  go  astray,  from 
the  defectiveness  of  their  imperfect  nature,  and,  if  sinful,  from  ma- 
lignity and  design.  The  evil  designs  of  the  latter,  particularly, 
must,  if  he  be  not  present,  multiply  in  their  numbers,  and  increase 


SER.  LIX]  AS  A  KING.  249 

in  their  strength,  until  various  parts  of  this  immense  Kingdom  be- 
come disordered,  and  perhaps  destroyed.  What  an  impression 
would  it  make  on  the  feeUngs,  what  a  change  in  the  affairs,  of  this 
world,  if  mankind,  if  evil  Spirits,  were  to  know,  that  the  Ruler  of 
all  things  would  be  absent  from  it,  even  a  single  year!  What  cour- 
age would  sinners  gather !  With  what  strength,  and  to  what  a 
multitude,  would  sins  accumulate !  What  a  tempest  of  violence 
would  ravage  this  globe !  To  what  a  mountainous  height  would  be 
heaped  up  the  mass  of  human  misery  ! 

Nor  is  his  ahsolnte  knowledge  of  all  things  less  indispensable, 
than  his  universal  presence.  This  knowledge  is  completely  neces- 
sary, to  enable  him  to  discern  the  ends,  deserving  of  his  pursuit, 
and  the  proper  means  of  their  accomplishment.  When  all  these 
are  resolved  on,  the  same  knowledge,  only,  can  direct  the  opera- 
tions of  these  means  ;  prevent  their  disorder,  or  their  failure  5  pre- 
clude successful  opposition  ;  and  avoid  the  consequent  confusion, 
disturbance,  and  disappointment.  Especially  is  this  knowledge 
indispensable  to  the  efficacious  government  of  rational,  or  moral^ 
agents.  The  powers  of  these  agents  are  thought,  volition,  and  mo- 
tivity :  all  invisible  to  every  eye,  except  the  Omniscient ;  and,  if 
discovered  at  all,  before  their  operations  exist,  discovered  by  that 
eye  only.  But  these  agents  are  beyond  measure  the  most  import- 
ant instruments  of  the  divine  designs,  in  this  great  kingdom;  and, 
if  not  prevented,  the  most  able  to  disturb  its  order  and  happiness. 
It  is  plain  therefore,  that  he,  who  rules  the  Universe,  must,  in  or- 
der to  prevent  the  disturbance  of  this  Kingdom,  vnderstand  the 
thoughts  afar  off;  or,  as  in  the  translation  formerly  in  use,  long  be- 
fore they  are  formed. 

By  the  same  knowledge,  only,  is  the  same  exalted  Person  quali- 
fied to  be  the  final  Judge,  and  Rewarder,  of  the  Universe.  A  great 
part  of  the  sin  and  holiness,  of  such  beings,  and  of  the  enhance- 
ments and  diminutions  of  both,  lies  altogether  in  their  thoughts  and 
volitions.  To  judge  his  creatures  justly,  then,  it  is  absolutely  ne- 
cessary, that  he  should  search  the  heart  and  try  the  reins,  of  every 
Rational  being. 

With  the  same  knowledge,  only,  can  he  determine,  apportion, 
and  execute,  the  unnumbered  allotments  of  Intelligent  creatures. 
These,  united,  form  an  immense  and  eternal  system  of  providence ; 
compared  with  which,  the  providence,  exercised  in  this  world,  is 
but  a  point :  and  this  vast  system  must,  indispensably,  be  contrived 
aright,  and  without  any  defect,  from  the  beginning.  The  parts,  of 
which  it  will  be  composed,  will  be  literally  infinite ;  and  can  be  de- 
vised only  by  an  Infinite  Mind. 

Nor  is  Omnipotence  less  necessary  for  all  these  vast  and  innu- 
merable purposes,  than  Omniscience,  and  Omnipresence.  No  pow- 
er, inferior  to  omnipotence,  could  produce,  or  hold  together,  so 
many  beings ;  or  carry  on  to  completion  so  many  and  so  various 
purposes.     To  the  power,  actually  exerted  for  these  ends,  every 

Vol.  II.  32  ♦ 


250  CHARACTER  OF  CHRIST.  [SER.  LIX 

being  must  be  completely  subjected  ;  and  all  created  power  entire- 
ly subordinate.  An  absolute  and  irresistible  dominion  must  be  ex- 
ercised, unceasingly,  over  every  part  of  his  Kingdom  ;  or  the  great 
designs  of  creation  and  providence  must  be  in  continual  danger  of 
being  finally  frustrated. 

Equally  necessary  is  infinite  Rectitude  for  the  just,  benevolent, 
and  perfect  administration  of  such  a  government.  The  least  de- 
fect, the  least  wrong,  would  here  be  fatal.  From  the  decision  there 
can  be  no  appeal ;  from  the  arm  of  execution  there  can  be  no  es- 
cape. A  creature,  if  wronged  here,  is  wronged  hopelessly,  and 
for  ever.  The  Ruling  Mind  must,  therefore,  be  subject  to  no 
weakness,  passion,  or  partiality.  Without  perfect  rectitude  there 
can  be  no  ultimate  confidence  ;  and,  without  such  confidence,  vo- 
luntary, or  virtuous,  obedience  cannot  exist. 

Thus,  when  Christ  is  exalted  to  be  head  over  all  things,  and  con- 
stituted the  Ruler,  Judge,  and  Rewarder,  of  the  Universe  ;  he  is 
plainly  exalted  to  a  station  and  character  demanding  infinite  attri- 
butes ;  perfections  literally  divine.  Either,  then,  he  possesses 
these  attributes ;  or  he  has  been  exalted  to  a  station,  which,  so  far 
as  reason  can  discern,  he  is  unqualified  to  fill.  But  he  was  exalt- 
ed to  this  station  by  unerring  and  boundless  Wisdom.  Of  course, 
he  certainly  possesses  all  the  qualifications,  which  it  can  demand. 
In  other  words,  he  is  a  Person  literally  divine. 

2dlv.  From  the  same  observations  we  may  discern  how  greatly  we 
need  such  a  friend,  as  Christ. 

That  we  are  creatures  wholly  dependent,  frail,  ignorant,  expo- 
sed, and  unable  to  protect  ourselves  or  provide  for  our  interests, 
needs  neither  proof  nor  illustration.  To  us,  futurity  is  all  blank. 
Between  our  present  existence,  and  the  approaching  vast  of  being, 
hangs  a  dark  and  impenetrable  cloud.  What  is  beyond  it  no  hu- 
man eye  is  able  to  discern,  and  no  human  foresight  to  conjecture. 
There,  however,  all  our  great  concerns  lie  ;  and  are  every  moment 
increasing  in  their  number  and  importance.  There  we  shall  enjoy 
the  exquisite  emotions,  and  the  high  dignity,  of  immortal  virtue; 
the  pure  pleasures  of  a  serene,  self-approving  mind;  the  eternal 
interchange  of  esteem  and  atfection  with  the  general  assembly  of 
the  first-born  ;  and  the  uninterrupted  favour  of  God  in  the  world 
of  joy :  or  we  shall  swiicr  the  unceasing  anguish  of  a  guilty,  self- 
ruined  soul ;  the  malignity  of  evil  men  and  evil  Angels  ;  and  the 
wrath  of  our  offended  Creator,  in  the  regions  of  wo.  Between 
these  infinitely  distant  allotments  there  is  no  medium ;  no  interven- 
ing state,  to  which  those,  who  fail  of  final  approbation,  can  betake 
themselves  for  refuge.  When,  therefore,  we  bid  adieu  to  this  world, 
w^e  shall  meet  with  events,  whose  importance  nothing  but  Omnis- 
cience can  estimate ;  to  us  utterly  uncertain,  and  utterly  beyond 
our  power. 

Nay,  the  present  moment,  and  every  moment  when  present,  is 
fraught  with  consequences,  incapable  of  being  estimated  by  any 


SER.LIX.]  AS  A  KING.  251 

finite  understanding.  On  time,  Eternity  hangs.  As  we  live  here, 
we  shall  live  hereafter.  If  our  time  be  well  employed,  and  our 
talents  well  used,  it  will  be  well  with  us  in  the  end.  But  if  we 
abuse  both  here,  it  will  be  ill  with  us  hereafter.  The  present  mo- 
ment is  important,  chiefly,  as  it  affects  those  which  are  future ;  be- 
gins, or  strengthens,  an  evil  or  virtuous  habit ;  depraves,  or 
amends,  the  soul ;  hardens,  or  softens  the  heart;  and  contributes  in 
this  way  to  advance  us  towards  heaven,  or  towards  hell.  There  is 
no  man,  who  is  not  better  or  worse  to-day,  by  means  of  what  he 
thought,  designed,  or  did,  yesterday.  The  present  day,  therefore, 
is  not  only  important  in  itself,  as  a  season,  for  which  we  must  give 
an  account ;  but  because  of  the  influence,  which  it  will  have  on  the 
events  of  the  morrow.  Thus  circumstanced,  frail,  irresolute,  wan- 
dering, wicked,  exposed  to  immense  dangers,  and  yet  capable  of 
immense  enjoyments  ;  how  infinitely  desirable  is  it,  that  we  should 
have  such  a  friend,  as  Christ.  In  his  mind  are  treasured  up  all  the 
means  of  happiness,  which  we  need ;  the  immense  power,  know- 
ledge, and  goodness,  the  unchangeable  truth,  faithfulness,  and  mer- 
cy, which,  and  which  only,  can  provide,  and  secure,  for  us  immor- 
tal blessings,  or  preserve  us  from  evils,  which  know  no  end.  In 
all  places  he  is  present ;  over  all  things  he  rules  with  an  irresistible 
dominion.  No  being,  no  event,  can  be  hidden  from  his  eye.  No 
enemy,  however  insidious,  or  however  powerful,  can  escape  from  his 
hand.  His  disposition  is  written  in  letters  of  blood  on  the  cross. 
He  who  died,  that  sinners  might  live ;  he  who  prayed  for  his  mur- 
derers, while  imbruing  their  hands  in  his  blood ;  can  need,  can  add, 
no  proofs  of  his  compassion  for  men.  This  glorious  Redeemer  is, 
also,  the  same  yesterday,  to-day,  and  for  ever.  Such  a  fi'iend  to 
man,  as  he  was  when  he  hung  on  the  cross,  he  will  be  throughout 
eternity  ;  and  to  every  one,  who  sincerely  desires  an  interest  in  his 
good-will,  he  will  manifest  his  friendship  in  an  endless  succession 
of  blessings. 

While  we  wander  through  the  wilderness  of  life,  amid  so  many 
wants  ;  how  desirable  must  it  be  to  find  a  friend,  able  and  willing, 
to  furnish  the  needed  supplies !  Amid  so  many  enemies  and  dan- 
gers, how  desirable  must  it  be  to  find  a  friend,  able  and  willing  to 
furnish  the  necessary  protection  !  Amid  so  many  temptations,  to 
watch  over  us  ;  amid  so  many  sorrows,  to  relieve  us  ;  in  solitude, 
to  be  our  companion ;  in  difficulties,  our  helper;  in  despondence, 
our  support ;  in  disease,  our  physician  ;  in  death,  our  hope,  resur- 
rection, and  life  !  In  a  word,  how  desirable  must  it  be  to  find  a 
friend,  who,  throughout  all  the  strange,  discouraging  state  of  the 
present  hfe,  will  give  us  peace,  consolation,  and  joy ;  and  cause 
all  things,  even  the  most  untoward  and  perplexing,  to  work  togeth- 
er for  our  good  ! 

On  a  dying  bed  especially,  when  our  flesh  and  our  hearts  must 
fail,  of  course ;  our  earthly  friends  yield  us  little  consolation,  and 
no  hope ;  and  the  world  itself  retire  from  our  view  ;  how  delight- 


252  CHARACTER  OF  CHRIST.  [SER.  LIX. 

ful  will  such  a  friend  be !  Then  the  soul,  uncertain,  alone,  hover- 
ing over  the  form,  which  it  has  so  long  inhabited,  and  stretching  its 
wings  for  its  flight  into  the  unknown  vast,  will  sigh,  and  pant,  for 
an  arm,  on  which  it  may  lean,  and  a  bosom,  on  which  it  may  safely 
recline.  But  there,  Christ  is  present  with  all  his  tenderness  and 
all  liis  power.  With  one  hand  he  holds  the  anchor  of  hope;  and 
with  the  other  he  points  the  way  to  heaven. 

In  the  final  resurrection,  when  the  Universe  shall  rend  asunder, 
and  the  elements  of  this  great  world  shall  rush  together  with  im- 
mense confusion  and  ruin,  how  su])porting,  how  ravishing,  will  it 
be,  when  we  awake  from  our  final  sleep,  and  ascend  from  the  dust 
in  which  our  bodies  have  been  so  long  buried,  to  find  this  glorious 
Redeemer  re-fashioning  our  vile  bodies  like  unto  his  glorious  bodt/, 
and  re-uniting  them  to  our  minds,  purified  and  immortal!  With 
what  emotions  shall  we  arise,  and  stand,  and  behold  the  Judge  de- 
scend in  the  glory  of  his  Father,  with  all  his  holy  Angels!  With 
what  emotions  shall  we  see  the  same  unchangeable  and  everlast- 
ing friend  placing  us  on  his  right  hand  in  glory  and  honour,  which 
kings  will  covet  in  vain,  and  before  which  all  earthly  grandeur 
shall  be  foi'gotten  !  With  what  melody  will  the  voice  of  the  Re- 
deemer burst  on  our  eai-s,  when  he  proclaims,  Come,  ye  blessed  of 
my  Father,  inherit  the  Kingdom,  prepared  fur  you  from  the  founda- 
tion of  the  world!  How  will  the  soul  distend  with  transport,  when, 
accompanied  by  the  Church  of  the  first-horn,  and  surrounded  by 
Thrones,  Principalities,  and  Powers,  it  shall  begin  its  flight  towards 
the  highest  heavens,  to  meet  his  Father  and  our  Father,  his  God 
and  our  God !  What  an  internal  heaven  will  dawn  in  the  mind, 
when  we  shall  be  presented  before  the  throne  of  Jehovah,  and 
settled  amid  our  own  brethren  in  our  immortal  inheritance,  and 
our  final  home;  and  behold  all  our  sins  washed  away,  our  trials 
ended,  our  dangers  escaped,  our  sori'ows  left  behind  us,  and  our 
reward  begun,  in  that  world,  where  all  things  are  ever  new,  de- 
lightful, and  divine ! 

At  these  solemn  and  amazing  seasons,  how  differently  will  those 
unhappy  beings  feel,  who  on  a  death-bed  find  no  such  friend.;  who 
rise  to  the  resurrection  of  damnation ;  who  are  left  behind,  when 
the  righteous  ascend  to  meet  their  Redeemer ;  who  are  placed  on 
the  left  hand  at  the  final  trial ;  and  to  whom,  in  the  most  awful 
language  which  was  ever  heard  in  the  Universe,  he  will  say, 
Depart,  ye  cursed,  into  everlasting  f  re,  prepared  for  the  Devil  and 
his  angels ! 


SERMON  L.X. 


MIRACLES    OF    CHRIST. 


Acts.  ii.  22. — Jesus  of  JVasareth,  a  man  approved  of  Chd  among  you,  by  miracles, 
and  wonders,  and  signs,  which  God  did  by  him  in  the  midst  of  you,  as  ye  yourselves 
also  know. 

In  a  series  of  discourses,  I  have  considered,  at  length,  the  char- 
acter of  Christ,  as  a  Prophet,  Priest,  and  King.  I  shall  now  pro- 
ceed to  investigate  his  character  as  a  Worker  of  Miracles. 

In  the  text,  Christ  is  styled  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  a  man  approved 
of  God  among  the  Jews.  This  approbation  is  declared  to  have 
been  testified  by  miracles,  and  wonders,  and  signs,  which  God  did 
by  him  in  the  midst  of  that  People :  and  of  all  this,  it  is  asserted, 
the  Jews  themselves  had  been  witnesses.  These  subjects  I  pro- 
pose to  consider  in  the  following  discourse,  so  far  as  I  shall  judge 
necessary  to  my  general  design.  I  shall,  however,  neglect  the 
order  of  the  text;  and  adopt  one,  more  suited  to  the  present 
purpose. 

I.  /  shall  define  a  Miracle : 

II.  Shall  show  that  Christ  Wrought  Miracles  :  and 
HI.  Shall  point  out  their  Importance. 

I.  /  shall  define  a  Miracle. 

A  miracle  is  a  suspension,  or  counteraction,  of  what  are  called  tht 
Laws  of  Nature.  By  the  laws  of  nature  I  intend  those  regular 
courses  of  Divine  agency,  which  we  discern  in  the  world  around  us, 
God,  to  enable  us  to  understand  his  works,  and  his  character  as 
displayed  in  them,  and  to  enable  us,  also,  to  direct,  with  success, 
our  own  conduct  in  the  various  duties  of  life,  and  probably  for 
other  purposes,  has  been  pleased  to  conform  his  own  agency  to 
certain  rules,  formed  by  his  wisdom ;  called  by  Philosophers,  Laws 
of  nature^  and  in  the  Scriptures,  Ordinances  of  Heaven.  To  these 
laws  all  things,  with  which  we  are  acquainted  by  experience,  are 
usually  conformed.  A  miracle,  is  either  a  suspension,  or  counter- 
action, of  these  laws  ;  or,  more  definitely,  of  the  progress  of  things 
according  to  these  laws.  I  have  chosen  both  these  words,  because 
I  would  include  all  possible  miracles ;  and  because  some  events  of 
this  kind  may  more  obviously  seem  to  be  suspensions,  and  others 
counteractions,  of  these  laws. 

II.  I  shall  show,  that  Christ  wrought  miracles. 

In  this  case,  I  shall,  for  the  present,  assume  the  story  as  true, 
which  is  told  us  by  the  Evangelists  concerning  the  works  of  Christ; 
and  refer  my  observations  on  this  subject  to  another  part  of  the 
discussion.     Taking  it,  then,  for  granted,  that  Christ  really  did  the 


254  MIRACLES  OF  CHRIST.  [SER.  LX 

things,  ascribed  to  him  in  the  Gospel ;  I  assert,  that  a  consider- 
able number  of  these  things  were  real  miracles.  I  say  a  consider- 
able number,  because  it  would  be  idle  to  extend  the  debate,  on 
the  present  occasion,  to  any  thing,  supposed  to  be  of  a  dubious 
nature ;  and  because,  after  every  deduction  which  can  be  asked, 
a  sufficient  number  will  remain  to  satisfy  every  wish  of  a  Christian, 
and  to  overthrow  every  cavil  of  an  Infidel.  Among  other  exam- 
ples of  this  nature,  I  select  the  following. 

The  case  of  the  man,  who  was  born  blind :  who  observed  justly 
concerning  it.  Since  the  world  began,  it  was  not  heard,  that  any  man 
opened  the  eyes  of  one  that  was  born  blind.  No  arguments  are 
necessary  to  prove  this  to  have  been  a  miracle  in  the  perfect  sense ; 
for  every  individual  knows,  that  it  is  a  total  counteraction  of  the 
laws  of  nature,  that  clay,  made  of  spittle  and  earth,  and  smeared 
upon  the  eyes,  should  restore  sight  to  a  person  born  blind.  I 
select  this  case  the  rather,  because  it  was  formally  examined  by 
the  Jewish  Sanhedrim,  and  evinced  to  have  been  real,  beyond 
every  doubt. 

The  case  of  Chrises  rvalking  upon  the  water  in  the  lake  of  Gennc- 
saret,  is  another,  equally  unexceptionable. 

The  cures,  which  he  wrought  on  lepers  by  his  mere  word  and  plea- 
sure ;  cures,  which  no  other  person  has  been  able  to  perform  by 
any  means  whatever ;  are  instances  of  the  same  nature.  Of  the 
same  nature,  also,  are  those  cases,  in  which  he  raised  the  dead  to 
life  ;  viz.  the  daughter  of  Jairus,  the  son  of  the  widow  of  JVain, 
and  Lazarus,  That  these  persons  were  all  really  dead,  there  is 
not  the  least  room  to  doubt :  that  they  were  all  raised  to  life, 
is  certain. 

I  shall  only  add  two  instances  more  :  one,  in  which  he  fed  four, 
and  the  other,  in  which  he  fed  five,  thousand  men,  besides  women 
and  children,  wiih  a  few  loaves  of  barley  bread,  and  a  few  little 
fishes.  In  this  miracle  creating  power  was  immediately  exerted, 
with  a  degree  of  evidence  which  nothing  could  resist,  or  rationally 
question. 

That  all  these  were  miracles,  according  to  the  definition,  given 
above,  must,  I  think,  be  acknowledged  without  hesitation.  Argu- 
ments to  prove  this  point,  therefore,  would  be  superfluous. 

That  these  facts  really  took  place,  and  that  the  narration,  which 
conveys  the  knowledge  of  them  to  us,  is  true,  has  been  so  often, 
so  clearly,  and  so  unanswerably  proved,  that  to  attempt  to  argue 
this  point  here  would  seem  a  supererogatory  labour.  All  of  you 
have,  or  easily  can  have,  access  to  a  numerous  train  of  books, 
containing  this  proof,  elucidated  with  high  advantage.  I  shall, 
therefore,  consider  this  sufiject  in  a  manner  extremely  summary, 
and  calculated  to  exhibit  little  more  than  a  mere  synopsis  of  evi- 
dence, pertaining  to  the  subject.     For  this  end  I  observe, 

1  St.  The  facts  were  of  such  a  nature,  as  to  be  obvious,  in  the 
plainest  manner,  to  the  senses,  and  understanding,  of  all  men,  pos- 
sessed of  common  sense. 


SER.  LX.J  MIRACLES  OF  CHRIST.  355 

2dly.   The  narrators  were  eye  and  ear-witnesses  of  them, 

3dly.  They  were  performed  in  the  most  public  manner  ;  in  the 
presence  of  multitudes,  the  greater  part  of  whom  were  opposers  of 
Christ. 

4thly.  They  were  generally  believed,  so  generally,  as  to  induce, 
customarily,  the  friends  of  the  sick  and  distressed,  wherever  Christ 
came,  to  apply  to  him,  with  absolute  confidence  in  his  ability  to 
relieve  them  :  a  fact,  which  proves  the  universal  conviction  of  the 
Jewish  people,  at  that  time,  that  Christ  certainly  and  continually 
wrought  miracles.  But  this  conviction  could  not  have  existed, 
to  any  considerable  extent,  unless  he  had  actually  wrought  mir- 
acles. 

5thly.  The  Apostles  had  no  possible  interest  to  deceive  their  fel- 
low-men. They  neither  gained,  could  gain,  nor  attempted  to  gain, 
any  advantage  in  the  present  world  by  publishing  this  story.  On 
the  contrary,  they  suffered,  through  life,  the  loss  of  all  things, 
while  declaring  it,  and  the  religion,  of  which  it  was  the  foundation, 
to  mankind.  In  the  future  world,  as  Jews,  believing  the  Old 
Testament  to  be  the  word  of  God,  they  could  expect  nothing,  but 
perdition,  as  the  reward  of  their  useless  imposture. 

6thly.  Tfiey  were  men,  zvhose  integrity  has  not  only  been  unim- 
peached,  but  is  singidar.  This  is  evinced  by  the  fact,  that  innu- 
merable multitudes  of  their  countrymen,  and  of  many  other 
nations,  embraced  the  religion  which  they  taught ;  committed  to 
their  guidance  their  souls,  and  their  everlasting  interests  ;  hazard- 
ed, and  yielded,  all  that  they  held  dear  in  this  world,  for  the  sake 
of  this  religion ;  and  still  esteemed  these  very  men,  through  whose 
instrumentality  they  had  been  brought  into  these  distresses,  the 
very  best  of  mankind.  It  is  also  proved  by  the  further  fact ;  that, 
in  the  ages  immediately  succeeding,  as  well  as  in  those  which  have 
followed,  their  character  has,  in  this  respect,  stood  higher,  than 
that  of  any  other  men  whatever. 

7thly.  Their  Narratives  wear  more  marks  of  veracity,  than  any 
other  which  the  world  can  furnish. 

8th!y.  The  Existence  of  these  miracles  is  acknowledged  by  Jews, 
and  Heathen,  as  well  as  Christians  ,•  and  was  wholly  uncontradicted 
by  either  for  fifteen  hundred  years. 

9thly.  These  Narratives  were  the  genuine  productions  of  those,  to 
whom  they  are  ascribed.  That  they  were  written  by  these  persons 
is  unanswerably  proved  by  the  testimony  of  their  cotemporaries, 
and  very  early  followers.  That  they  have  come  down  to  us 
uncorrupted,  and  unmutilated,  is  certain,  from  the  age,  and  coinci- 
dence, of  numerous  Manuscripts ;  from  the  Versions  early  made 
of  them  mto  various  languages ;  from  the  almost  innumerable 
Quotations  from  them,  found  in  other  books,  still  extant;  from  the 
joint  Consent  of  orthodox  Christians  and  heretics  ;  from  the  Im- 
possibility of  corrupting  them  with  success,  because  of  the  fre- 
quency, and  constancy,  with  which  they  were  read  in  public  and 


256  MIRACLES  OF  CHRIST.  [SER.  LX 

in  private ;  because  of  the  numerous  copies,  very  early  diffused 
throughout  all  Christian  countries  ;  because  of  the  profound  reli- 
gious veneration,  with  which  they  were  regarded;  and  because  of 
the  eagle-eyed  watchfulness,  with  which  contending  sects  guarded 
every  passage,  which  furnished  any  inducement  to  corruption,  or 
mutilation. 

No  other  history  can  boast  of  these,  or  one  half  of  these,  pow- 
erful proofs  of  its  genuineness  and  authenticity.  If,  then,  we  do 
not  admit  these  narratives  to  be  true,  we  must  bid  a  final  farewell 
to  the  admission  of  all  historical  testimony. 

Mr.  Hume  has  written  an  Essay,  to  disprove  the  existence  of  the 
miracles  recorded  in  the  Gospel.  In  the  introduction  to  this  Essay, 
he  says,  "  hejlatters  himself,  he  has  discovered  an  argument,  which 
V)ill  prove  an  everlasting  check  to  all  kinds  of  superstitious  delu- 
sion.^'' When  this  Essay  first  appeared,  it  was  received  with 
universal  triumph  by  Infidels,  and  with  no  small  degree  of  alarm 
by  timorous  Christians.  Since  that  time,  however,  it  has  been 
repeatedly  answered;  and  triumphantly  refuted  by  Dr.  Campbell; 
and  completely  exposed,  as  a  mere  mass  of  sophistry  ;  ingenious 
indeed,  but  shamefully  disingenuous ;  and  utterly  destitute  of  solid 
argument,  and  real  evidence. 

After  such  ample  refutation,  it  would  be  a  useless  employment 
for  me  to  enter  upon  a  formal  examination  of  the  scheme,  con- 
tained in  this  Essay.  I  shall,  therefore,  dismiss  it  with  a  few 
observations. 

The  great  doctrine  of  Mr.  Hume  is  this  :  "  That,  according  to 
the  experience  of  man,  all  things  iiniformly  exist  agreeably  to  the 
laws  of  nature,  that  every  instance  of  our  experience  is  not  only  an 
evidence,  that  the  thing,  experienced,  exists  in  the  manner  zvhich  zee 
perceive,  but  that  all  the  following  events  of  the  same  kind  will  also 
exist  in  the  same  manner.  This  evidence  he  considers,  also,  as 
increased  by  every  succeeding  instance  of  the  same  experience.  Ac- 
cording to  his  scheme,  therefore,  the  evidence,  that  any  thing, 
which  we  perceive  by  our  senses,  now  exists,  is  made  up  of  the 
present  testimony  of  our  senses,  united  with  all  former  testimonies, 
of  the  same  nature,  to  facts  of  the  same  kind.  The  existence  of 
any  fact,  therefore,  instead  of  being  completely  proved,  is  only 
partially  proved,  by  the  present  testimony  of  our  senses  to  its 
existence.  According  to  this  scheme,  therefore,  we,  who  are 
present  in  this  house,  know,  that  ourselves  and  others  are  present, 
partly  by  seeing  each  other  present  at  this  time,  and  partly  by  re- 
membering that  we  have  been  present  heretofore.  Of  course,  the 
first  time  we  were  thus  present,  we  had  not  the  same  assurance  of 
this  fact,  as  the  second  time.  This  assurance  became  still  greater 
the  third  time  ;  greater  still  the  fourth ;  and  thus  has  gone  on  ac- 
cumulating strength  in  every  succeeding  instance.  Every  person, 
therefore,  who  has  been  here  one  hundred  times,  has  an  hundred 
times  the  evidence,  that  he  is  now  here,  which  he  had,  when  he 


SER.  LX.]  MIRACLES  OF  CHRIST.  257 

was  here  the  first  time,  that  he  was  then  present :  and  I,  who, 
during  twenty-four  years,  have  been  present  many  thousand  times, 
know,  that  1  am  now  here,  with  a  thousand  degrees  of  evidence, 
more  than  is  possessed,  concerning  the  hke  fact,  by  any  other 
person  who  is  present.  A  scheme  of  reasoning,  which  conducts 
to  such  a  manifest  and  gross  absurdity,  must,  one  would  think, 
have  been  seen  to  be  false  by  a  man,  much  less  sagacious  than 
Mr.  Hume. 

Every  man  of  common  sense  knows,  and  cannot  avoid  knowing, 
even  at  a  glance,  that  all  the  evidence  which  we  possess,  or  can  pos- 
sess,  of  the  existence  of  any  fact,  is  furnished  by  the  present  testi- 
mony of  our  senses  to  that  fact.  Of  course,  every  such  man  knows 
equally  well,  that  no  testimony  of  the  senses  to  any  preceding  fact 
can  affect  a  present  fact  in  any  manner  whatever.  The  person, 
who  is  now  present  in  this  house  for  the  first  time,  has  all  the  evi- 
dence, that  he  is  here,  which  is  possessed  by  him,  who  has  been 
here  a  thousand  times  before.  The  evidence  of  the  senses  to  any 
single  fact  is  all  the  evidence,  of  which  that  fact  is  ever  capable. 
Nor  can  it  be  increased,  even  in  the  minutest  degree,  by  the  same 
evidence,  repeated  concerning  similar  facts,  existing,  afterwards, 
in  any  supposable  number  of  instances.  He,  who  has  crossed  a 
ferry  safely,  never  thought  of  crossing  it  a  second  time,  in  order  to 
know  whether  he  was  safe,  or  not. 

The  influence,  which  Experience  is  intended  by  Mr.  Hume  to 
have  on  our  belief  of  the  existence  of  future  events,  is  of  the  same 
nature.  Past  experience  is,  by  his  scheme,  the  great  criterion  for 
determining  on  all  that  which  is  to  come.  An  event,  which  has 
already  been  witnessed  a  thousand  times,  is,  in  his  view,  to  be 
expected  again,  with  a  confidence,  exactly  proportioned  to  this 
number.  If  an  event,  on  the  contrary,  has  not  taken  place,  it  is 
not  to  be  at  all  expected  ;  but  regarded  as  incredible.  Thus,  if  a 
ferry-boat  has  crossed  the  ferry  a  thousand  times  without  sinking, 
the  probability  is,  as  one  thousand  to  nothing,  that  it  will  never 
sink  hereafter. 

The  Analogy,  here  referred  to,  is  founded  on  the  general  maxim : 
that  the  same  Causes  produce,  in  the  same  circumstances,  the  same 
effects.  The  instances,  in  which  causes  and  circumstances,  appar- 
ently the  same,  are  really  such,  are  so  few,  that,  in  the  actual  state 
of  things,  it  can  answer  Mr.  Hume's  purpose  in  a  very  small  num- 
ber of  cases  only.  Almost  always  the  causes  themselves,  or  the 
circumstances  in  which  they  operate,  are,  in  this  mutable  world, 
so  continually  changed,  that  analogies,  founded  on  this  maxim,  are 
rarely  exact ;  and  are,  therefore,  rarely  safe  rules  for  forming  con- 
clusions. All  men  are  so  sensible  of  this  truth,  that  they  easily, 
and  uniformly,  admit  testimony,  as  a  sufficient  proof  of  the  fallacy 
of  such  conclusions.  The  smallest  credible  testimony  will  induce 
any  man  to  believe,  that  a  ferry-boat  has  sunk ;  although  it  may 
before  have  crossed  safely,  and  regularly,  for  many  years.  Much 
Vol.  II,  33 


258  MIRACLES  OF  CHRIST.  [3ER.  LX. 

more  do  we  always  admit  beforehand,  that  almost  all  events  may 
come  to  pass,  contrary  in  their  nature  and  appearance  to  those, 
which  have  already  happened. 

Mr.  Hume  exhibits  to  mc  a  full  conviction  in  his  own  mind,  that 
his  scheme  was  unsound,  by  the  recourse  which  he  was  obliged  to 
have  to  the  disingenuous  arts  of  controversy.  Thus  he  at  first  uses 
the  word  Experience,  which  is  all-important  to  this  controversy,  to 
denote,  what  alone  it  truly  denotes,  the  actual  evidence  of  a  Marias 
own  senses.  In  the  progress  of  his  Essay,  he  soon  diverts  it  into  a 
sense,  entirely  different ;  and  means  by  it  the  experience  of  all  who 
have  preceded  us.  But  of  their  experience  we  know  nothing,  ex- 
cept by  Testimony  ;  the  very  thing,  to  which  Mr.  Hume  professed- 
ly opposes  what  he  calls  Experience.  On  this  Testimony,  styled 
by  him  Experience,  he  founds  an  argument,  upon  which  he  places 
great  reliance,  to  overthrow  the  evidence  of  the  same  testimony. 
Thus  he  declares  Miracles  to  be  contrary  to  all  Experience  ;  mean- 
ing by  it  the  experience  of  all  mankind;  when  he  knew,  that  a 
part  of  mankind  had  testified,  that  they  in  their  own  experience 
had  been  witnesses  of  miracles;  for  this  testimony  was  the  very 
thing,  against  which  he  wrote  his  Essay. 

Miracles  he  defines  to  be  Violations  and  transgressions  of  the 
laws  of  Nature.  These  words,  being  regularly  used  to  denote  op- 
positions of  moral  beings  to  moral  laws,  and  involving,  naturally, 
the  idea  of  turpitude,  or  wrong,  were,  I  presume,  used,  to  attach  to 
miracles  an  idea  of  some  variation  ftom  that  perfect  moral  conduct, 
which  we  attribute  to  God. 

Miracles,  he  also  says,  are  contrary  to  our  experience.  In  this 
declaration  he  is  unhappy.  They  may  be  truly  said  to  be  aside 
from  our  Experience ;  but  are  in  no  sense  contrary  to  it.  All  that  can 
be  said  is,  that  we  have  not  witnessed  miracles.  No  man  can  say, 
that  he  has  experienced  any  thing  contrary  to  them. 

Having  made  these  observations,  I  proceed  to  examine  Mr. 
f/ume's  capital  doctrine,  that  Testimony  cannot  evince  the  reality  of 
a  miracle.  His  argument  is  this  :  The  evidence,  that  any  thing 
exists  in  any  given  case,  is  exactly  proportioned  to  the  number  of 
instances,  in  which  it  is  known  to  have  happened  before.  If  then 
an  event  have  happened  a  thousand  times,  and  the  contrary  event 
should  afterward  happen  once  ;  then  there  are  one  thousand  de- 
grees of  evidence  against  the  existence  of  this  contrary  event,  and 
but  one  in  its  favour.  We  are,  therefore,  compelled,  by  a  balance 
of  nine  hundred  and  ninety-nine  degrees  of  evidence  against  no- 
thing, to  believe,  that  this  event  has  not  taken  place.  We  are  here, 
as  Mr.  Hume  teaches,  to  weigh  experience  against  experience,  and 
to  be  governed  in  our  decision  by  the  preponderating  weight.  In 
this  manner  he  determines,  that  our  experience  has,  in  the  number 
of  instances,  furnished  such  a  vast  preponderalion  of  evidence 
against  the  existence  of  a  miracle,  that  if  we  were  to  witness  it, 
we  could  not  rationally  believe  it  to  have  existed,  until  it  had  taken 


I 


SER.  LX]  MIRACLES  OF  CHRIST.  259 

place  as  many  times,  and  some  more,  than  what  he  calls  the  con- 
trary event.  For  example  :  if  we  have  known  a  thousand  deceas- 
ed persons  to  have  been  buried,  and  none  of  them  to  have  been 
raised  from  the  grave  ;  we  cannot  rationally  believe  a  man  to  have 
been  raised  from  the  grave,  although  we  saw  him  rise  ;  conversed 
with  him  ;  and  lived  with  him  ever  so  many  years  afterwards.  Be- 
fore we  begin  to  believe,  that  a  person  was  raised  from  the  dead, 
we  must  have  seen,  at  least,  one  more  person  thus  raised,  than  the 
whole  number  who  have  been  buried,  and  have  not  risen.  Then, 
and  not  till  then,  we  shall  become  possessed  of  one  degree  of  evi- 
dence, that  a  person  has  been  raised  from  the  dead :  the  whole  in- 
fluence of  all  the  preceding  resurrections  being  to  diminish,  suc- 
cessively, the  previously  existing  evidence  against  the  fact,  that  a 
person  has  been  raised  from  the  dead.  Our  own  experience  of 
the  existence  of  a  miracle  is,  thus,  not  to  be  admitted,  as  a  proof  of 
its  existence.  But  as  testimony  is  founded  on  experience,  and  is 
evidence  of  a  less  certain  nature ;  it  is  clear,  that  what  experience 
cannot  prove  can  never  be  evinced  by  testimony. 

This  reasoning  has  a  grave  and  specious  appearance,  but  is 
plainly  destitute  of  all  solidity.  Every  man  knows  by  his  own 
experience,  that  the  repetition  of  an  event  contributes  nothing  to 
the  proof,  or  certainty,  of  its  existence.  The  proof  of  the  ex- 
istence of  any  event  lies  wholly  in  the  testimony  of  our  senses. 
When  the  event  is,  as  we  customarily  say,  repeated  ;  that  is,  when 
another  similar  event  takes  place,  our  senses  in  the  same  manner 
prove  to  us  the  existence  of  this  event.  But  the  evidence,  which 
they  give  us  of  the  second,  has  no  retrospective  influence  on  the 
first;  as  the  evidence,  given  of  the  first,  has  no  influence  on  the 
second.  In  each  instance  the  evidence  is  complete ;  nor  can  it  be 
affected  by  any  thing,  which  may  precede  it,  or  succeed  it.  What 
is  once  seen,  and  known,  is  as  perfectly  seen,  and  known,  as  it  can 
be ;  and  in  the  only  manner,  in  which  it  can  be  ever  seen,  and 
known.  If  we  were  to  see  a  man  raised  from  the  grave,  we  should 
know,  that  he  was  thus  raised,  as  perfectly  as  it  could  be  known 
by  us ;  nor  would  it  make  the  least  difference  in  the  evidence,  or 
certainty,  of  this  fact,  whether  thousands,  or  none,  were  raised  af- 
terwards. 

In  perfect  accordance  with  these  observations  has  been  the  con- 
duct of  mankind  in  every  age,  and  country.  No  tribunal  of  justice 
ever  asked  the  question,  whether  a  crime  had  been  twice  committed 
in  order  to  determine  with  the  more  certainty,  and  better  evidence, 
that  it  had  been  committed  once.  No  evidence  of  this  nature,  be- 
fore any  such  tribunal,  was  ever  adduced,  or  considered  as  proper 
to  be  adduced,  to  evince  the  existence  of  any  fact,  or  to  disprove  its 
existence.  No  individual  ever  thought  of  recurring  to  the  testimony 
of  his  senses  on  a  former  occasion,  to  strengthen  their  evidence  on 
a  present  occasion. 


560  MIKACLES  OF  CHRIST.  [SER.  LX. 

The  man  born  blind,  (to  apply  this  scheme  directly  to  miracles) 
could  not  possibly  feel  the  necessity,  or  advantage,  of  inquiring 
whethei'  he  had  been  restored  to  sight  before,  in  order  to  determine, 
that  he  had  received  it  from  the  hands  of  Ciirist;  or  of  asking  the 
question,  whether  he  saw,  at  any  time  before,  to  prove  that  he  saw 
now.  The  leper,  who  acquired  his  health  by  the  command  of 
Christ,  was  as  perfectly  conscious  of  his  restoration,  as  if  he  had 
been  restored  on  twenty  former  occasions.  All  around  him,  also, 
when  they  saw  the  scales  fall  off  with  which  he  had  been  incrusted, 
and  the  bloom  of  health  return ;  when  they  beheld  his  activity  re- 
newed, and  all  the  proofs  of  soundness  exhibited  to  their  eyes  ; 
perceived  the  cure  as  perfectly,  as  if  they  had  been  witnesses  of  one 
hundred  prececimg  cui-es,  of  '.he  same  nature. 

What  is  true  of  these,  is  equally  true  of  all  similar  cases.  Ex- 
perience, therefore,  is  capable  of  completely  proving  the  existence 
of  a  miracle. 

What  we  experience  we  can  declare ;  and  declare  exactly  as  it 
has  happened.  Were  this  always  done,  testimony  would  have  ex- 
actly the  same  strength  of  evidence,  which  experience  is  admitted  to 
possess.  It  is  not,  however,  always  done.  Errors,  both  intentional 
and  unintentional,  and  those  very  numerous,  accotnpany  the  declara- 
tions of  men.  Still  the  weight  of  testimony  is  very  great ;  so  great, 
that  the  conduct  of  almost  all  the  important  concerns  of  mankind  is 
regulated  entirely,  as  well  as  rationally,  by  the  evidence  which  it 
contains.  Should  twelve  men,  known  and  proved  to  possess  the 
uniform  character  of  unimpeachable  veracity,  declare  to  one  of  us, 
independently,  (no  one  of  them  being  acquainted  with  the  fact,  that 
any  other  had  made  the  same  declaration)  that  they  had  seen,  in 
the  midst  of  a  public  assembly,  a  leper  cleansed,  and  the  white 
loathsome  crust  of  the  leprosy  fall  oil",  and  the  bloom  and  vigour  of 
health  return,  at  the  command  of  a  person,  publicly  believed  to 
have  wrought  hundreds  of  such  miracles,  and  to  be  distinguished 
from  all  men  by  unexampled  wisdom  and  holiness,  every  one  of  us 
would  believe  the  testimony  to  be  true.  Especially  should  we  re- 
ceive their  testimony,  if  we  saw  these  very  men  endued  with  new 
and  wonderful  wisdom  and  holiness,  professedly  derived  from  the 
same  person;  forsaking  a  religion  for  which  they  had  felt  a  bigoted 
attachment;  embracing,  and  teaching  a  religion  wholly  new;  and 
in  confirmation  of  this  new  religion,  professedly  taught  by  God 
himself,  working  many  miracles ;  forsaking  all  earthly  enjoyments ; 
voluntarily  undergoing  all  earthly  distresses  ;  and  finally  yielding 
their  lives  to  a  violent  death.  A  miracle,  therefore,  can  be  proved 
by  testimony. 

I  have  already  pursued  this  subject  farther  than  I  intended  in 
this  discourse.  Some  other  considerations,  relative  to  it,  I  shall 
probably  mention  hereafter.  At  the  present  time,  I  will  only  re- 
mark further,  that  Mr.  Hume,  confidently,  but  erroneously,  sup- 
poses a  presumption  to  lie  strongly  against  the  existence  of  mira- 


SER.  LX.l  MIRACLES  OF  CHRIST.  261- 

cles.  The  presumption  is  wholly  in  favour  of  their  existence. 
We  know,  that  innumerable  miracles  have  taken  place.  The  Crea- 
tion of  the  world  is  one  immense  complication  of  miraculous  works ; 
and  the  first  beings  of  every  sort  were  miraculous  existences. 
As  miracles  were  wrought  here;  so  the  analogy  of  the  Divine 
works,  as  well  as  the  uniformity  of  the  Divine  character,  irresisti- 
bly compels  us  to  believe,  that  they  will  be  wrought,  wherever  a 
sufficient  occasion  is  presented.  The  illumination  and  reformation 
of  ma'ikind  is  a  cause  of  this  nature,  existing  in  the  highest  degree. 
That  God  should  work  miracles  to  prove  the  truth,  and  spread  the 
influence  of  Christianity,  is,  therefore,  with  the  highest  reason  to 
be  expected;  especially  as  miracles  are  the  most  proper,  as  well  as 
most  forcible,  of  all  proofs,  that  a  religion  is  derived  from  Him. 

III.  I  shall  now  attempt  to  point  out  the  Importance  of  miracles. 

1st.  The  importance  of  the  miracles  of  Christ  is  manifest  in  the 
immediate  benefit  of  those,  for  whom  they  were  wrought. 

All  tlie  miracles  of  Christ  were  glorious  acts  of  beneficence.  In 
his  own  won  is.  The  blind  received  their  sight,  and  the  lame  walked  ^ 
the  lepers  were  cleansed,  and  the  deaf  heard  ;  the  dead  were  raised 
up,  and  the  poor  had  the  Gospel  preached  to  them.  That  acts  of 
this  general  nature  were  of  high  importance  to  those,  for  whom 
they  were  done ;  and  that,  multiplied  as  we  are  told  they  were, 
particularly  by  St.  John,  they  constituted  a  mass  of  beneficence, 
incalculably  interesting  to  the  age  and  country,  in  which  they  ex- 
isted ;  will  not  admit  of  a  doubt. 

2dly.  The  miracles  of  Christ  were  of  great  importance  to  his  char- 
acter. 

They  were  important,  first,  as  proofs  of  power.  Christ,  for  the 
wisest  and  best  reasons,  appeared  as  the  son  of  a  carpenter,  and 
lived  alway  in  a  state  of  general  humiliation.  But  it  was  necessa- 
ry also,  that  his  character,  even  in  this  world,  should  be  distinguish- 
ed by  personal  greatness.  This  distinction  nothing  could  so  ef- 
fectually produce,  as  the  power  of  controlling,  in  this  manner,  the 
laws  of  nature,  and  suspending,  or  counteracting,  in  this  manner, 
the  agency,  by  which  the  afl'airs  of  this  world  are  carried  on.  As 
Christ  wrought  miracles  in  his  own  name,  he  was  thus  proved  to 
possess  this  power  in  himself,  as  an  inherent  energy.  But  how  su- 
perior is  this  power  to  all  that  can  be  boasted  by  the  greatest  men 
who  have  ever  lived.  What  conqueror  would  not  cheerfully  barter 
all  the  power,  in  which  he  glories,  for  the  control  of  wounds  and  dis- 
eases, of  winds  and  waves,  of  life  and  death  ?  This  power  exhibit- 
ed Christ,  in  the  midst  of  all  his  humiliation,  as  greater  than  any, 
and  than  all,  the  children  of  Adam ;  and  surrounded  his  character 
with  a  splendour  becoming  his  mission.  How  important,  how  ne- 
cessary this  greatness  was  to  Christ,  as  the  Mediator  between  God 
and  man,  I  need  not  illustrate. 

Secondly,  The  miracles  of  Christ  were  necessary,  as  proofs  of 
his  Benevolence. 


262  MIRACLES  OF  CHRIST.  [SER.  LX. 

Benevolence  is  proved  by  action.  But  no  actions  were  ever 
equally  proofs  of  benevolence  with  the  miraculous  actions  of 
Christ,  except  his  condescension,  atonement,  and  intercession.  It 
would  not  have  been  possible  for  Christ,  in  any  other  manner,  to 
exhibit  the  same  character  with  the  same  strength.  No  actions 
could  have  been  equally  beneficent.  The  good  done,  was  the 
most  necessary,  and  the  most  useful,  to  those  for  whom  it  was  done. 
Those  for  whom  it  was  done  were  persons,  to  whom  it  is  usually 
least  done  ;  who  most  need  it ;  to  whom  it  is  of  the  highest  conse- 
quence ;  and  who,  therefore,  as  objects  of  Christ's  beneficence, 
illustrate,  more  clearly  than  any  others  could  do,  this  excellence  of 
his  character.  At  the  same  time,  it  was  beneficence  accomplished 
by  a  person,  possessed  ot  stupendous  power  and  greatness,  manifest- 
ed in  the  very  communication  of  the  good.  Those,  who  possess 
great  power,  very  rarely  manifest,  and  therefore  are  justly  b:  lieved 
very  rarely  to  possess,  an  eminent  degree  of  good-will.  Intoxicated 
with  their  greatness,  they  are  generally  employed  in  displaying  it  to 
mankind,  and  in  thus  engrossing  admiration  and  applause.  From 
such  persons  Christ  is  gloriously  distinguished,  by  employing  his 
own  unexampled  power  solely  in  communicating  kindness  to  those 
around  him. 

In  both  these  great  particulars  the  miracles  of  Christ  invest  him 
with  greatness  and  glory,  to  which  there  has  been  nothing  parallel 
in  the  present  world. 

3dly.  The  miracles  of  Christ  are  of  vast  importance,  as  proofs  of 
the  Divinity  of  his  Mission. 

A  miracle  is  an  act  of  infinite  power  only;  and  is,  therefore,  a 
proof  of  the  immediate  agency  of  God.  None,  but  he,  can  with- 
hold, suspend,  or  counteract,  his  agency,  exerted  according  to  the 
laws  of  nature. 

A  miracle  becomes  a  proof  of  the  character,  or  doctrine,  of  him 
by  whom  it  was  wrought,  by  being  professedly  wrought  for  the  con- 
firmation of  either.  A  miracle  is  the  testimony  of  God.  From  the 
perfect  veracity  of  God  it  irresistibly  results,  that  he  can  never 
give,  nor  rationally  be  supposed  to  give,  his  testimony  to  any 
thing  but  truth.  When,  therefore,  a  miracle  is  wrought  in  confir- 
mation of  any  thing,  or  as  evidence  of  any  thing,  we  know,  that 
that  thing  is  true,  because  God  has  given  to  it  his  testimony.  The 
miracles  of  Christ  wore  wrought,  to  prove,  that  the  mission  and 
doctrine  of  Christ  were  from  God.  They  were,  therefore,  cer- 
ff  tainly  from  God. 

To  this  it  may  be  objected,  that  miracles  are  asserted  by  the 
Scriptures  themselves  to  have  been  wrought  in  confirmation  of  false- 
hood:  as,  for  example,  by  the  Magicians,  the  Witch  of  Endor,  and 
by  Satan  in  the  time  of  Christ^s  temptation. 

If  the  Magicians  of  Egypt  wrought  miracles,  God  wrought  them, 
with  a  view  to  make  the  final  triumph  of  his  own  cause,  in  the 
hands  of  Moses,  more  the  object  of  public  attention,  and  more  strik- 


SER.  LX.]  MIRACLES  OF   CHRIST.  263 

ing  to  the  view  of  mankind.  This  was  done,  when  the  Magicians 
themselves  were  put  to  silence,  and  forced  to  confess,  that  the 
works  oi  Moses  were  accomplished  by  the  finger  of  God.  But  the 
truth  is,  the  Magicians  wrought  no  miracles.  All  that  they  did  was 
to  busy  themselves  with  their  enchantments  ;  by  which,  every  man 
now  knows,  that,  although  the  weak  and  credulous  may  be  deceiv- 
ed, miracles  cannot  possibly  be  accomplished.  That  this  is  the 
real  amount  of  the  history,  given  by  Moses,  any  sober  man  may, 
I  think,  be  completely  satisfied  by  reading  Farmar^s  treatise  on 
Miracles. 

The  Witch  of  Endor  neither  wrought,  nor  expected  to  work,  any 
miracle.  This  is  clearly  evident  from  her  astonishment,  and  alarm, 
at  the  appearance  of  Samuel.  Saul,  who  expected  a  miracle,  be- 
held Samuel  without  any  peculiar  surprise :  she,  who  expected 
none,  with  amazement  and  terror. 

Satan  is  said  by  the  Evangelists  to  have  taken  our  Saviour  up 
into  a  very  high  mountain,  and  to  have  shewn  him  all  the  kingdoms 
of  the  world  in  a  moment  of  time.  The  Greek  word  omiifxsvii)s,  here 
translated  world,  very  frequently  signifies  land,  or  country  /  and 
ought  to  have  been  thus  rendered  here :  the  meaning  being  no  other, 
than  that  Satan  showed  our  Saviour  the  four  Tetrarchies,  or  King- 
doms, comprised  in  the  land  of  Judea.  In  this  transaction  it  will 
not  be  pretended,  that  there  was  any  thing  miraculous. 

The  doctrine,  that  miracles  have  been,  or  may  be,  wrought  in 
support  of  falsehood,  has  been  incautiously  adopted  by  several 
respectable  Divines  ;  and  they  have  taught  us,  that,  we  are  to  try 
the  evidence,  furnished  by  the  miracle,  by  the  nature  of  the  doctrine, 
which  it  was  wrought  to  prove.  This,  I  apprehend,  is  infinitely 
dishonourable  to  the  character  of  Jehovah ;  for  it  supposes,  that 
he  may  not  only  countenance,  but  estabhsh,  falsehood.  At  the 
same  time,  it  is  arguing  in  a  circle.  It  is  employing  the  doctrine 
to  prove  the  miracle,  and,  then,  the  miracle  to  prove  the  doctrine. 
That  the  miracles  of  Christ  were  complete  proof  of  his  doctrine  is 
clearly  evident  from  the  words  of  Christ  himself;  when  he  declares 
concerning  the  Jews,  that,  if  he  had  not  done  among  them  suck 
works,  as  no  other  man  did,  they  had  not  had  sin  ;  but  that  now  they 
had  no  cloak  for  their  sin. 


# 


* 


SERMON  LXI. 


RESURRECTION    OF    CHRIST. 


Acts  iii.  15.  And  killed  the  Prince  of  life,  whom  God  hath  raised  from  the 

dead  :  whereof  we  are  witnesses. 

IN  the  preceding  discourse,  I  made  a  number  of  general  obser- 
vations concerning  the  miracles  of  Christ.  The  subject,  which 
next  offers  itself  to  our  view  concerning  this  glorious  Person,  is  his 
Resurrection.  This  interesting  subject  1  propose  now  to  examine 
with  particular  attention.  Its  importance  in  a  system  of  Theology 
can  scarcely  need  to  be  illustrated. 

If  Christ  was  raised  from  the  dead,  he  was  certainly  the  Messiah; 
or,  in  other  words,  whatever  he  declared  himself  to  be.  His  doc- 
trines, precepts,  and  life,  were  all  approved  by  God  ;  possess 
Divine  authority ;  and  demand,  with  the  obligation  of  that  authority, 
the  faith  and  obedience  of  mankind.  To  prove  this  fact,  there- 
fore, is  to  prove  beyond  a  reasonable  debate  the  truth  of  the  Chris- 
tian system. 

At  the  same  time,  the  arguments,  which  prove  the  reality  of  this 
miracle,  lend  their  whole  force  to  the  other  miracles,  recorded  in 
the  Gospel.  For  this  reason,  I  have  reserved  most  of  the  direct 
arguments  in  behalf  of  miracles  for  the  present  occasion. 

In  the  context  we  are  informed,  that  a  certain  man  lame  from 
his  mother''s  womb,  who  was  now  more  than  forty  years  old,  and 
who  had  been  carried,  and  laid,  daily,  at  the  gate  of  the  temple  call- 
ed Beautiful,  to  receive  alms  of  them  that  entered  into  the  temple, 
was  cured  of  his  lameness  by  the  command  of  St.  Peter.  So  ex- 
traordinary an  event  astonished  the  Jews,  assembled  to  worship  in 
the  temple  ;  and  collected  them  in  great  numbers  around  Peter  and 
John.  Peter,  observing  their  astonishment,  addressed  to  them  a 
pertinent  and  very  pungent  discourse  ;  in  which  he  informed  them, 
that  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  whom  they  had  killed,  and  whom  God 
had  raised  to  life,  had  restored  this  lame  man  to  soundness  and 
strength.  This  proof  of  Christ's  Messiahship  he  made  the  founda- 
tion of  an  earnest  and  persuasive  exhortation  to  them  to  repent  of 
their  sins,  and  turn  to  God.  The  efficacy  of  this  discourse  on 
those,  who  heard  it,  was  wonderful.  About  five  thousand  men 
received  it  with  the  faith  of  the  Gospel,  and  were  added  unto  the 
Lord. 

In  the  text,  (the  hinge  on  which  all  this  discourse  of  St.  Peter 
turns)  he  declares  to  the  Jews  the  three  following  things. 

1  St.  That  they  had  killed  the  Prince  of  life  : 


SER.  LXI  ]  RESL'RKECTION  OF  CHRIST.  265 

2dly.  That  God  had  raised  him  from  the  dead :  and, 

3dly.  That  the  Apostle  himself  and  his  compamons  rcerc  loitnesses 
of  this  wonderful  event. 

The  fi'st  of  these  assertions  has  very  rarely  been  doubted.  1 
know  of  but  a  single  instance,  in  which  it  has  been  denied  in  form. 
Volney  has  made  a  number  of  silly  observations,  intended  to  per- 
suade the  world,  that  Christ  never  existed ;  and  that  the  history  of 
him,  contained  in  the  Gospel,  is  a  fiction,  compiled,  with  some  va- 
riations and  improvements,  from  the  Hindoo  tales  concerning  the 
God  Creeshnoo.  I  will  not  attempt  a  serious  answer  to  such  non- 
sense. Infidelity  must  be  pitied,  when  it  is  driven  to  such  fetches 
as  this,  in  order  to  support  itself,  and  mamtain  its  contest  with 
Christianity. 

The  second  assertion  has  been  often  disputed;  as,  indeed,  it 
must  always  be  by  every  man,  who  denies  the  revelation  of  the 
Scriptures,  or  the  mission  of  Christ.  It  is  the  design  of  this  dis- 
course to  state  the  evidence  concerning  the  great  fact,  here  declar- 
ed, with  candour  and  fairness.  It  demands  no  other  manner  of 
statement :  as  will,  I  trust,  be  sufficiently  evinced  in  the  prosecution 
of  this  design.  As  the  proof  of  this  fact  is  almost  all  furnished  by 
the  Apostles,  and  their  companions  ;  the  witnesses  appointed  by 
Christ  himself;  the  evidence,  alleged  here,  will  of  course  be  prin- 
cipally derived  from  the?n.  It  will  be  unnecessary,  therefore,  to 
make  the  two  last  assertions  of  St.  Peter  the  subjects  of  distinct 
heads  of  discourse. 

If  the  Apostles  have  not  given  us  a  true  account  concerning  the 
resurrection  of  Christ,  it  must  be, 

I.  Because  they  were  themselves  deceived:  or, 

II.  Because  they  intended  to  deceive  others. 

For  if  they  were  not  themselves  deceived,  but  knew  the  truth, 
and  have  faithfully  declared  it  in  their  writings  ;  the  plainest  and 
most  ignorant  man  cannot  fail  to  discern,  that  Christ  was  certainly 
raised  from  the  dead.  That  neither  of  these  suppositions  is  just,  I 
shall  now  attempt  to  prove. 

1.  Then,  the  Apostles  were  not  themselves  deceived  zoith  regard  to 
this  fact. 

In  support  of  this  assertion  I  observe, 

1st.  The  fact  is  of  such  a  nature,  that  they  zvere  competent  judges, 
whether  it  existed,  or  not. 

In  the  nature  of  the  case,  it  is  just  as  easy  to  determine,  whether 
a  person,  once  dead,  is  afterwards  alive,  as  to  determine  whether 
any  man  is  living,  who  has  not  been  dead.  A  familiar  instance 
will  prove  the  justice  of  this  assertion.  Suppose  a  person,  who 
was  an  entire  stranger  to  us,  should  come  into  the  family,  in  which 
we  five.  Suppose  he  should  reside  in  this  family,  eat  and  drink, 
sleep  and  wake,  converse  and  act  with  them,  exactly  in  the  man- 
ner in  which  these  things  are  done  by  us,  and  the  rest  of  mankind. 
Suppose  him,  further,  to  enter  into  business  in  the  manner  of  other 

Vol.  II.  34 


2GG  RESURRECTION  OF  CHRIST.  [SER.  LXI 

men  ;  to  cultivate  a  farm  ;  or  manage  causes  at  the  bar;  or  prac- 
tice medicine  ;  or  assume  the  ofTice  of  a  minister,  and  preach,  visit, 
advise,  and  comfort,  as  is  usually  done  in  discharging  the  duties  of 
this  function.  Every  one  of  us,  who  witnessed  these  things,  would, 
beyond  a  doubt,  know  this  stranger  to  be  a  living  man,  in  the  same 
manner,  and  with  the  same  certainty,  with  which  we  know  each 
other  to  be  alive. 

The  proofs  of  life,  in  this  and  every  other  case,  are  the  colour, 
the  motions,  the  actions,  and  the  speech,  of  a  living  man.  These 
we  discern  perfectly  by  our  senses,  under  the  general  regulation 
of  Common  sense.  The  proofs,  thus  furnished,  are  complete  ;  and, 
when  united,  as  in  a  living  man  they  always  are,  they  have  never 
deceived,  they  can  never  deceive,  any  man,  who  has  the  customary 
use  of  his  senses. 

As  these  are  complete  proofs  of  the  facts  in  question,  so  they 
are  always  equally  complete.  The  evidence,  which  they  contain, 
admits  of  no  gradations  ;  but  is  always  entire;  always  the  same; 
and  in  every  supposable  case  perfectly  satisfactory.  Nor  is  there 
an  instance  within  our  experience,  nor  an  instance  in  the  records  of 
history,  which  has  impaired  this  evidence  at  all ;  or  rendered  it 
capable  of  being  even  remotely  suspected. 

Were  this  evidence  not  entire  in  every  instance,  considered  by 
Usclf ;  were  it  capable  of  being  suspected  in  the  smallest  degree  ; 
we  should  be  obliged,  when  we  met,  conversed,  or  bargained,  with 
each  other,  to  settle  the  question,  whether  we  were  mutually  living 
beings.  The  Farmer  would  be  obliged,  before  he  bought  a  piece 
of  land  of  his  neighbour,  to  settle  by  a  formal  investigation  the 
question,  whether  he  was  about  to  buy  it  of  a  real  man,  or  a  phan- 
tom of  the  imagination.  The  Judge,  when  called  upon  to  try  a 
prisoner,  would  in  the  same  manner  be  compelled,  before  he  began 
the  trial,  to  decide,  whether  he  had  brought  to  him  for  adjudi- 
cation, a  hving  being,  or  a  spectre.  The  religious  Assembly 
Avould  be  equally  necessitated  to  examine,  whether  such  an  Assem- 
bly was  really  gathered,  and  whether  a  real  and  living  preacher  was 
in  the  desk ;  or  whether  what  seemed  to  be  a  preacher,  and  a  con- 
gregation, were  only  the  phantasms  of  a  waking  dream. 

As  these  proofs  are  in  every  instance  complete  ;  so  they  are  tht 
only  evidence  of  the  fact  in  question.  If  then  they  can  deceive  us, 
we  are  left  wholly  without  a  remedy :  for  we  have  no  other  possi- 
ble mode  of  coming  to  the  knowledge  of  the  fact. 

To  the  case  of  the  stranger,  whom  I  have  supposed,  all  these 
proofs  have  obviously  a  perfect  application.  We  know  as  well  as 
we  can  possibly  know,  we  know  beyond  any  possible  doubt,  that 
he  is  a  living  man.  But  we  do  not,  and  cannot  know,  that  he  has 
never  been  dead,  and  afterward  raised  to  life.  To  prove  this,  we 
must  be  supplied  with  totally  new  evidence,  derived  from  totally 
other  sources,  than  any  hitherto  supposed  to  be  furnished  by  him. 
The  evidence,  therefore,  that  he  is  a  living  man,  is  wholly  inde- 


SER.  LXI]  RESURRECTION  OF  CHRIST.  267 

pendent  of  the  fact,  that  he  has,  or  has  not,  ])een  raised  from  the 
dead;  and  is,  by  itself,  absolutely  complete.  If,  then,  we  should 
be  afterwards  informed,  with  evidence  which  could  not  be  ques- 
tioned, that  this  stranger  had  been  actually  dead,  and  buried,  and 
had  been  afterwards  raised  to  life  :  the  evidence,  which  we  had  be- 
fore received,  that  he  was  a  living  man,  from  the  time  when  we 
first  became  acquainted  with  him,  could  not  in  the  least  degree  be 
affected  by  the  fact,  that  he  had  before  been  dead.  The  story  of 
his  death  and  resurrection  we  should  undoubtedly  admit,  if  we  act- 
ed rationally,  only  with  extreme  slowness  and  caution,  and  upon 
decisive  evidence.  But  no  one  of  us  would,  or  could,  hesitate  to 
believe  the  man,  circumstanced  as  above,  to  be  alive.  Otherwise, 
it  is  plain,  we  could  not  know,  that  any  man  is  alive :  for  all  the 
proofs,  which  can  attend  this  subject,  actually  attend  it  in  the  case 
supposed.  If,  therefore,  the  evidence  can  be  justly  doubted  in  one 
case,  it  can  with  equal  propriety  be  doubted  in  all. 

That  the  Apostles  possessed  all  the  means  of  judging  accurate- 
ly concerning  the  existence,  and  the  nature,  of  these  proofs,  can- 
not be  denied.  They  were  possessed  of  the  common  sense,  and 
had  the  usual  senses,  of  man.  No  judges  could  be  better  qualified 
for  this  purpose.  Had  J^ezvton,  Bacon,  or  Aristotle,  been  employ- 
ed in  examining  these  proofs,  they  must  have  used  exactly  the  same 
means  of  examination,  which  were  used  by  Peter  and  John.  Had 
they  summoned  Philosophy  to  their  assistance,  it  could  only  have 
told  them,  that  it  had  no  concern  with  cases  of  this  nature. 

2dly.   The  Apostles  zoere  unprejudiced  Judges. 

In  proof  of  this  assertion  I  observe, 

First,   That  the  Apostles  zvere  not  Enthusiasts. 

Enthusiasm  is  a  persuasion,  that  certain  religious  doctrines  are 
true,  derived  from  a  peculiar  strength  of  imagination  and  feelings 
relying  on  internal  suggestions  supposed  to  come  from  God,  and  not 
relying  on  facts,  or  arguments.     In  the  whole  history,  preaching, 
and  writings,  of  the  Apostles,  there  is  not  the  least  appearance  of 
this  character.     According  to  their  own  accounts  of  themselves, 
(which  in  this  case  we  readily  believe,  because,  in  their  view,  they 
were  accounts  of  their  defects)  they  were  slow  of  belief,  even  to 
weakness  and  criminality.     For  this  conduct  they  were  often,  and 
justly,  reproved  by  their  Master;  and  as  we  see  in  their  writings, 
received  his  declarations  with  difficulty,  when  their  evidence  was 
complete.     Nor  were  they  finally  convinced,  even  when  uninflu- 
enced by  this  sceptical  spirit,  except  by  evidence  of  the  best  kind ; 
to  wit,  that  of  facts.     These  also  existed  before  their  eyes  and 
ears,  in  the  presence  of  multitudes,  and  enemies,  Avho  were  equally 
convinced   with   themselves.      Nor  were  they  witnesses  of  such 
facts,  once,  twice,  or  a  few  times,  only  :  but  beheld  them  in  an  un- 
interrupted succession  for  several  years.     Had  they  not  yielded 
to  them  in  such  circumstances,  they  must  have  been  either  idiots, 
or  madmen. 


0(58  RESURRECTION  OF  CHRIST.  [SER.  LXI. 

Efithtis lasts  also  appeal  to  their  internal  snggrstions,  as  a  proof, 
which  plainly  ongh',  in  their  viezo,  to  satisfy  others.  The  Apostles 
have  never  mnde  such  an  appeal ;  nor  (lemandeci  belief  on  any 
other  considerations,  except  those,  which  reason,  in  the  highest 
exercise,  perfectly  approves. 

Enthusiasts  always  boast  of  the  leaders,  whom  they  professedly 
follow.  The  Apostles,  although  following  the  most  extraordinary 
leader  ever  seen  in  the  world,  have  written  the  history  of  his  life, 
without  a  single  panegyric,  and  recorded  the  unparalleled  injustice, 
abuse,  and  cruelty,  which  he  suifered  from  his  enemies,  both  in  his 
life  and  death,  with  only  a  single,  direct  censure  of  those  enemies, 
contained  in  these  words  :  For  they  loved  the  praise  of  7nen  more 
than  the  praise  of  God. 

Enthusiasts  always  boast  of  their  own  excellencies,  and  attain- 
ments. 

The  Apostles  had  higher  reason  for  such  boasting,  than  ever  fell 
to  the  lot  of  men.  They  set  up  a  new  religion  ;  and  to  the  belief 
and  profession  of  it  converted  a  great  part  of  mankind.  They 
wrought,  or  were  certainly  believed  to  work,  miracles  of  the  most 
stupendous  nature;  rose  to  an  influence,  which  Kings  never  pos- 
sessed;  and  ruled  more  human  beings,  than  most  monarchs  have 
been  able  to  claim  as  their  subjects.  To  this  height  of  influence 
they  ascended,  also,  from  the  humble  employments  of  fishing,  col- 
lecting taxes,  and  making  tents.  How  few  of  the  human  race,  nay, 
who,  beside  these  very  men,  would  not  have  become  giddy  in  the 
ascent  from  such  a  lowly  condition  to  such  distinguished  eminence. 
Yet  MattheiD  records  nothing  of  himself,  except  that  he  was  a 
publican  •,  that  he  followed  Christ ;  and  that  he  once  entertained 
him  at  his  table.  Mark  and  Luke  do  not  even  mention  their  own 
names.  John  says  nothing  of  himself  by  way  of  commendation, 
unless  that  he  was  the  disciple,  ivhoni  Jesus  loved  ;  and  this  he 
expresses  obscurely,  in  the  most  modest  manner  conceivable. 
Indeed,  the  subject  of  self-commendation  seems  never  to  have  en- 
tered their  thoughts. 
^  There  is,  I  acknowledge,  one  apparent  exception  to  this  remark 
in  the  writings  of  the  Apostles.  I  mean  St.  PauPs  commendation 
of  himself  to  the  Corinthian  Church.  This,  however,  is  prefaced 
with  a  quotation  from  the  Old  Testament  as  the  word  of  God;  in 
which  it  is  declared,  that  7iot  he  who  commendeth  himself  is  approv- 
ed, bxd  he  whom  the  Lord  commendeth.  He  then  pronounces 
boasting  to  be  folly  ;  and  declares  himself  to  be  compelled  to  this 
folly  by  the  Corinthian  Church ;  because  some  of  its  members 
had  denied  his  Apostleship  :  a  denial,  fraught  with  the  utmost  mis- 
chief to  the  Christian  cause,  and  particularly  in  that  city.  The 
things,  which  he  recites,  are  calculated  in  the  most  perfect  manner 
to  establish  his  character  as  an  Apostle,  and  to  refute  the  unworthy 
calumnies,  which  tney  had  uttered  against  him.  At  the  same 
time,  they  are  accompanied  with  «u."h  proofs  of  ingenuousness, 


SER.   LXI  ]  RESURRECTION  OF  CHRIST.  269 

truth,  and  modesty,  as  leave,  irresistibly,  on  the  mind,  a  stronger 
impression  of  these  attributes  in  St.  Paul,  than  we  could  have  felt, 
if  he  had  not  written  this  passage.  Let  it  be  remembered,  that 
this  is  the  conduct  of  a  person,  who  had  converted  half  the  civilized 
world. 

In  the  mean  time,  the  Apostles,  in  the  most  frank,  artless,  and 
faithful  manner  possible,  do  that,  which  Enthusiasts  never  do  at 
all :  that  is,  they  record  their  own  mistakes,  follies,  and  faults  ;  and 
those  of  very  serious  magnitude  ;  acknowledged  to  be  such  by 
themselves,  and  severely  censured  as  such  by  their  Master.  No 
example  of  this  nature  can  be  found  in  the  whole  history  of  Enthu- 
siasm ;  and  no  other  such  example  in  the  whole  history  of  man. 
Enthusiasm  is  always  a  proud,  vain,  boasting  spirit;  founded  in 
the  belief,  that  the  Enthusiast  is  the  subject  of  immediate  and  ex- 
traordinary communications  from  heaven,  and,  therefore,  designated 
by  God  as  his  peculiar  favourite  ;  raised  of  course  above  the  hu- 
man level ;  and  irresistibly  prompted  to  publish,  on  every  occasion, 
this  peculiar  testimony  of  heaven  to  its  pre-eminent  worth ;  and  to 
unfold  to  the  view  of  all  around  it  a  distinction  too  flattering  to  be 
concealed. 

Enthusiasts,  also,  in  all  their  preaching  and  conversation  on 
religious  subjects,  pour  out,  with  eagerness,  the  dictates  of  passion 
and  imagination ;  and  never  attempt  to  avail  themselves  of  the 
facts,  or  arguments,  on  which  reason  delights  to  rest.  Strong  pic- 
tures, vehement  effusions  of  passion,  violent  exclamations,  loudly 
vociferated,  and  imperiously  enjoined  as  objects  of  implicit  faith 
and  obedience,  constitute  the  substance,  and  the  sum,  of  their  ad» 
dresses  to  mankind.  They  themselves  believe,  because  they 
believe ;  and  know,  because  they  know.  Their  conviction,  instead 
of  being,  as  it  ought  to  be,  the  result  of  evidence,  is  the  result  of 
feeling  merely.  If  you  attempt  to  persuade  them,  that  they  are  in 
an  error,  by  reasoning,  facts,  and  proofs ;  they  regard  you  with  a 
mixture  of  pity  and  contempt,  for  weakly  opposing  your  twilight 
probabilities  to  their  noon-day  certainty,  and  for  preposterously 
labouring  to  illumine  the  sun  with  a  taper. 

How  contrary  is  all  this  to  the  conduct  of  the  Apostles!  When  " 
a  proof  of  their  mission,  or  doctrine,  was  demanded  of  them  ;  they 
appealed  instantly,  and  invariably,  to  arguments,  facts,  and  mira- 
cles. These  convinced  mankind  then ;  and  produce  the  same 
conviction  now.  The  lapse  of  seventeen  centuries  has  detected  in 
them  no  error,  and  in  no  degree  enfeebled  their  strength.  Their 
discourses  were  then,  and  are  now,  the  most  rational,  noble,  and 
satisfactory  discourses  on  moral  and  religious  subjects,  ever  wit- 
nessed by  mankind.  There  is  not  an  instance  in  them  all,  in  which 
belief  is  demanded  on  any  other  grounds,  than  these  ;  and  on  these 
grounds  it  is  always  rightfully  demanded.  But  on  these  grounds 
it  is  never  demanded  by  Enthusiasts,  There  is  not  in  the  world  a 
stronger  contrast  to  the  preaching  of  Enthusiasts,  than  that  of 
Christ  and  his  Apostles. 


270  RESURRECTION  OF  CHRIST.  [SER.  LXJ 

Secondly,  The  Apostles  were  unprejudiced  Judges  of  this  fact, 
because  evert/  thing,  respecting  it,  contradicted  their  favourite  pre- 
judices. 

In  common  uith  tlicir  countrymen,  they  expected  a  conquering, 
reigning,  glorious  Messiah  ;  who  was  to  subdue,  and  control,  all 
the  nations  of  men.  With  him,  also,  they  themselves  expected  to 
conquer,  and  reign,  together  with  the  rest  of  the  Jews,  as  princes 
and  nobles  in  the  splendid  earthly  court  of  this  temporal  Messiah. 
No  expectation  ever  tiattered  the  predominant  passions  of  man  so 
powerfully,  as  this.  It  was  the  source  of  almost  all  their  follies, 
and  faults ;  and,  in  spite  of  Christ's  instructions,  and  their  piety,  it 
broke  out  on  every  occasion,  and  clung  to  them  with  immoveable 
adherence,  till  the  day  of  Pentecost.  For,  just  at  the  moment  of 
Christ's  ascension,  ten  days  only  before  that  festival,  they  asked 
him.  Lord,  wilt  thou  at  this  time  restore  the  kingdom  to  Israel/' 

They  did  not,  and  could  not,  believe  that  he  would  die.  After 
he  had  predicted  his  death  at  five,  or  six,  different  times,  in  as  plain 
language  as  can  be  used,  St.  John  informs  us,  that  they  understood 
not  that  saying,  and  that  it  was  hidden  from  them.  Peter  also, 
when  Christ  had  uttered  a  prediction  of  this  nature,  understanding 
the  meaning  of  the  prediction,  took  upon  himself  the  office  of  re- 
buking his  Master;  and  said.  Be  it  far  from  thee,  Lord ;  this  shall 
not  be  unto  thee. 

Nor  do  they  appear  to  have  believed,  that  he  would  live  again. 
They  plainly  disbelieved  all  the  testimonies  of  his  resurrection, 
except  that  of  their  own  eyes  and  ears  ;  and  regarded  the  accounts 
of  their  companions,  whom  on  all  other  occasions  they  esteemed 
persons  of  unstained  veracity,  as  idle  tales.  It  may  seem  strange, 
that,  believing,  as  they  did,  implicitly,  the  declarations,  and  Mes- 
siahship,  of  their  Master,  they  should  not  believe,  that  he  would 
rise  again,  after  his  various  prophecies  concerning  that  event.  But 
we  are  to  remember,  that  his  death  had  violated  all  their  prejudi- 
ces, blasted  all  their  fond  hopes,  and  buried  them  in  gloom  and 
despondency.  The  Jczos  customarily,  whenever  passages  of  scrip- 
ture admitted  of  no  interpretation  accordant  with  their  established 
opinions,  resolved  the  difficulty,  or  rather  removed  it,  by  pro- 
nouncing the  passage  to  be  mysterious.  The  Apostles  in  all 
probability  had  recourse  to  the  same  expedient,  to  reconcile  the 
predictions  of  Christ  with  that  train  of  facts,  whose  future  existence 
they  believed ;  and  chose  rather  not  to  understand  the  true  import 
of  his  predictions,  plain  as  it  was,  than  to  admit  an  interpretation 
of  them,  which  opposed  all  their  riveted  opinions.  At  the  same 
tiuie,  melancholy  as  were  their  circumstances,  and  their  feelings, 
they  were  ill  fitted  for  the  business  of  commenting  on  the  predic- 
tions of  Christ;  and  seem  not  to  have  made  even  an  attempt  to 
gain  the  conviction,  which  would  so  effectually  have  relieved  their 
distresses.  When,  therefore,  they  had  evidence  of  his  resurrec- 
tion,   sufficient    to    convince  any  reasonable  person,  they  still 


SER.  LXI]  RESURRECTION  OF  CHRIST.  271 

disbelieved ;  and  were  hardly  brought  to  admit  the  testimony  of 
their  own  eyes  and  ears.  After  various  reports  of  his  resurrection 
from  those  who  had  seen  him ;  reports  so  satisfactory,  that  Clmst 
himself  afterward  upbraided  them  with  their  unbelief,  and  hardness 
of  heart,  because  they  had  not  believed  them,  who  had  seen  him  after 
he  was  risen;  Jesus  himself  stood  in  the  midst  oj  them,  and  said. 
Peace  be  unto  you.  But  they  were  terrifed  and  affrighted,  and 
supposed  that  they  had  seen  a  spirit.  He  then  said  unto  tktm.  Why 
are  ye  troubled,  and  why  do  thoughts  arise  in  your  hearts  ?  Behold 
my  hands,  and  my  feet ;  that  it  is  I  myself .  Handle  me,  and  see: 
for  a  spirit  hath  not  fcsh  and  hones,  as  ye  see  me  have.  And  when 
he  had  thus  spoken,  he  shewed  them  his  hands  and  his  feet.  You 
are  to  remember,  that  the  print  of  the  nails,  by  which  he  was  fast- 
ened to  the  cross,  was  still  perfectly  visible,  both  in  his  hands  and 
feet.  These  were,  therefore,  appealed  to  by  Christ,  because  tliey 
thus  furnished  evidence,  that  it  was  he  himself,  which  no  man 
would  counterfeit.  Still  they  believed  not,  for  joy,  and  wondered. 
To  remove  this  doubt,  which,  like  most  that  preceded  it,  was  the 
result  of  feeling,  and  not  of  judgment,  he  further  said  to  them. 
Have  ye  here  any  meat  ?  In  answer  to  this  inquiry,  they  gave  him 
a  piece  of  a  broiled  fish,  and  of  an  honey-comb .  And  he  took  it,  and 
did  eat  before  them.  At  the  end  of  this  process  only,  did  they  en- 
tirely believe,  that  he  was  risen  from  the  dead. 

From  this  story,  written  after  they  had  all  in  the  fullest  manner 
realized  his  resurrection,  and,  therefore,  intended  severely  to  cen- 
sure their  own  unbelief;  from  this  story,  written  in  a  manner  so 
perfectly  artless  and  natural,  and  with  circumstances  of  such  nice 
discrimination,  as  the  writer  could  not  have  invented  ;  and  on  both 
these  accounts  carrying  with  it  the  clearest  evidence  of  its  truth ;  we 
have  the  strongest  proof,  that  the  Apostles  were  slow  of  heart  to 
believe  the  resurrection  of  Christ.  Their  assent  was  reluctant  and 
gradual :  such  as  is  always  yielded  to  evidence,  which  contradicts 
prejudices  strongly  imbibed. 

I  have  observed  that  the  story  of  St.  Luke  is  written  in  a  manner 
perfectly  artless  and  natural,  and  with  circumstances  of  such  nice 
discrimination,  as  the  writer  could  not  have  devised.  It  is  extreme- 
ly natural  to  the  human  mind,  in  a  state  of  despondency,  either  not 
to  believe  at  all,  or  to  believe  with  extreme  difficulty,  those  things 
which  would  remove  its  despondency.  The  good,  in  question, 
seems  too  great  to  be  realized,  and  therefore  too  improbable  even 
to  be  hoped.  The  Apostles  for  this  reason  disbeheved  at  first  j 
and  for  the  same  reason  continued  their  disbelief,  after  Christ  stood 
in  the  midst  of  them,  and  discovered  himself  to  their  eyes  and 
ears.  A  strong  and  mixed  emotion  of  pleasure  and  surprise 
partially  overwhelmed  their  reason,  and  prolonged  their  doubts, 
in  spite  of  the  clearest  evidence.  Never  was  the  nature  of  man 
exhibited  with  more  exactness,  or  with  nicer  discrimination,  than 


272  RESURRECTION  OF  CHRIST.  [SER.  LXI 

in  this  remarkable  declaration :  They  believed  not  for  joy,  and  won- 
dered. 

From  these  observations  it  is,  if  1  mistake  not,  unanswerably  ev- 
ident, that  the  prejudices  of  the  Aposdes  were  all  directed  against 
the  resurrection  of  Christ ;  and  tliat  they  were  not  inclined  to  admit 
this  fact  by  any  bias  in  its  favour. 

.'Idly.  The  Apostles  had  siifficient  means,  and  opportunities,  of 
judging  -whether  Christ  rvas  raised  from  the  dead. 

He  appeared  to  some  or  other  of  them,  or  their  companions, 
eleven  times,  distinctly  recorded  in  the  Scriptures.  He  appeared 
to  Mfi7-y  Magdalene  ;  to  her  companions  witii  her;  to  Peter;  to  the 
disci pl'-s  going  to  Emmaus  ;  to  James ;  to  die  ten  Apostles,  Thom- 
as not  being  present ;  to  the  Eleven,  Thomas  being  present ;  to  the 
Apostles  again  at  the  sea  of  Tiberias ;  to  above  five  hundred  breth- 
ren at  once ;  to  the  Apostles  before,  and  during,  his  ascension  ; 
and  finally  to  St.  Paul  in  his  way  to  Damascus.  Beside  these  in- 
stances, he  appeared  several  times  afterwards  to  St.  Paul;  and, 
as  St.  Luke  intorms  us,  shewed  himself  alive,  after  his  passion,  by 
m,any  infallihle  proofs ;  being  seen  of  them  forty  days,  and  speak- 
ing of  the  things  pertaining  to  the  kingdom  of  God.  It  ought  to 
be  particularly  remembered,  that  in  nine  of  the  instances,  mention- 
ed above,  he  appeared  to  the  Apostles  themselves ;  in  several  in- 
stances to  many,  or  all,  of  them  ;  and  once  to  more  than  five  hun- 
dred disciples  together.  Should  we  then  admit  such  an  illusion 
of  the  senses,  as  infidels  sometimes  contend  for,  to  be  possible,  and 
mankind  to  be  capable  of  being  deceived  by  it,  in  such  degrees  as 
they  urge  ;  still  the  improbability  must,  even  according  to  their  own 
principles,  be  very  great,  that  two  persons  should,  at  the  same 
time,  experience  exactly  the  same  illusion  concerning  the  same  ob- 
ject, and  concerning  so  many  circumstances  attending  it.  Of  a 
fact,  of  this  kind,  history  furnishes  no  record,  and  conversation  no 
testimony.  All  the  extraordinary  and  inexplicable  things,  actually 
testified,  in  which  such  illusions  may  be  supposed  to  have  taken 
place,  have  invariably  existed,  if  they  existed  at  all,  to  the  viezo  of 
one  person  only.  No  instance  can  be  mentioned,  in  which  two 
unexceptionable  witnesses  have  testified  to  the  same  illusion,  at 
the  same  time,  concerning  the  same  thing.  Far  more  improbable  is 
it,  that  three  persons  should  thus  experience  the  same  illusion. 
When  we  raise  this  number  to  Eleven,  the  improbability  becomes 
incalculable;  and  when  to  five  hundred,  it  transcends  all  limit. 

The  improbability  is  also  enhanced,  without  measure,  by  the  re- 
petition of  this  fact  in  so  many  instances  to  so  many  persons,  togeth- 
er with  all  the. circumstances,  by  which  it  was  attended.  But  when 
we  remember,  that  Christ  not  only  appeared,  but  ate,  drank,  walk- 
ed, and  conversed,  with  them,  at  so  many  difi'erent  times,  through 
forty  days ;  and  declared  to  them  a  great  number  of  divine  truths 
concerning  the  kingdom  of  God ;  the  improbability  ceases,  and  is 
changed  into  an  impossibility.    The  Aposdes  and  their  companions 


SER.  LXI]  RESURRECTION  OF  CHRIST.  273 

had,  here,  all  the  evidence,  that  Christ  was  living,  which  they  had 
of  the  life  of  each  other:  all  the  evidence,  which  we  have,  that 
those  around  us,  with  whom  we  have  daily  intercourse,  are  alive. 
If,  then,  the  Apostles  could  be  deceived,  with  respect  to  the  fact, 
that  Christ  was  living;  they  could  with  the  same  ease,  be  equally 
deceived  with  respect  to  the  life  of  each  other.  With  the  same 
ease,  can  we  be  equally  deceived  in  oar  belief,  that  men,  whom  we 
see  daily,  with  whom  we  converse,  and  wiili  whom  we  act;  are 
living  men.  A  stranger,  who  has  visited  us,  continued  with  us  forty 
days,  conversed  with  us,  and  unitfd  with  us  in  eating,  drinking,  and 
the  serious  business  of  life,  must,  on  the  same  groun's,  be  denied, 
or  doubted,  to  be  a  living  man  ;  and  supposed  to  be  a  spectre,  a 
phantom  of  the  imagination,  an  illusion  of  the  senses,  or  an  inhab- 
itant of  a  dream.  To  this  length  the  principles  carry  us,  on  which 
alone  we  can  deny,  that  the  Apostles  had  perfect  evidence,  that 
Christ  was  alive  after  his  death.  He,  who  can  admit  these  princi- 
ples, has  renounced  the  evidence  of  his  senses ;  and  ought  from 
motives  of  consistency,  to  believe  a  man  to  be  a  post,  as  readily, 
as  to  believe  him  to  be  a  man. 


Vol.  II  Sb 


SERMON  LXII. 


RESURRECTION    OF    CHRIST. 


Acts  iii.  15. And  killed  the  Prince  of  life,  whom  God  hath  raised  from  the 

dead  :  whereof  we  are  witnesses. 

In  the  preceding  discourse,  I  observed,  that  in  this  passage  St. 
Peter  declares  to  the  Jeivs  the  three  following  things  : 
1st.    That  they  had  killed  the  Prince  of  life  : 
2dly.   That  God  had  raised  him  from  the  dead :  and, 
3dly.   That  the  Apostle  himself  and  his  companions  were  witnesses 
of  these  facts. 

The  first  of  these  assertions,  I  observed,  had  been  scarcely  con- 
troverted, and  therefore  needed  no  discussion  from  me.  To  estab- 
lish the  second,  I  remarked,  was  indispensable  to  a  system  of 
Christian  Theology  ;  as  being  the  great  point,  on  which  such  a 
system  must  depend;  and  therefore  proposed  it  as  the  immediate 
object  of  that  discourse.  The  evidence  of  its  truth,  I  further  ob- 
served, was  chiefly  furnished  by  the  Apostles  and  their  companions. 
This  evidence,  therefore,  1  proposed  to  state  ;  and  to  show,  that  it 
was  a  proper  and  unexceptionable  object  of  reliance  for  the  truth 
of  the  important  fact,  declared  in  the  text. 

In  pursuance  of  this  design  I  observed,  that,  if  Christ  was  not 
raised  from  the  dead,  the  Apostles  were  either  themselves  deceived, 
or  have  of  design  deceived  others.  That  they  themselves  were  not 
deceived,  I  endeavoured  to  prove  in  that  discourse,  and  shall  now 
attempt  to  show. 

II.   That  they  have  not  deceived  others. 

By  this  you  will  understand,  that  they  have  not  deceived  others  of 
design :  all  other  deception  having  been  considered  under  the  former 
head. 

In  support  of  this  assertion  I  observe, 

1st.  That  the  known  probity  of  the  Apostles  places  them  beyond 
every  reasonable  suspicion  of  intentional  deception. 

The  probity  of  the  Apostles  stands  on  higher  ground,  and  has 
been  regarded  with  higher  confidence  by  mankind,  than  that  of 
any  other  men  whatever.  This  has  been  so  often  evinced,  and 
with  arguments  so  plainly  unanswerable,  that  it  would  be  probably 
thought  tedious  to  expatiate  on  the  subject  at  the  present  time. 
Suffice  it,  then,  to  say,  that  the  histories,  which  they  have  given  us 
of  our  Saviour's  life,  contain  more  internal,  and  decisive,  proofs  of 
sincerity,  than  any  other  human  writings ;  that  they  recite  facts, 
and  utter  doctrines,  with  a  simplicity,  and  artlessness,  unequalled ; 


SER.  LXIL]  RESURRECTION  OF  CHRIST.  275 

that  their  story,  both  as  to  the  subject,  and  as  to  the  manner,  is  such, 
as  no  impostor  could,  or  would  tell ;  that  the  character  of  Christ  is 
drawn  with  excellencies  so  great,  combmed  with  features  so  dis- 
tinctive, as  to  prove  it  beyond  the  power  of  human  invention,  and 
much  more  beyond  the  invention  of  such  humble,  uneducated  men  ; 
that,  greatly  as  they  respected  him,  horrible  as  were  the  injuries 
which  he  received  from  his  enemies,  gross  and  abominable  as  was 
the  character  of  those  enemies,  and  intensely  as  the  Apostles  ab- 
horred both  them  and  their  conduct,  they  have  recited  his  whole 
story  without  a  single  panegyrical  remark  concerning  him,  and 
without  a  single  testimony  of  resentment,  unkindr\ess,  or  preju- 
dice, against  them.  Let  it  be  remembered,  also,  that  no  Impostor 
would  have  ever  thought  of  terminating  his  account  concerning  a 
favourite  and  splendid  character  with  the  history  of  his  trial  and 
crucifixion  as  a  malefactor ;  that  no  Impostor,  if  we  were  to  sup- 
pose him  to  have  done  this,  would  have  prefaced  this  history  with 
a  recital  of  his  own  disbelief,  that  this  favourite  was  to  die;  espe- 
cially after  he  had  predicted  his  death,  many  times,  in  the  plainest 
language  ;  that  no  Impostor  would  have  recorded  his  own  igno- 
rance, and  disbelief,  of  the  true  character,  mission,  and  doctrines, 
of  the  hero  of  his  story ;  or  his  severe  and  stinging  reproofs  of  his 
follies  and  faults,  and  all  this  without  disguise  or  palliation  ;  that  the 
doctrines  and  precepts,  contained  in  the  Gospel,  are  beyond  the 
discovery  of  any  men,  particularly  of  such  men ;  that,  if  an  Im- 
postor could  discover  them,  he  could  never  have  enjoined  them  on 
mankind,  because  of  their  spotless  purity  and  perfect  excellence ; 
that  every  Impostor  must,  of  course,  have  blended  with  the  better 
doctrines  and  precepts,  which  he  thought  proper  to  deliver,  others, 
sufficiently  licentious  to  countenance,  or  at  least  to  palliate,  his  own 
crimes ;  that  the  end,  uniformly  proposed,  and  intensely  pursued, 
in  the  Gospel ;  viz.  the  amendment  of  the  human  character ;  is 
such,  as  no  Impostor  would  be  willing  to  promote  ;  that  four  Im- 
postors, writing  independently,  or  without  concert,  could  not  possi- 
bly have  exhibited  the  same  accordance  of  facts,  nor  the  same 
perfect  harmony  of  doctrines  ;  and  that  the  character  of  the  Apos- 
tles was,  in  their  own  age,  not  only  unimpeached,  but  considered 
as  superior  to  that  of  all  other  virtuous  men.  To  these  proofs  of 
integrity  ought  to  be  added  that  decisive  one  ;  their  cheerful  relin- 
quishment of  all  the  pleasures  of  this  life,  and  their  voluntary  en- 
durance of  all  its  distresses  ;  and,  in  the  end,  their  voluntary  sur- 
render of  life  itself;  for  the  sake  of  the  religion  which  they  professed, 
and  of  the  Master  whom  they  served. 

That  men,  who  gave  so  many  efficacious,  and  uniform,  proofs, 
of  integrity,  should  conspire  to  palm  upon  mankind  this  gross  im- 
position, is  too  replete  with  absurdity,  to  be  admitted  by  any  sober 
man. 

2dly.  The  Apostles  had  no  interest  in  attempting  to  deceive  man- 
kind, with  respect  to  this  event. 


-J7b  RESURRECTION  OF  CHRIST.  [SER.  LXII. 

In  order  to  render  the  imposition  profitable  to  its  authors,  it  was 
necessary,  that  it  should  be  believed  ;  and,  to  gain  credit  elsewhere, 
it  must  first  gain  credit  were  it  was  origmally  published.  The 
story  was  first  declared  to  the  Jewish  nation;  and  without  a  single 
hope,  or  thought,  of  spreading  it  among  other  nations.  It  was  Tor 
twelve  years  confined  to  Jtws  only.  Now,  let  me  ask.  What  induce- 
ment had  the  Apostles  to  believe,  that  a  tale,  so  incredible  in  itself, 
would  be  received  by  this  people  ?  a  tale  concerning  the  rcsurrec-* 
tion  of  a  crucified  malefactor :  for  such,  if  false,  must  the  story 
have  been ;  and  such,  although  true,  it  was  believed  to  be  by  the 
Jews.  By  them  Christ  was  regarded  as  an  impostor;  as  a  blasphe- 
mer of  God ;  as  an  impious  pretendcj-  to  the  Messiahship  ;  and  an 
impious  opposerof  a  religion,  unquestionably  derived  from  heaven. 
Yet,  with  the  Jews,  this  publication  was  to  begin  ;  and,  so  far  as 
they  knew,  to  end  :  Jews  beyond  example  bigoted  to  their  awn  re- 
ligion, and  furious  in  their  hostility  to  every  other;  the  bitter  per- 
secutors of  Christ,  while  he  lived  ;  and  the  accusers  and  witnesses, 
who  caused  his  death.  What  hope  could  any,  but  a  madman,  en- 
tertain, that  among  such  people,  such  a  story  could  gain  even  a 
solitary  admission  ?  To  give  credit  to  this  story  was,  in  a  Jew,  no 
other,  than  to  yield  up  his  religion  ;  his  bigotry  ;  his  connexion 
with  the  Jewish  Church ;  his  interest  in  the  public  opinion  of  his 
countrymen,  and  in  the  protection  of  its  government.  It  was  to 
expose  his  possessions,  his  family,  and  his  life;  to  become  excom- 
municated, outlawed,  and  an  outcast  from  society  ;  and  to  place 
himself  within  the  reach  of  all  the  dreadful  threatenings,  contained 
in  the  law  of  Moses.  At  the  same  time,  it  was  to  acknowledge 
himself  a  murderer ;  a  murderer  of  the  Messiah  ;  a  murderer  of 
the  Son  of  God ;  to  confess,  that  he  had  found  this  glorious  per- 
son in  the  son  of  a  carpenter ;  in  a  man,  emphatically  styled  by 
him,  and  his  countrymen,  a  friend  of  publicans  and  sinners  ;  a  glut- 
tonous man,  and  a  wine-bibber.  It  was,  also,  to  renounce  all  his 
bright  and  dawning  hopes  of  the  deliverance  of  himself,  and  his 
nation,  from  Roman  servitude,  by  that  mighty  Prince,  with  whom 
they  were  all  in  hourly  expectation  of  triumphing,  and  reigning, 
over  every  nation  on  earth.  All  this,  also,  was  to  be  done  without 
any  good,  to  balance  these  mighty  evils,  either  in  hand,  or  in  re- 
version. Never  was  there  a  field,  so  unpromising  to  the  talents,  or 
the  efforts,  of  an  impostor. 

At  the  same  time,  this  tale  was  to  be  told  by  die  followers  of  the 
person  professedly  raised,  and  the  enemies  of  those,  to  whom  it 
Avas  told  ;  by  men,  j)Oor,  ignorant,  and  despised ;  without  friends, 
and  without  influence  ;  abhorred  by  their  countrymen,  and  regard- 
ed as  apostates  from  their  religion.  Never  were  persons  so  ill 
quahfied  for  successful  efforts  at  imposition.  Suj)j)ose  such  a  story 
Avere  now  to  be  told.  None  of  these  embarrassments,  it  is  evi- 
dent, would  attend  the  recital,  except  those,  which  arise  out  of  the 
story  itself.     The  narrators  would  lie  originally  under  no  public 


SER.  LXII]  RESURRECTION  OF  CHRIST.  277 

odium.  The  subject  would  be  obnoxious  to  no  peculiar  prejudice. 
The  reception  of  it  would  be  followed  by  no  peculiar  sacrifices ; 
by  no  civil  or  religious  disqualifications  ;  by  no  loss  of  property, 
reputation,  safety,  or  even  quiet.  How  plain  is  it,  that  such  a  story, 
if  false,  could  not,  even  here,  produce  any  other  efiect,  but  pity, 
contempt,  and  ridicule  !  To  persuade  others  to  believe  it,  is  in  the 
nature  of  the  case,  a  thing  so  hopeless  and  desperate,  that  no  Im- 
postor has  been  found  weak,  rash,  or  impudent,  enough,  to  think 
of  making  the  attempt.  But,  of  all  persons  on  earth,  none  were 
ever  more  disadvantageously  situated  to  propagate  such  a  story, 
than  the  Apostles.  The  Jews  were  certainly  less  inclined  to  be- 
lieve this  story,  than  the  Apostles  themselves.  They  refused  to  be- 
lieve it,  long  after  very  sufficient  evidence  had  been  furnished  them 
of  its  truth.  The  Jews  would  certainly  require  evidence  still  more 
ample.  This  the  Apostles  could  not  but  know ;  and,  therefore, 
must  have  been  hopeless  of  persuading  them  to  believe  it,  unless 
themselves  were  able  to  support  it  by  such  evidence.  But  this 
evidence  could  never  bq'produced  in  support  of  a  falsehood. 

If  the  story  did  not  gam  belief;  the  attempt  to  spread  it  could 
be  of  no  possible  use  to  the  Apostles.  As,  then,  they  could  not 
entertain  a  single  hope  of  inducing  the  Jeivs  to  believe  it;  they 
could  have  no  possible  inducement  to  attempt  to  palm  it  upon  the 
Jews.  But  if  the  Jews  did  not  believe  it,  it  could  never  be  received 
by  any  other  people.  Jeics,  in  great  numbers,  were  scattered  over 
all  the  countries,  in  which  the  Apostles  could  ever  hope,  or  wish, 
to  spread  the  story.  These  Jews  carried  on  a  continual  corres- 
pondence with  those  at  Jerusalem;  and,  in  immense  numbers,  visit- 
ed that  city  every  year.  If,  then,  the  story  was  not  believed  at 
Jerusalem ;  this  fact  would  be  perfectly  well  known  wherever  Jews 
resided.  But  the  knowledge,  that  the  story  gained  no  credit  at 
Jerusalem  ;  the  place,  where  the  event  had  professedly  existed ; 
would  effectually  prevent  it  from  gaining  the  least  credit  in  any 
other  place.  To  the  spot,  where  the  event  was  said  to  exist,  all 
thinking  men  would  have  recourse,  to  learn  the  true  state  of  the 
evidence  concerning  it.  If  it  was  there  found  insufficient;  it  would 
at  once  be  pronounced  to  be  insufficient  by  all  men.  The  Gospel 
was,  probably,  directed  by  Christ  to  be  preached ^rs<  at  Jerusalem, 
and  in  Judea,  for  this,  as  one  great  reason ;  that  the  story  of  his 
resurrection,  on  which  his  whole  scheme  depended,  being  establish- 
ed there  in  the  immoveable  belief  of  multitudes,  might  be  success- 
fully and  irresistibly  published  in  other  countries. 

But,  whatever  advantages  the  Apostles  could  derive,  or  expect 
to  derive,  from  their  imposture,  (if  it  was  one)  must  be  wholly  de- 
rived from  persuading  mankind  to  believe  this  story.  They  them- 
selves perfectly  understood,  and  frankly  declared  to  mankind,  that 
their  whole  system  turned  on  this  single  hinge.  If  Christ  be  not 
risen,  then  is  our  preaching  vain,  and  your  faith  is  also  vain;  is 
the  constant  language  of  all  which  they  said.     For  proof  of  this 


278  RESURRECTION  OF  CHRIST.  [SER.  LXII. 

you  need  only  examine  the  sermons  of  St.  Peter  and  St.  Paul,  re- 
corded in  the  Jets  of  the  J}pnslles.  Unless  this  fact  were  establish- 
ed, therefore,  they  could  not  hope  for  a  single  follower,  nor  for  the 
smallest  reward.  But  of  the  establishment  of  this  fact  among 
cither  Jews,  or  Gentiles,  I  flatter  myself  I  have  shown,  they  could 
not.  in  the  existing  circumstances,  form  even  the  remotest  hope. 
They  had  not,  therefore,  the  smallest  interest  in  making  the  at- 
tempt. 

3dly.  Thei/  were  assvred,  with  absolute  certainty,  of  suffering 
every  imaginable  disadvantage. 

All  the  losses  and  injuries,  mentioned  under  the  preceding  head, 
must  have  stared  them  in  the  face  at  the  beginning.  At  every  step 
of  their  progress  new  evils  could  not  fail  to  arise  ;  and  those  of 
the  most  distressing  kind.  Had  they  been  blind  enough  not  to 
have  perceived  their  miserable  destiny,  before  they  commenced 
this  wretched  work  of  deception ;  the  first  attempt  could  not  fail  to 
produce  the  most  ample  conviction  :  and  to  this,  every  new  attempt 
would  add  fresh  proof.  The  scourge,  the  prison,  and  the  cross, 
have  always  proved  etfectual  antidotes  to  imposition.  All  other 
dishonest  men  are,  equally  with  Voltaire,  no  friends  to  Martyrdom. 
Had  the  Apostles  possessed  the  same  character,  they  Avould  have 
soon  been  wearied  of  the  sufferings  which  they  every  where  under- 
went. Every  where  they  were  hated ;  calumniated  ;  despised ; 
hunted  from  city  to  city  •,  thrust  into  prison  ;  scourged  •,  stoned ; 
and  crucified.  For  what  where  all  these  excruciating  sufferings 
endured  ?  Gain,  honour,  and  pleasure,  are  the  only  gods,  to  which 
Impostors  bow.  But  of  these  the  Apostles  acquired,  and  plainly 
laboured  to  acquire,  neither.  What,  then,  wos  the  end,  for  which 
they  suffered  ?    Let  the  Infidel  answer  this  question. 

As  they  gained  nothing,  and  lost  every  thing,  in  the  present 
world  ;  so  it  is  certain,  that  they  must  expect  to  gain  nothing,  and 
suffer  every  thing,  in  the  world  to  come.  That  the  Old  Testament 
was  the  Word  of  God,  they  certainly  believed  without  a  single 
doubt.  But,  in  this  Book,  lying  is  exhibited  as  a  supreme  object 
of  the  Divine  abhorrence,  and  the  Scriptural  threatenings.  From 
the  invention,  and  propagation,  of  this  falsehood,  therefore,  they 
could  expect  nothing,  hereafter,  but  the  severest  effusions  of  the 
anger  of  God. 

For  what,  then,  was  all  this  loss,  danger,  and  suffei'ing,  incurred  ? 
For  the  privilege  of  telhng  an  extravagant  and  incredible  story  to 
mankind,  and  of  founding  on  it  a  series  of  exhortations  to  repent- 
ance, faith,  and  holiness ;  to  the  renunciation  of  sin,  and  the  uni- 
versal exercise  of  piety,  justice,  truth,  and  kindness  ;  to  the  prac- 
tice of  all  that  conduct,  which  common  sense  has  ever  pronounced 
to  be  the  duly,  honour,  and  happiness  of  man  ;  and  the  avoidance 
of  all  that,  which  it  has  ever  declared  to  be  his  guilt,  debasement, 
and  misery.  Such  an  End  was  never  even  wished,  much  less  se- 
riously proposed,  by  an  Impostor. 


SER.  LXIL]  RESURRECTION  OF  CHRIST.  279 

At  the  same  time,  they  lived  as  no  impostor  ever  hved ;  and 
were  able  to  say  to  their  converts,  with  a  full  assurance  of  firn  nig 
a  cordial  belief  of  the,  declaration :  Ye  are  witnesses,  and  God  aiso^ 
how  holily,  and  justly,  and  unblameably,  we  behaved  oursdxes  among 
you  that  believe.  That  this  was  their  true  character  is  certain,  from 
the  concurrent  testimony  of  all  antiquity.  Had  they  not  nobly  re- 
corded their  own  faults ;  there  is  not  the  least  reason  to  believe, 
that  a  single  stain  would  have  ever  rested  upon  their  character. 

If,  then,  the  Apostles  invented  this  story ;  they  invented  it  with- 
out the  remotest  hope,  or  prospect,  of  making  it  believed;  a  thing 
which  was  never  done  by  an  impostor;  propagated  it  without  any 
interest;  without  any  hope  of  gain,  honour,  power,  or  pleasure; 
the  only  objects,  by  which  impostors  were  ever  allured ;  and  with 
losses  and  sufferings,  which  no  impostor  ever  voluntarily  under- 
went; proposed  as  their  only  End,  or  at  least  the  only  end  which 
has  ever  been  discovered  to  mankind,  an  object,  which  no  impos- 
tor ever  pursued,  or  even  wished ;  and,  during  their  whole  pro- 
gress through  life,  lived  so  as  no  impostor  ever  lived ;  and  so  as  to 
be  the  most  perfect  contrast,  ever  exhibited  by  men,  to  the  whole 
character  of  imposition. 

III.  The  Apostles  were  not  deceived,  and  did  not  deceive  others, 
with  regard  to  this  fact ;  but  the  fact  was  real. 

In  support  of  this  declaration  I  observe, 

1  St.  That,  if  Christ  was  not  raised  from  the  dead,  it  could  cer- 
tainly have  been  proved. 

Christ  was  put  to  death  by  the  Roman  Governor,  at  the  instiga- 
tion of  the  government  and  nation  of  the  Jews.  His  body  was  in 
their  hands,  and  entirely  under  their  control.  They  knew,  that  he 
had  predicted  his  resurrection.  Tb^y  knew,  that,  if  he  should  rise, 
or  should  be  believed  to  have  risen,  his  cause  would  gain  more  by 
this  fact,  or  by  this  belief,  than  by  every  thing  which  he  had  taught, 
or  done,  during  his  life.  All  this  they  declare  to  Pilate  in  form, 
for  the  express  purpose  of  guarding  against  this  dreaded  evil. 
JSfow  the  next  day,  that  followed  the  day  of  the  preparation,  says  St. 
Matthezv,  the  chief  Priests  and  Pharisees  came  together  unto  Pilate, 
saying.  Sir,  we  remember,  that  that  deceiver  said,  while  he  was  yet 
alive.  After  three  days  I  will  rise  again.  Command,  therefore,  that 
the  sepulchre  be  made  fast  until  the  third  day  /  lest  his  disciples 
come  by  night,  and  steal  him  away  ^  and  say  unto  the  people,  He  is 
risen  from  the  dead.  So  the  last  error  shall  be  worse  than  the  first, 
Pilate  said  unto  them.  Ye  have  a  watch  :  go  your  ivay  j  make  it  as 
sure  as  you  can.  So  they  went,  and  made  the  sepulchre  sure,  sealing 
the  stone,  and  setting  a  watch.  In  this  remarkable  passage  we  have 
a  distinct  account  of  their  knowledge  of  Christ's  prediction,  that 
he  should  rise  on  the  third  day ;  of  their  dread  of  the  prevalence 
of  a  future  belief,  that  he  had  risen  ;  of  their  conviction,  that  this 
belief  would  advance  his  cause  more  than  all  his  preaching,  life, 
and  miracles;    and  their  earnest  request  to  the  Governor,  that 


280  RESURRECTION  OF  CHRIST.  [SER.  LXII. 

effectual  measures  might  be  taken  to  prevent  this  peculiar  evil. 
We  arc  further  informed,  that  the  Governor,  in  compliance  with 
their  fears,  and  their  wishes,  after  reminding  them  that  they  had  a 
watch,  or  guard,  under  their  control,  directed  them,  with  a  com- 
munication of  unlimited  authority,  to  mukt  the  sepulchre  as  sure  as 
(hc^  could.  Finally,  we  are  informed,  that,  with  this  power  in 
their  hands,  they  went  their  zvay,  and  made  the  sepulchre  sure  :  that 
is,  according  to  their  own  judgment :  and  we  are  completely  as- 
sured, that  such  eagle-eyed  and  bitter  enemies,  under  the  influence 
of  such  apprehensions,  left  no  precaution  untried,  to  secure  them- 
selves against  the  danger,  which  they  dreaded.  Accordingly,  the 
Evangelist  informs  us,  that  they  not  only  set  a  guard  at  the  sepul- 
chi-e,  which  we  may  be  certain  was  more  than  sufficient;  but  also 
set  a  seal  upon  the  stone  which  was  rolled  to  it  for  a  door  ;  in  order 
to  produce  complete  and  universal  conviction,  that  Christ  was  not 
raised,  because  the  seal  was  unbroken. 

But,  notwithstanding  all  these  precautions,  thus  carefully  taken, 
the  body  was  missing.  In  this  great  fact  the  Sanhedrim  and  the 
Aposdes  perfectly  agree  :  it  cannot  therefore  be  questioned.  The 
Sanhedrim  would,  otherwise,  have  certainly  produced  it;  and  thus 
detected  the  falsehood  of  the  Apostles'  declaration,  that  he  was 
risen  from  the  dead,  and  prevented  it  from  gaining  credit  among 
ihe  Jews. 

There  are  but  two  ways,  in  which  it  could  be  missing.  It  was 
taken  away;  or  it  was  raised.  If  it  was  taken  away;  it  was  un- 
doubtedly taken  by  the  Apostles.     But  this  was  not  true ;  because, 

First,   They  had  no  Interest  iii  taking  it  away. 

Christ  had  declared,  that  he  should  rise  from  the  dead.  The 
mere  taking  away  of  his  body,  instead  of  evincing  the  truth  of  this 
prediction  to  the  Apostles  themselves,  would  have  been  an  unan- 
swerable proof  of  its  falsehood ;  and,  by  consequence,  of  the  false- 
hood of  him  who  uttered  it.  If  the  prediction  were  unfulfilled,  of 
which  the  presence  of  his  dead  body  would  have  been  the  proper 
and  complete  proof;  Christ  was  a  false  prophet;  an  Impostor. 
Of  course,  the  Aposdes  could  expect  no  possible  advantage  from 
following  him  ;  and  plainly  saw  themselves  exposed  to  every  dis- 
advantage. They  had,  therefore,  no  conceivable  inducement  to 
take  away  his  body,  nor  even  to  accept  it,  if  it  had  been  offered  to 
them  freely.  This,  it  is  believed,  has  been  sufficiently  evinced 
under  a  former  head. 

To  others  they  could  never  produce  the  body  of  Christ,  as  evi- 
dence, either  of  his  sincerity,  or  their  own  :  for  it  would  have  com- 
pletely destroyed  the  character  of  both.  The  only  end,  therefore, 
which  the  theft  could  answer,  would  have  been  to  gain  some  credit 
to  the  story  of  his  resurrection,  from  the  fact,  that  his  body  was 
missing.     When  we  consider,  that  the  body  was  perfectly  in  the 

{)ower  of  their  enemies,  the  Jewish  Sanhedrim  ^  it  must  be  acknow- 
edged,  that  an  argument  of  some  force  might  be  drawn  from  this 


SER.  LXII]  RESURRECTION  OF  CHRIST.  o-gj 

fact,  in  favour  of  Christ's  resurrection.  At  the  same  time  it  is  evi- 
dent, that  this  single  fact  would  have  been  wholly  insufficient  to 
establish  the  point ;  and  the  Apostles,  in  attempting  to  palm  the 
story  on  the  Avorld,  would  have  engaged  in  a  cause  wholly  despe- 
rate. We  demand  very  important  additional  proof,  derived  from 
other  sources,  to  establish  this  point  in  our  own  minds.  The  ne- 
cessity of  such  proof  the  Apostles  could  not  but  have  seen  with  at 
least  as  much  certainty,  as  ourselves ;  they  could,  therefore,  never 
have  been  willing  to  take  it  away,  for  this  purpose. 

Secondly,   The  Apostles  durst  not  take  aivny  the  body  of  Christ. 

They  knew  that  a  guard  was  placed  at  the  Sepulchre ;  a  nu- 
merous and  amply  sufficient  band  of  Roman  soldiers.  They  them- 
selves were  few,  friendless,  and  discouraged;  in  hourly  expectation 
of  being  arrested,  and  put  to  death,  as  followers  of  Christ ;  and 
voluntarily  confined  to  a  solitary  chamber,  for  fear  of  being  either 
crucified  or  stoned.  The  time  was  that  of  the  Passoj)er;  when 
Jerusalem  customarily  contained  more  than  a  million  of  people.  It 
was  the  time  oi  the  full  moon.  The  sepulchre  was  just  without  the 
walls  of  the  city  ;  and  exposed,  therefore,  to  continual  uispcction. 
How  could  a  body  of  men,  who  had  just  before  fled  from  a  similar 
guard,  notwithstanding  their  Master  was  present  with  them,  venture 
to  attack  this  band  of  armed  soldiers,  for  the  purpose  of  removing 
the  body  of  Christ  from  the  sepulchre  ?  How,  especially,  could 
they  make  this  attempt,  when  they  had  nothing  to  gain  ;  and  when 
they  must  become  guilty  of  rebelling  against  the  Roman  Govern- 
ment ;  and,  if  they  escaped  death  from  the  hands  of  the  soldiers, 
were  exposed  to  this  evil  in  a  much  more  terrible  form  ? 

Thirdly,  The  Apostles^  with  respect  to  this  subject,  had  formed 
no  plan  ;  and  entertained  no  expectations,  and  no  hopes. 

They  disbelieved  the  story  of  his  resurrection,  when  asserted  by 
the  most  unsuspicious  witnesses :  his  female  disciples,  and  their 
own  companions.  Nay,  they  disbelieved  it,  after  he  had  appeared 
several  times  ;  when  they  had  seen,  and  known,  that  his  body  was 
gone  from  the  sepulchre ;  and  even  when  he  had  appeared  to 
themselves.  The  truth  is,  they  were  completely  discouraged  and 
broken-hearted.  The  death  of  Christ  had  violated  all  their  pre- 
judices, destroyed  their  fondest  hopes,  and  sunk  their  spirits  in  the 
dust.  Nor  was  any  expedient  less  fitted  to  revive  their  hopes, 
than  the  wretched  cheat,  imputed  to  them  by  their  enemies. 

Fourthly,  The  story  told  concerning  this  subject  by  the  Sanhedtim, 
and  thoughtlessly  believed  by  the  great  body  of  the  Jews,  even  to  the 
present  time,  is  itself  strong  evidence  of  the  truth  of  the  assertion, 
which  I  am  maintaining. 

This  story,  as  you  well  know,  is,  that  the  disciples  stole  the  body 
of  Christ,  while  the  guards  zoere  asleep.  I  will  not,  here,  insist  on 
the  ridiculousness  of  this  story  •,  but  will  only  consider  it  as  the 
real  account,  given  by  the  Sanhedrim  concerning  the  disappearing 
of  the  body  from  the  sepulchre.    This  sagacious  collection  of  men. 

Vol.  II.  36 


ogcj  RESURRECTION  OF  CHRIST.  [SER  LXII. 

sharpened  into  extreme  cunning  by  the  constant  management  of 
human  affairs  in  very  difficult  times,  thought  it  proper  to  tell  the 
world  this  story,  as  the  best  account  which  they  could  give  of  the 
subject.  To  what  straits  must  their  ingenuity  have  been  driven, 
when  they  were  compelled  to  such  a  resort?  Every  man  knows, 
that  the  guards  would,  of  their  own  accord,  have  never  ventured 
upon  such  a  narration  :  for  it  would  have  been  the  infallible  cause 
of  their  condemnation  to  death.  It  is  scarcely  possible,  that  a 
Roman  Sentinel  should  acknowledge  himself  to  have  slept  upon 
his  post :  nor  is  it  much  more  possible,  that  a  Jewish  Senate  should, 
unless  under  extreme  pressure  of  circumstances,  publicly  accord 
with  so  contemptible  a  tale.  Had  that  senate  been  possessed  of 
any  truth,  Avhich  would  at  all  have  favoured  their  designs ;  they 
would  have  never  disgraced  their  character  by  acknowledging 
their  reliance,  and  persuading  their  countrymen  to  rely,  on  the 
testimony  of  a  Heathen  guard,  nor  of  any  other  men,  concerning 
what  was  done  when  they  were  asleep.  Had  truth  favoured  their 
Avishcs  in  any  manner,  neither  the  senate,  nor  the  people,  of  the 
Jews,  would  have  rested  themselves,  in  a  case  of  this  consequence, 
nor  indeed  in  any  case,  upon  a  story,  which  carried  with  it  its  own 
refutation. 

2dly.    The  Jews  in  great  numbers  believed  the  Resurrection  of 
Christ. 

The  Jews  most  ardently  hated  Christ  and  his  Aposdes.  Him 
they  persecuted  throughout  his  public  ministry;  and  at  the  end  of 
it  nailed  him  to  the  cross.  The  Apostles  directly  charged  them 
with  these  enormous  crimes ;  particularly  in  this  very  sermon  of 
St.  Peter,  from  which  I  have  taken  my  Text.  On  this  ground, 
they  urged  them  to  repentance :  asserting  always  before  them, 
that  he  had  risen  from  the  dead.  Clear  and  unanswerable  evidence, 
as  I  have  already  remarked,  is  necessary  to  convince  the  most 
candid  man  of  so  wonderful  an  event.  But,  to  convince  Jews,  that 
the  man,  whom  they  had  hated  and  crucified,  was  risen  from  the 
dead  ;  Je7os,  so  opposed  to  his  character,  mission,  and  doctrines: 
Jews,  who,  in  admitting  his  resurrection,  acknowledged  themselves 
to  have  sinned  in  a  manner  unparalleled;  demanded  singular  evi- 
dence. Yet  three  thousand  of  these  Jews  believed  the  Apostles' 
declaration  of  this  fact,  on  the  day  of  Pentecost ;  fifty  days  only 
after  the  crucifixion.  Within  a  few  days  more,  five  thousand 
others  adopted  the  same  belief;  and,  soon  afterward,  very  great 
multitudes. 

The  evidence  of  their  faith  is  complete.  All  these  men  publicly 
professed  it;  and,  in  spite  of  their  former  prejudices,  and  their  fu- 
rious hatred,  submitted  themselves  to  Christ,  as  the  Messiah.  This 
crucified  man  they  acknowledged  in  that  glorious  character ;  and 
yielded  themselves  to  him,  as  the  Son  of  God.  Judaism,  to  which 
they  had  been  attached  with  such  bigotry,  they  now  publicly  re- 
nounced ;  and  gave  up  their  ceremonious  worship,  their  Sabbath, 


3ER.  LXII.]  RESURRECTION  OF  CHRIST.  283 

Temple,  Priests,  and  Sacraments ;  adopting  in  their  stead  the 
Christian  worship.  Sabbath,  and  Sacraments ;  submitting  them- 
selves to  the  ministers  of  the  Gospel;  and  embracing  a  new  life  ; 
a  life  of  real  holiness ;  to  them  in  the  highest  degree  self-denying 
and  difficult.  A  great  number  of  them,  also,  sold  their  possessions, 
and  distributed  the  avails  of  them,  in  mere  charity,  to  their  Chris- 
tian Brethren.  Beyond  this,  these  converts  voluntarily  forsook 
their  friends,  their  interests,  and  their  hopes;  and  underwent  a  se- 
ries of  dreadful  sufferings,  terminating,  not  unfrequently,  in  a  vio- 
lent death. 

To  persuade  men  to  renounce  their  religion,  especially  bigoted 
men,  and  to  exchange  a  sinful  life  for  a  virtuous  one,  is  undoubt- 
edly as  hard  a  task,  as  was  ever  assigned  to  the  human  mind  : 
especially,  when  that  religion  contravenes  all  the  selfishness  of 
man.  Jews  now  exist  in  great  numbers ;  and  have  existed  ever 
since  the  crucifixion  of  Christ.  They  hold  the  same  character,  and 
the  same  religion.  Christianity,  the  religion  to  which  they  are  to 
be  converted,  is  also  the  same.  But  more  Jews  were  made  con- 
verts to  the  religion  of  Christ  by  these  two  sermons  of  St.  Peter, 
than  have  embraced  it  within  the  last  sixteen  hundred  years.  It  is 
therefore  certain,  that  the  Apostles  possessed  advantages  for  this 
end,  which  their  followers  have  not  possessed  :  and  these  advan- 
tages, independently  of  miracles,  consisted,  in  a  great  measure  at 
least,  in  the  peculiar  circumstances  of  their  hearers.  They  knew 
and  remembered  the  life,  preaching,  and  miracles  of  Christ ;  and 
the  wonderful  events,  which  attended  his  death.  These,  as  is  ob- 
vious from  the  declaration  of  St.  Luke,  greatly  affected  their  minds. 
And  all  the  people,  says  the  Evangelist,  thai  came  together  to  that 
sight,  beholding  the  things  that  zuere  done,  smote  their  breasts,  and 
returned.  The  guards,  also,  went  into  the  city,  and  told  the  story 
of  the  descent  of  the  Angel,  who  rolled  away  the  stone  from  the 
sepulchre  ;  the  awful  circumstances,  by  which  he  was  attended ; 
and  the  resurrection  of  Christ.*  When  to  these  things  were  added 
the  miraculous  events  of  the  day  of  Pentecost,  and  the  marvellous 
cure  of  the  lame  man  at  the  beautiful  gate  of  the  temple ;  these 
Jews  yielded  up  their  prejudices,  and  submitted  to  truths,  which 
they  could  no  longer  resist.  The  facts,  here  specified,  were,  in 
the  hands  of  the  Spirit  of  grace,  the  means,  by  which  such  multi- 
tudes of  enemies  were  converted  to  the  faith  of  the  Gospel. 

3dly,   The  Sanhedrim  believed  the  resurrection  of  Christ. 

In  the  4th  of  the  Acts,  we  are  informed,  that  the  Sanhedrim  had 
the  Apostles  brought  before  them  for  preaching,  in  the  name  of 
Christ,  the  doctrines  of  Christianity  ;  and  for  affirmmg,  that  Christ 
was  risen  from  the  dead.  Had  they  believed,  that  the  Apostles 
stole  away  the  body  of  Christ,  they  would  now  certainly  have 
charged  them  with  this  gross  fraud ;  this  direct  rebellion  against 

Matthew  xxviii.  tl. 


no4  RESURRECTION  OF  CHRIST.  [SER.  LXII. 

the  Roman  and  Jewish  Governments  ;  and,  unless  they  could  have 
cleared  themselves  of  the  crime,  would  have  j)unished  them  for  it 
with,  at  least,  due  severity.  Such  punishment  would  not  only 
have  been  just ;  but  it  had  now  become  necessary  for  the  Sanhe- 
drim to  inflict  it,  in  order  to  save  their  own  reputation.  They  had 
originated  the  story ;  and  were  now  under  the  strongest  induce- 
ments to  support  it.  Yet  they  did  not  even  mention  the  subject ; 
but  contented  themselves  with  commanding  them  to  preach  no 
more  in  the  name  of  Christ. 

In  Acts  5th,  we  are  told,  that  the  whole  body  of  the  Apostles 
were  brought  before  them  again  ;  for  continuing  to  preach,  in 
opposition  to  this  command.  On  this  occasion  also,  they  kept  a 
profound  silence  concerning  the  theft,  which  they  had  originally 
attributed  to  the  Apostles  ;  but  charged  them  with  disobedience 
to  their  former  injunctions.  In  this  charge  are  contained  the  fol- 
lowing remarkable  words  :  Did  wc  not  strailly  command  you,  that 
ye  should  not  teach  in  this  name?  and  behold,  ye  have  filled  Jerus  a' 
lem  with  your  doctrine,  and  intend  to  bring  this  man^s  blood  upon 
US.  To  bring  the  blood  of  one  person  %ipon  another  is  phraseology, 
frequently  used  in  the  Bible.  In  fifteen*  different  instances,  in 
which  we  find  it  there,  it  has  but  a  single  meaning  :  viz.  to  bring 
the  guilt  of  contributing  to  the  death  of  a  person,  or  the  guilt  of 
murder,  upon  another  person.  When  it  is  said,  His  blood  shall  be 
upon  his  ozvn  head  ;  it  is  clearly  intended,  that  the  guilt  of  his  death 
shall  be  upon  himself.  When,  therefore,  the  Sanhedriiii  accuse 
the  Apostles  of  attempting  to  bring  the  blood  of  Christ  upon  them; 
they  accuse  them  of  an  intention  to  bring  upon  them  the  guilt  of 
shedding  his  blood:  this  being  the  only  meaning  of  such  phraseol- 
ogy in  the  Scriptures. 

Should  any  doubt  remain  in  the  mind  of  any  man  concerning 
this  interpretation  ;  it  may  be  settled,  I  think,  beyond  all  question, 
by  recurring  to  another  passage,  to  which,  hitherto,  1  have  not 
alluded.  In  Matthew  xxvii.  24,  2,5,  we  are  told,  that,  when  Pilata 
saw,  that  he  roidd prevail  nothing  towards  releasing  Christ,  he  took 
water,  and  loashcd  his  hands  before  the  nndlitude  :  saying,  I  am 
innocent  of  the  blood  of  this  just  person  ;  see  ye  to  it :  and  that  then, 
all  the  people  ansivered,  and  said.  His  blood  be  on  us,  and  on  our 
children.  The  meaning  of  the  phraseology  in  this  passage  cannot 
be  mistaken :  and  it  is  altogether  probable,  that  the  declaration  of 
the  Sanhedrim,  being  made,  so  soon  after  this  imprecation,  to  the 
Apostles,  so  deeply  interested  in  the  subject,  and  on  an  occasion, 
which  so  naturally  called  it  up  to  view,  the  Sanhedrim  referred  to 
it  directly. 

But  if  Christ  was  not  raised  from  the  dead;  he  w'as  a  false 
prophet;  an  impostor;  and,  of  course,  a  Blasphemer  :  because  he 

*  Lev.  XX.  9,  11,  13,  16,  27.     Dent.   xix.  10.  xxii.  8.     2  Sam.  i.  16.  xvi.  3.     1 
Kings  ii.  37.     .ter.  li.  35.     Ezek.  xviii.  13.  xxxiii.  5.    Matt,  xxiii.  35.    Acts  xviii.  6/ 


^R.  LXII]  RESURRECTION  OF  CHRIST.  ^85 

asserted  himself  to  be  the  Messiah  ;  the  Son  of  God.  Such  a  blas- 
phemer the  law  of  God  condemned  to  death.  The  Sanhedrim 
were  the  very  persons,  to  whom  the  business  of  trying,  and  con- 
demning him,  was  committed  by  that  law,  and  whose  duty  it  was  to 
accomplish  his  death.  If,  therefore,  his  body  was  not  raised  from 
the  dead ;  there  was  no  guilt  in  shedding  his  blood,  but  the  mere 
performance  of  a  plain  duty.  His  blood,  that  is,  the  guilt  of  shed- 
ding it,  could  not  possibly  rest  on  the  Sanhedrim  •,  nor,  to  use  their 
language,  be  brought  upon  them  by  the  Apostles,  nor  by  any 
others.  All  this  the  Sanhedrim  perfectly  knew:  and  therefore, 
had  they  not  believed  him  to  have  risen  from  the  dead,  they  could 
never  have  used  this  phraseology. 

It  is  further  to  be  observed,  that,  on  both  these  occasions,  the 
Apostles  boldly  declared  to  the  Sanhedrim,  in  the  most  exphcit 
terms,  that  Christ  was  raised  from  the  dead.  Yet  the  Sanhedrim 
not  only  did  not  charge  them  with  the  crime  of  having  stolen  his 
body,  but  did  not  contradict,  nor  even  comment  on,  the  declara- 
tion. This  could  not  possibly  have  happened  through  inattention. 
Both  the  Sanhedrim,  and  the  Apostles,  completely  knew,  that  the 
resurrection  of  Christ  was  the  pomt,  on  which  his  cause,  and  their 
opposition  to  it,  entirely  turned.  It  was  the  great  and  serious  con- 
troversy between  the  contending  parties ;  and  yet,  though  directly 
asserted  to  their  faces  by  the  Apostles,  the  Sanhedrim  did  not  even 
utter  a  syllable  on  the  subject. 

Had  they  believed  their  own  story,  they  would  either  have  pun- 
ished the  Aposdes  with  death,  as  rebels  against  the  Jewish  and 
Roman  governments ;  or  confined  them,  as  lunatics,  in  a  bedlam. 

IV.  Christ  was  raised  from  the  dead,  because  the  Apostles  con- 
rerted  mankind  to  his  religion. 

The  Aposdes,  from  the  beginning  to  the  end,  published  the  story 
of  Christ's  resurrection,  as  the  proof  of  his  mission,  and  doctrines  ; 
and  as  the  foundation,  on  Avhich  rested  their  own  commission, 
and  the  truth  of  the  religion,  which  they  taught.  To  prove  the 
reality  ql'  his  resurrection,  they  publicly  declared,  that  he  had  in- 
vested them  with  the  power  of  working  miracles,  on  all  occasions  ; 
and  openly  asserted,  that  they  were  possessed  of  this  power. 
Here,  then,  the  cause  was  fairly  at  issue  between  them  and  man< 
kind.  If  they  wrought  miracles,  in  proof  of  this  story  ;  the  story 
was  true  of  course ;  because,  as  I  observed  in  a  preceding  dis- 
course, none,  but  God,  can  work  a  miracle  ;  and  God  cannot 
support  a  falsehood. 

That  this  was  the  real  profession  of  the  Aposdes,  is  unitedly  tes- 
tified, without  one  dissenting  voice,  by  all  antiquity ;  Heathen, 
Jewish,  and  Christian.     It  is,  therefore,  certainly  true. 

If  the  Aposdes,  after  having  made  this  profession,  did  not  work 
miracles ;  they  were  convicted  of  falsehood  in  a  moment.  Their 
cause  fell  at  once :  for  they  had  jested  it  wholly  on  this  single 
fact.     The  weakest  man  would  see    at  a  glance,  that  they  were 


28G  RESURRECTION  OF  CHRIST.  [3ER.  LXIl- 

cheats,  and  liars ;  and  could  never  place  the  least  confidence  in 
any  of  their  declarations.  They  could  not,  therefore,  have  made 
a  single  convert. 

But  they  did  convert  a  great  part  of  the  civilized,  and  not  a 
small  part  of  the  savage,  world.  They,  therefore,  certainly  wrought 
miracles,  in  the  manner  which  they  professed,  as  proof  of  the  re- 
ality of  Christ's  resurrection.  The  resurrection  of  Christ  was  of 
course  real.  God  set  to  it  his  own  seal;  and  placed  it  beyond 
every  reasonable  doubt. 

That  the  Apostles  wrought  miracles,  in  great  numbers,  is  com- 
pletely proved,  also,  by  the  united  testimony  of  Heathen,  Jews,  and 
Christians.  All  these  classes  of  men  were  deeply  interested  to 
deny  this  fact,  if  it  could  with  any  pretence  be  denied.  The  Heath- 
en and  Jews  w  ould  certainly  have  denied  it ;  because  they  wished 
to  prevent,  as  far  as  possible,  other  Heathen  and  other  Jews  from 
embracing  Christianity  ;  and  because,  if  they  could  have  supported 
the  denial,  they  would  have  stopped  the  growth  of  that  religion  in 
its  infancy.  Christians  would  have  denied  it,  that  is,  such  as  be- 
came Christians  in  consequence  of  a  belief  in  these  miracles  under 
any  illusion,  which  could  have  been  practised  on  them,  because 
they  would  certainly  have  detected  the  cheat ;  and  must  have 
strongly  resented  the  villany,  by  which  it  had  been  played  off  upon 
themselves.  I  say  these  things,  admitting  the  supposition,  that  the 
imposture  might  succeed  for  a  time.  But,  to  my  own  view,  such 
success  must  plainly  have  been  impossible. 

All  these  persons  have,  however,  agreed  in  asserting  that  the 
Apostles  wrought  miracles.  The  Jews  and  Heathen  attributed  them 
to  magic.  Christians,  under  the  influence  of  their  conviction,  that 
miracles  were  thus  wrought,  hazarded,  and  yielded,  every  enjoy- 
ment of  life,  and  very  often  life  itself. 

We  have  now,  if  1  do  not  mistake,  come  to  the  clear  and  certain 
conclusion,  that  Clu'ist  was  raised  from  the  dead  by  the  power  of 
God.  But  if  Christ  was  raised  from  the  dead  ;  it  follows  by  irre- 
sistible consequence,  that  he  was  approved  of  God  ;  and  of  course 
that  he  was  the  Son  of  God,  and  the  promised  Messiah  ;  sent  from 
Heaven  to  communicate  the  Divine  will  to  mankind  concerning  their 
<3uty  and  salvation.  The  religion  which  he  taught,  is  in  all  its  parts 
Divine  truth  ■,  the  will  of  our  Maker;  and  the  sum,  and  substance, 
of  all  our  interest  and  duty.  Of  course,  it  cannot  be  rejected 
without  infinite  hazard  ;  it  cannot  be  embraced  without  complete 
assurance  of  infinite  gain :  the  favour  of  God  in  this  world,  and 
eternal  life  in  the  world  to  come. 


SERMON  LXIII. 


AMIABLENESS    OF    CHRIST    IN    PUBLISHING    THE    GOSPEL    TO    MAN- 
KIND. 


Isaiah  Hi.  7. — How  beautiful  on  the  mountains  are  the  feet  of  him  that  bringetk 
good  tidings  ;  that  publisheth  peace  ;  that  bringetk  good  tidings  of  good  j  that  pub- 
lisheth  salvation  ;  that  saith  unto  Zion,  Thy  God  reigneth. 

In  a  long  series  of  discourses  I  have  investigated,  minutely,  the 
Character  and  Mediation  of  Christ ;  and  have  considered  his  Divine 
and  human  nature ;  his  Offices,  as  a  Prophet,  Priest,  and  King;  his 
Miracles  ;  and  his  Resurrection.  I  shall  now  close  this  great  and 
interesting  subject  of  Theology  by  attempting  to  exhibit,  summa- 
rily, the  Excellency  and  Amiableness  of  Christ,  as  manifested  in  his 
interference  on  the  behalf  of  mankind. 

In  the  text,  the  prophet  Isaiah  presents  to  us  the  advent  of  a 
Messenger  of  good  tidings  to  mankind.  This  Messenger  is  repre- 
sented as  announcing  to  the  world  ^ooJ,  or  happiness,  at  large  ;  as 
publishing  peace,  salvation,  and  the  glorious  news,  that  the  God, 
■who  reigns  universally,  is  the  God  of  Zion.  His  appearance  is 
exhibited  by  the  Prophet  as  filling  his  own  mind  with  astonishment 
and  ecstasy.  Nothing  could  more  forcibly  convey  to  us  the  proph- 
et's rapturous  sense  of  the  importance  of  these  tidings,  or  his  ex- 
alted views  of  the  messenger  who  brought  them,  than  the  manner, 
in  which  he  dwells  on  these  subjects,  in  the  repeated  and  fervid 
exclamations  of  the  text.  When  the  soul  becomes  the  seat  of 
strong  emotions,  and  especially  when  it  is  agitated  by  strong  alter- 
nations of  wonder  and  joy ;  it  usually  fmds  language,  in  every  form 
of  phraseology,  too  feeble  to  give  full  vent  to  its  feelings,  or  to  con- 
vey them  to  others  with  such  force,  as  to  satisfy  the  demands  either 
of  the  imagination  or  the  passions.  When  we  ourselves  feel,  we 
wish  others  to  feel ;  and  when  our  emotions  become  peculiarly  ar- 
dent, we  are  prone  to  fear,  that  the  corresponding  emotions  of  oth- 
ers will  be  less  vivid  than  we  desire.  The  mind,  in  this  case,  seizes 
the  most  forcible  language  within  its  reach ;  and,  conscious  that 
even  this  language  halts  behind  its  own  fervours,  naturally  seeks  to 
increase  the  impressions,  by  reiterating  them  in  new  and  more  ani- 
mated phraseology.  From  this  source  were  derived  the  exclamations 
of  the  text ;  peculiarly  suited  to  the  mind  of  Isaiah  /  whose  imagin- 
ation was  not  only  more  sublime,  but  on  all  occasions  more  ready 
to  glow,  than  that  of  any  other  writer. 

St.  Paul  apphes  this  text  to  the  Ministers  of  the  Gospel  general- 
ly; and  perhaps  more  especially  to  the  first  Ministers.     This  ap- 


288  AMIABLENESS  OF  CHRIST.  [3ER.  LXIH. 

[ilication  teaches  us,  decisively,  that  the  Gospel,  the  meaning  of 
wliic.li  word  you  know  is  merely  i^ood  tidings,  is  the  subject  of  the 
annunciation  in  tlic  text ;  and  that  Ministers  of  the  Gospel,  at  large, 
are,  in  a  loose  and  general  sense,  included  in  the  purjjort  of  these 
exclamations.  The  prophet,  however,  speaks  of  one  Messenger 
only  ;  and  this  Messenger  is  the  person,  who  publishes  the  Gospel 
to  mankind.  The  Lord  Jesus  Christ  is  undoubtedly  the  Messen- 
ger, here  intended  ;  by  whose  voice  the  Gospel  was  originally 
communicated  to  the  world.  The  Prophet,  who,  beyond  any- 
other  writer,  embodies  all  his  thoughts,  and  holds  them  out  to  the 
view  of  the  eye,  exhibits  this  divine  herald  as  advancing  over  the 
mountains  surrounding  the  city  of  Jerusa/em,  and  as  proclaiming 
joyful  news  to  its  inhabitants.  The  reader  is  transported  to 
the  spot ;  sees  this  illustrious  person  approach  ;  hears  him  pro- 
claim the  tidings,  which  he  comes  to  announce  ;  and  unites  with 
the  prophet,  and  his  exulting  countrymen,  in  their  joyful  exclama- 
tions. 

The  only  characteristical  circumstance,  on  which  the  prophet 
rests  in  the  text,  is  the  beauty  which  adorned  the  person  of  this  glo' 
rious  Messenger.  Hoio  beautiful  on  the  mountains  are  the  feet  of  him 
that  bringcth  good  tidings!  To  the  consideration  of  this  subject  I 
propose  to  devote  the  following  discourse. 

In  the  discussion  of  it  1  shall  consider, 

I.  The  Persons  to  whom  these  tidings  were  published : 

II.  The  tidings  themselves  :  and, 

III.  The  Messenger  who  published  them. 

I.  The  Persons  to  zvhom  these  tidings  zoere  published,  were  the 
children  of  Apostate  Adam. 

It  will  be  useful  to  the  design  which  I  have  proposed,  to  consider 
both  their  character  and  their  circiimstances. 

Their  character,  like  that  of  their  progenitor,  was  formed  of 
Apostacy.  Every  man,  who  searches  his  own  bosom,  or  examines 
the  conduct  of  his  own  life,  is  presented  with  irresistible  evidence, 
that  he  is  a  sinner.  Let  him  form  whatever  rule  of  life  he  is  pleas- 
ed to  prescribe,  by  which  his  duty  to  himself,  to  his  fellow-men, 
and  to  God,  ought,  even  in  his  own  view,  to  be  regulated  ;  and  he 
will  find  himself,  in  innumerable  instances,  a  transgressor  of  that 
rOle.  The  Heathen  Philosophers  anciently,  and  the  Infidels  of 
modern  times,  have  formed  such  rules.  IVeigh  them  in  their  own 
balances,  and  they  will  invariably  be  found  wanting.  Lax,  licen- 
tious, and  even  monstrous,  as  the  laws  are  which  they  have  pro- 
posed for  the  regulation  of  their  own  moral  conduct,  they  still  have 
not  obeyed  them  ;  and  will,  if  tried  by  them,  be  certainly  condemn- 
ed, liow  much  more  defective  do  they  appear,  when  examined 
by  the  dictates  of  a  sober  and  enlightened  conscience !  How  far 
more  defective,  when  tried  by  the  perfect  law  of  God !  Searched 
by  this  law,  it  will  be  uniformly  found,  and  every  man,  faithfully 


SER.  LXIII]  AMIABLENESS  OF  CHRIST.  o^g 

employed  in  the  search,  will  be  obliged  to  confess  that  in  onrfesh 
dwelleth  no  good  thing. 

Among  the  most  affecting  specimens  of  this  evil  character,  a 
conscientious  investigator  will  be  deeply  afflicted  with  those,  tdAj'c^ 
constitute  his  oxen  personal  debasement.  If  he  open  his  eye  on 
what  he  has  been,  and  what  he  has  done  ;  he  will  find  the  most 
abundant  reason  to  exclaim,  with  Job,  I  abhor  myself ,  and  repent 
in  dust  and  ashes.  He  will  find,  that  he  has  in  the  true  and  evan- 
gelical sense,  neither  loved  God,  nor  man  ;  that  he  has  neither  ac- 
cepted of  his  Saviour,  nor  repented  of  his  sins ;  that  he  has  neither 
laboured  to  be  a  blessing,  nor  even  endeavoured  not  to  be  a  nuis- 
ance to  the  divine  kingdom.  Instead  of  worshipping  God  in  spirit 
and  in  truth^  according  to  the  first  dictates  of  his  conscience,  and 
of  revelation,  he  will  find,  that  he  has,  in  truth,  prostrated  himself 
to  gold,  to  office,  to  fame,  and  to  pleasure.  Instead  of  the  exact 
justice,  unwavering  truth,  and  expansive  benevolence,  of  the  Gos- 
pel, he  will  see,  written  in  the  volume  of  his  life  with  a  pen  of  iron, 
a  succession  of  melancholy  scenes,  and  acts  of  unkindness,  insin- 
cerity, and  injustice;  all  contrived,  and  finished,  by  a  mind  shrunk 
with  selfishness,  swollen  with  pride,  heated  with  anger,  debased 
with  avarice,  and  steeled  with  insensibility.  Page  after  page  he 
will  see  stained  with  the  licentious  wanderings  of  an  impure  imagin- 
ation, and  deformed  by  the  malignant  purposes  of  an  envious,  an- 
gry, and  revengeful  spirit.  In  vain  will  his  eye,  pained  with  these 
narratives  of  shame  and  sin,  wander  from  one  leaf  to  another 
with  an  anxious,  inquisitive  search,  to  find  the  delightful  records  of 
filial  confidence,  submission,  and  gratitude,  to  the  Creator;  or  the 
sweet  and  cheering  remembrances  of  Evangelical  charity  towards 
those  around  him ;  or  a  portrait  of  himself,  which  shall  be  a  fair 
counterpart  to  that  of  the  good  Samaritan.  In  vain  will  he  watch 
and  explore  the  humiliating  story,  to  glean  from  it  refreshing  recol- 
lections of  self-purification,  the  refinement  of  his  mind,  the  amend- 
ment of  his  heart,  or  the  cleansing  of  his  life.  Over  himself  he 
will  find  the  most  distressing  reasons  to  mourn,  as  over  a  graceless 
and  ruined  child  ;  ruined,  on  the  one  hand,  by  the  gratification 
of  pernicious  appetites  and  passions,  and  on  the  other,  by  a  sense- 
less, thoughtless  indulgence,  doting  with  a  mixture  of  idiocy  and 
madness. 

The  public  exhibitions  of  the  human  character  are  still  more 
striking  displays  of  human  guilt.  Almost  the  only  government  of 
mankind  has  been  tyranny.  Almost  all  the  conduct  of  nations  may 
be  summed  up  in  the  rage  of  plunder,  the  fury  of  war,  and  the 
frenzy  of  civil  discord.  Men  seem  to  have  thought  their  bless- 
ings too  numerous,  and  too  great,  and  the  duration  of  their  life  too 
long.  Accordingly  they  have  robbed  each  other  of  the  former, 
shortened  the  latter,  and  struggled  hard  to  reduce  both  to  nothing. 
At  what  time  has  human  blood  ceased  to  flow  ?  In  what  country 
have  rage  and  revenge   ceased  to  desolate  ?     When,  and  where 

Vol.  II.  37 


iyO  AMIABLENESS  OF  CHRIST.  [SER.  LXIIf 

have  the  cries  of  mourning  and  misery  ceased  to  resound  ?  The 
groans  of  suffering  have  echoed  from  California  to  Japan.  The 
stream  of  sorrow  has  flowed  without  interruption  for  six  thousand 
years.  On  all  the  public  concerns  of  man ;  on  every  nation, 
on  every  age ;  havie  been  labelled  Lamentation,  Mourning,  and 
Wo! 

Such  has  been  the  conduct  of  man  towards  man.  Not  less 
shameful,  not  less  guilty,  has  been  the  conduct  of  man  towards  his 
Maker.  Instead  of  rendering  to  this  glorious  Being, zuAose  weave, 
and  whom  we  are  bound  to  serve,  the  direct,  instinctive  homage  of 
the  heart,  and  cheerful  obedience  of  the  hands;  instead  of  ac- 
knowledging his  rightful  government,  rejoicing  in  his  divine  per- 
fections, and  voluntarily  labouring  to  accomplish  his  exalted  pur- 
poses ;  we  have  said  to  him  with  one  united  voice  :  Depart  from 
us  ;  for  we  desire  not  the  knowledge  of  thy  ways.  For  Jehovah, 
the  only  living  and  true  God,  mankind  have  substituted  deities, 
formed  by  the  imagination,  graven  by  art,  and  molten  in  the  fur- 
nace. The  forest  has  been  scoured,  the  ocean  swept,  and  the  sky 
ransacked,  for  objects  of  worship.  The  world  has  prostrated  it- 
self before  men,  deformed  with  villany,  and  putrid  with  pollution. 
The  knee  has  bent  to  the  ox,  the  snake,  the  frog,  and  the  tiy.  Nay, 
the  heart  has  yielded  its  homage,  prayers,  and  oblations,  to  the 
stock  of  a  tree ;  and  parents  have  sacrificed  their  children  to  the 
great  enemy  of  God  and  man.  Look  over  the  long  page  of  his- 
tory ;  and  you  will  be  astonished  to  see  how  rarely  a  country  is 
mentioned,  and  how  rarely  a  period  occurs,  in  which  you  would  be 
willing  to  have  lived. 

But  guilt  is  not  the  only  ingredient  of  the  human  character.  It 
is  scarcely  less  humble  and  insignificant,  than  it  is  guilty.  We  are 
born  of  the  dust,  allied  to  worms,  and  victims  to  corruption.  Weak, 
ignorant,  frail,  perishing,  and  possessed  only  of  an  ephemeral  ex- 
istence, we  still  are  proud;  proud  of  our  reason  with  all  its  errors, 
and  of  our  temper  with  all  its  sins.  We  claim  a  kindred  to  An- 
gels; but  by  a  voluntary  slavery  to  passion  and  appetite,  assimi- 
late ourselves  to  the  beasts  which  perish.  We  boast  loudly  of  the 
dignity  of  our  nature ;  and  prostitute  that  nature,  daily,  on  objects 
of  shame,  and  remorse,  and  to  purposes,  which  we  would  not,  for 
a  world,  have  known  even  to  our  nearest  friends.  What  a  dread- 
ful display  of  our  character  would  our  thoughts,  wishes,  and  de- 
signs, make  to  mankind,  if  they  were  all  printed  in  a  volume,  and 
read  even  by  such  eyes  as  ours  !  How  few  thoughts  do  we  form, 
which  we  should  be  willing  to  have  an  Angel  know!  How  few 
purposes,  over  which  an  Angel  would  not  weep  ! 

In  this  character,  at  the  same  time,  we  are  immoveably  fixed 
and  perverse.  No  event  in  the  immense  providence  of  God  has  con- 
tributed to  prove,  that  there  is  in  a  sinful  mind  a  tendency  to  ren- 
ovation. Arguments  plead,  reason  testifies,  judgments  warn,  and 
mercies  allure,  in  vain.     The  sinful  heart  is  incased  in  adamant 


SER.  LXIII.J  AMIABLENESS  OF  CHRIST.  291 

and  is  proof  even  to  the  arrows  of  the  Almighty.  God  calls  ear- 
nestly, and  continually;  but  we  refuse.  He  stretches  out  hjis  hand, 
both  to  smite  and  to  heal,  but  we  disregard. 

In  consequence  of  our  Character,  our  Circumstances  have  be- 
come deplorable.  The  law  of  God,  with  an  unalterable  sentence, 
has  declared,  that  the  soul  which  sinneth  shall  die.  As  a  prelude  to 
the  execution  of  this  penalty,  thorns  and  briers  have  overspread  this 
melancholy  world.  Toil  and  care,  and  suftering,  disease  and  death, 
entered  paradise,  the  moment  it  was  polluted  by  sin  ;  withered  all 
its  bloom ;  and  blasted  its  immortality.  Death,  the  dreadful  ofl- 
spring  of  this  dreadful  parent,  has  claimed  the  earth  as  his  empire, 
and  mankind  as  his  prey.  All  nations  have  perished  under  his 
iron  sceptre  ;  the  young  man  and  maiden,  old  men  and  children. 
Half  mankind  has  he  compelled  to  the  grave  in  the  dawn  of  child- 
hood ;  and  converted  the  world  into  one  vast  burying  ground.  We 
■walk  on  human  dust ;  and  the  remains  of  men  once  living,  are  turn- 
ed up  by  the  plough,  and  blown  about  by  the  wind. 

From  this  deplorable  lot,  and  the  guilty  character  of  which  it 
is  the  reward,  there  was,  independently  of  Christ's  Mediation,  no 
escape  ;  and  to  both  there  was  no  end.  With  heaven  our  com- 
munication was  cut  off.  No  messenger  ever  came  from  that  de- 
lightful world,  to  sooth  the  fears,  or  awaken  the  hopes,  of  man- 
kind, concerning  a  future  existence.  If  in  the  vast  of  being,  or 
the  boundless  extent  of  divine  Benevolence,  good  was  laid  up  in 
store  for  them;  it  was  unknown.  No  tidings  of  relief  or  hope,  no 
intimations  of  forgiveness  or  reconciliation,  had  ever  reached  this 
desolate  region.  Eternity,  solemn  and  awful  in  itself,  and  more 
solemn  and  awful  from  its  obscurity,  became  intensely  dreadful  to 
beings,  who  could  make  no  claims  to  acceptance,  and  find  no 
solid  ground  of  hope. 

To  such  beings,  how  delightful  must  be  any  tidings  of  good !  How 
much  more  delightful,  tidings  of  extensive  good !  How  transport- 
ing, tidings  of  such  good,  which  by  their  certainty,  banished  dis- 
trust and  doubt  from  the  Soul ! 

II.  The  Nature  of  these  tidings  next  demands  our  consideration. 
This  is  exhibited  in  fve  forms  of  phraseology  :  That  bringeth 
good  tidings  ;  that  publisheth  peace  j  that  bringeth  good  tidings  of 
good ;  that  publisheth  salvation  ;  that  saith  unto  Zion,  Thy  God 
reigtieth.  The  frst  and  third  of  these  forms  indicate,  generally, 
that  the  tidings  are  good,  or  joyful ;  and  tidings  concerning  good 
of  great  value.  The  remaining  forms  teach  us  the  nature  of  that 
good. 

In  the  two  frst  mentioned  forms  of  expression,  we  are  assured, 
that  the  subject  of  these  tidings  is  real  good,  attainable  by  iis,  re- 
served by  God  for  our  enjoyment,  certain,  future,  and  immortal. 
Good  fitted  for  the  enjoyment  of  such  minds  as  ours ;  such  as  God 
himself  esteems  real  good  ;  and  such  as  it  becomes  his  character 
to  proffer,  and  to  bestow.     The  tidings  concerning  this  glorious 


292  AMIABLENES5  OF  CHRiaT.  [3ER.  LXIH. 

allotment  are,  also,  in  themselves  pronounced  to  be  good  ;  because 
they  are  sincere  and  certain,  and  because  they  communicate  easy 
and  cirectual  means  of  making  it  ours. 

It  is  styled,  in  the  second  phrase,  Peace.  Peace  is  the  cessation 
of  war,  or  contention  ',  and  in  the  present  case,  the  cessation  of  our 
hostility  zoith  God,  ourselves,  and  our  fellow-men.  The  soul  of 
Man  is  at  war  with  his  Maker.  The  great  subject  of  controversy, 
here,  is  our  obedience  to  his  Will.  This  He  requires,  and  we  re- 
fuse. Nothing  can  terminate  the  contest,  but  our  submission  :  for 
it  cannot  be  supposed,  that  the  Creator  will  bend  his  own  pleasure 
to  the  rebellious  spirit  of  his  creatures.  In  announcing  these  tidings 
to  mankini^l,  Christ  first  proclaims  to  them,  that  God  is  willing  to 
be  reconciled.  This  is  intelligence,  which,  before  the  mediation 
of  Christ  commenced,  could  never  have  gained  credit,  even  in  the 
world  of  benevolence  itself.  Angels  knew  no  reward  for  revolt 
from  their  Creator,  but  final  rejection  :  the  reward,  to  which  their 
own  companions  had  been  irrevocably  condemned.  With  wonder 
and  amazement  they  saw  a  new  system  of  dispensations  commenc- 
ing in  this  apostate  world,  and  heard  forgiveness  and  reconciliation 
proclaimed  to  man.  Humble  as  was  our  origin,  guilty  and  little  as 
was  our  character,  we  were  commanded,  invited,  and  entreated, 
to  lay  down  the  weapons  of  our  warfare ;  to  return  to  God  our  du- 
ty, and  our  happiness  ;  and  to  receive  from  his  hands  peace,  com- 
mencing in  this  world  and  extending  its  benign  and  delightful  in- 
fluence throughout  eternity. 

The  sold,  reconciled  to  its  God,  becomes  at  once  reconciled  to  it- 
self. W^ith  himself  man  is  as  truly  at  war,  as  with  his  Maker.  A 
contention,  real,  unceasing,  and  violent,  is  carried  on  between 
the  conscience  and  the  passions.  Conscience  claims  to  control 
the  man,  as  her  original  and  rightful  province.  Against  this  claim 
a  mob  of  furious  passions  revolt ;  and  demand,  and  wrest  out  of 
her  hands,  the  controverted  dominion.  As  in  all  cases,  where  the 
order  established  by  God  becomes  inveiled ;  so,  here,  every  real 
interest  is  sacrificed.  The  soul  is  debased  with  guilt,  harassed  by 
fear,  tossed  by  a  tempest  of  conflicting  desires,  wounded  with  re- 
morse, and  hastened  onward  to  final  destruction.  Conscience,  in 
the  mean  time,  infixes  all  her  stings  into  the  heart  of  this  miserable 
subject  of  domestic  discord,  and  holds  up  her  awful  mirror  before 
his  eyes;  presenting  him  with  an  exact  and  terrible  portrait  of 
himself;  pale;  languid;  sickly  with  mental  diseases ;  his  spiritual 
life  already  gone;  and  himself,  both  soul  and  body,  destined 
speedily  to  an  eternal  grave.  But  when  the  soul  submits  to  its 
Maker,  and  bows  its  own  will  to  his,  the  man  becomes  reconciled 
to  himself.  The  control  of  Conscience  is  not  only  permitted,  but 
chosen.  The  froward  passions,  like  stubborn  children,  who  have 
renounced  their  filial  impiety,  bend  with  a  gentleness  and  serenity, 
before  unknown,  to  a  dominion,  now  first  discovered  not  only  to 
be  safe,  but  easy,  reasonable,  and  delightful.     No  longer  a  seat 


SCR.  LXIII]  AMIABLK.NESS  OF  CHRIST.  293 

of  confusion  and  discord,  the  soul  becomes,  henceforth,  a  mansion 
of  peace  and  harmony ;  where  sweet  afiections  rise  and  operate, 
under  the  control,  and  the  approbation  of  Conscience.  The  man 
is  reconciled  to  himself;  and,  turning  his  eye  inward,  beholds 
henceforth  a  prospect  beautiful  and  lovely ;  an  image  of  heaven  ; 
a  resemblance,  faint  and  distant  indeed,  but  still  a  real  resem- 
ijlance,  to  the  character  of  his  Maker. 

Peace  with  our  fellow -men  is  the  natural  consequence  of  peace 
zoith  ourselves  ;  not  indeed  necessarily,  nor  uniformly  ;  but  always, 
so  far  as  they  are  possessed  of  the  sam.e  blessing,  and  under  the 
influence  of  die  same  disposition.  While  the  same  internal  hostihty 
{predominates  in  them,  they  are  unfitted  to  be  at  peace  with  God, 
or  man.  But  the  period  is  hastening,  when  this  happy  state  of 
mind  shall  be  (he  state  of  all  men,  and  peace  shall  prevail  on  earth, 
according  to  the  full  import  of  the  hymn,  sung  by  Angels  at  the 
birth  of  the  Saviour.  The  tidings  of  the  text  will  then  be  illus- 
triously realized;  and  man,  at  peace  with  his  Maker,  and  himself, 
will  be  at  peace  also  with  all  bis  fellow-men.  The  confused  noise 
of  the  bailie  of  the  zvarrior  will  then  be  heard  no  more;  and  gar- 
ments be  seen  no  more  rolled  in  blood.  Violence  shall,  then,  be 
no  more  heard  in  the  world  ;  wasting,  nor  destruction,  within  its 
borders.  The  earth,  no  longer  convulsed  by  human  passions  ;  no 
longer  gloomy  and  desolate  with  the  miseries  of  human  conflicts  ; 
will  assume  the  aspect  of  a  delightful  morning  in  the  spring ;  where 
all  is  verdant  and  blooming  beneath,  and  all  is  bright  and  glorious 
above. 

In  the  fourth  of  these  forms  of  expression,  this  good  is  styled 
Salvation. 

Salvation  denotes  a  deliverance  from  evil,  and  an  introduction 
to  the  enjoyment  of  good.  In  the  present  case,  both  the  evil  and 
the  good  are  immeasurable. 

The  evil  is  two-fold  j  a  compound  of  sin  and  misery  ;  both  imper- 
fect in  this  world,  and  both  finished  in  the  world  to  come.  From 
both,  in  this  world,  the  deliverance  announced  is  partial ;  begin- 
ning from  nothing,  and  enlarging,  and  ascending,  with  a  constant, 
diough  unequal  progress  towards  perfection.  The  soul,  before  a 
mass  of  deformity  and  corruption,  begins  to  be  adorned  with  life, 
and  grace,  and  beauty.  With  it  angels  love  to  commune  ;  on  it  God 
is  pleased  to  look  with  complacency. 

From  future  sin  and  future  misery  the  deliverance  is  complete. 
With  death,  our  last  sins  terminate ;  and  our  last  misery  is  under- 
gone. Cast  your  eyes  forward  through  the  vast  of  duration  ;  and 
think  w^hat  it  would  be  to  sin  and  sufler  for  ever.  How  amazing 
the  evil !     How  astonishing  the  deliverance  ! 

The  good  announced  is  two-fold  also  ;  a  glorious  union  of  Virtue 
and  Enjoyment :  like  the  evil,  imperfect  here,  and  consummate 
hereafter.  The  Virtue  of  man  in  his  present  state  is  infantine ; 
tottering  with  an  unsettled  step,  and  lisping  with  half-formed  ac. 


294  AMIABLENESS  OF  CHRIST.  [SER.  LXIH 

cents.  In  the  future  state,  the  Mind,  advanced  to  perfect  manhood. 
is  completely  sanctified  ;  and  cannot  fail  of  being  completely  bless- 
ed. To  Enjoyment  and  Virtue  that  state  is  wholly  destined. 
Every  thing  found  in  it,  as  once  in  the  earthly  paradise,  blossoms 
with  life  and  happiness,  and  like  Mdam,dL\\  its  inhabitants  are  form- 
ed for  immortality. 

In  the  lust  phrase,  of  the  Text,  this  good  is  disclosed  to  us  in  the 
declaration  ;  that  saith  unto  Zion,  Thy  God  reigneth. 

God,  the  Author  of  all  being,  is  the  source  of  all  good.  Every 
good  gift,  in  this  and  all  other  worlds,  arid  every  perfect  gift,  is  from 
above;  and  comclh  down  from  the  Father  of  lights,  zoilh  whom 
is  no  variableness,  neither  shadow  of  turning.  From  llim,  the 
ocean,  tlow  all  those  streams  of  holiness,  which  water,  enrich,  and 
beautify,  his  immeasurable  kingdom.  His  Character,  his  moral 
Essence,  is  Love ;  and,  wherever  happiness  is  found,  it  may  justly 
be  said,  that  the  name  of  every  blessing,  is  like  that  of  the  City 
seen  in  vision  by  Ezekiel,  The  Lord  is  there. 

With  these  tidings  resounding  in  their  ears,  the  children  of  Zion 
may  joyfully  say.  This  God  is  our  God  for  ever  and  ever.  To  their 
present  and  everlasting  good  his  boundless  power,  wisdom,  and 
goodnes"*,  are  by  himself  graciously  consecrated.  To  renew,  pu- 
rify, preserve,  protect,  enlighten,  guide,  quicken,  and  save,  them  in 
this  world;  and  to  form  them  in  his  own  perfect  image,  and  exalt 
them  to  his  own  perfect  felicity  in  the  world  to  come;  is  declared 
to  be  his  constant  and  favourite  employment.  In  that  glorious  and 
happy  world,  he  will  unveil  his  face  to  them ;  and  give  them  to  see 
(ts  they  are  see7i,  and  to  know  as  they  are  known.  In  the  smiles  of 
forgiving,  redeeming,  and  sanctifying,  love,  they  will  there  rove, 
and  bask,  and  brighten,  for  ever. 

III.   I  shall  consider  the  Messenger,  who  published  these  tidingx. 

In  the  investigation  of  this  subject  I  shall  inquire, 

Who  he  was  ; 

What  he  became  ; 

What  he  did;  and, 

What  he  suffered. 

1st.  He  was  a  Person  of  supreme  glory  and  dignity. 

This  divine  Person  was,  from  everlasting,  undenved,  independ- 
ent, all-sufficient,  and  unchangeable,  in  his  being,  wisdom,  good- 
ness, and  power.  All  things  were  the  work  of  his  hand,  and  lay 
beneath  his  feet.  At  the  head  of  a  kingdom,  filling  immensity  and 
eternity,  he  was  ;  and  in  comparison  with  him  there  was  none  else. 
All  nations  before  him  were  as  nothing  ;  and  were  counted  unto  him 
as  less  than  nothing,  and  vanity.  Angels  in  his  presence  veiled 
their  faces  ;  and  Archangels  durst  not  attempt  to  penetrate  the  un- 
approachable light,  with  which  he  clothed  himself  as  with  a  gar- 
ment. To  obey  him  was  their  highfest  honour ;  to  please  him  was 
their  greatest  happiness.  In  his  service  they  employed  all  their 
powers,  and  found  all  their  transports.     Suns  lighted  up  their  fires 


SER.  LXIII.]  AMIABLENE33  OF  CHRIST.  09 5 

at  his  bidding ;  systems  rolled,  to  fulfil  his  pleasure  ;  and  to  ac- 
complish his  designs,  immensity  was  stored  with  worlds,  and  their 
inhabitants. 

2dly.  He  was  rich  in  all  good. 

All  things  were  not  only  made  by  him,  but  for  him.  They  were 
his  property;  they  were  destined  to  fulfil  his  pleasure.  When  he 
looked  on  all  the  beauty,  greatness,  and  glory,  conspicuous  in  the 
beings  which  compose,  and  which  inhabit,  the  Universe ;  He  be- 
held nothing  but  the  works  of  his  own  hands,  reflecting  the  bound- 
less beauty,  greatness,  and  glory,  wdiich,  in  forms  and  varieties  in- 
finite, were  treasured  up  from  everlasting  in  his  own  incomprehen- 
sible mind.  If  he  chose  to  bring  into  existence  any  additional 
number  of  creatures,  to  display  new  forms  and  varieties  of  power, 
wisdom,  and  goodness,  pre-existent  in  his  own  perfect  mtellcct,  his 
choice  would  instantaneously  give  them  being.  To  the  Universe, 
which  he  had  made,  he  could  with  infinite  ease  add  another,  and 
another ;  and  fill  with  worlds,  and  suns,  and  systems,  those  deso- 
late wilds  of  immensity,  where  the  wing  of  Angels  never  ventured 
to  rove,  and  whither  no  created  mind  ever  sent  out  a  solitary 
thought.     Thus  the  Universe  of  possible  things  was  his  own. 

He  was  rich  in  the  veneration  and  good-will,  the  complacency  and 
gratitude,  of  all  virtuous  beings.  Heaven,  throughout  her  vast  re- 
gions, had  from  the  beginning  echoed  to  his  praise.  The  Morning- 
stars  had  sung  his  perfections  from  their  h'wih,,  and  the  Sons  of  God 
shouted  h]s  name  for  joy.  The  everlasting  hymn  of  that  exalted 
and  delightful  world  had  ever  been,  Blessing,  and  honour,  and  glory, 
and  power,  be  unto  our  God  that  sitteth  on  the  throne,  and  unto  the 
Lamb  for  ever  and  ever :  and  to  this  divine  ascription  every  virtu- 
ous world  had  continually,  as  well  as  solemnly,  answered,  Amen, 

He  7vas  rich  in  himself.  His  own  mind  was  the  mansion  of  all 
things  great,  excellent,  and  delightful.  Pure  from  every  stain,  free 
from  every  error,  serene  without  a  cloud,  secure  beyond  a  fear, 
and  conscious  of  w^isdom  and  holiness  only,  himself  was  an  ocean 
of  eternal  and  overflowing  good. 

He  was  rich  in  the  complacency  of  his  Father.  He  was  from  ever- 
lasting his  beloved  Son,  in  whom  he  was  ever  rvell  pleased.  From 
everlasting  was  he  by  him,  as  one  brought  up  mth  him.  He  was 
daily  his  delight,  rejoicing  alzvay  before  him.  In  the  transcendent 
communion  of  the  ever-blessed  Trinity  he  experienced  enjoyment, 
which  no  created  eye  hath  seen,  or  can  see  j  and  which  no  mind, 
less  than  infinite,  can  conceive.  On  this  subject  beings  of  yester- 
day must  not  presume  to  expatiate.  With  the  deepest  reverence, 
they  can  only  exclaim,  //  is  higher  than  heaven,  what  can  we  know  ? 

2dly.  This  glorious  Person,  to  accomplish  the  good,  announced  in 
these  tidings,  became  man. 

Although  he  was  originally  in  the  form  of  God,  and  thought  it  no 
robbery  to  be  equal  with  God;  yet  he  made  himself  of  no  reputation, 
took  upon  him  the  form  of  a  servanty  and  was  made  in  the  likenesi^ 


oijc  AMIABLENE9S  OF  CHRIST.  [SER.  LXIIL 

of  men.  In  this  character  of  immense  humiliation,  he  hvod  in  this 
sinful,  melancholy  world.  To  man,  7o/<o  is  a  worm,  and  iht  son 
of  man,  who  is  hut  a  worm,  he  allied  himself  by  birth,  kindred,  and 
character.  All  the  infirmities  of  our  nature,  except  sin,  he  vol- 
untarily assumed ;  sprang  from  a  humble  lineage  ;  lived  in  a  hum- 
ble employment ;  was  united  to  humble  companions  ;  and  was  in- 
variably in  humble  circumstant  es.  So  depressed  was  he  in  all 
things,  that  he  himself  has  thought  proper  to  say,  /  am  a  worm 
and  no  man. 

3(lly.  In  this  situation  he  did  all  things  xoell. 

His  life  was  filled  up  with  usefulness  and  duty  ;  was  laborious 
beyond  example  ;  and  was  wholly  consecrated  to  the  glory  of  God, 
and  the  good  of  mankind.  In  conformity  to  this  great  purpose,  he 
spent  all  the  former  part  of  his  life  in  an  illustrious  discharge  of  the 
duties  of  filial  piety.  In  his  public  ministry,  he  taught,  with  un- 
cea.-ing  diligence,  the  Law  of  God  -,  the  ruin  of  man  by  his  diso- 
bedience 5  and  the  tidings  of  his  recovery  by  his  own  Mediation. 
The  way  of  life  he  marked  out  with  an  unerring  hand  :  the  means 
of  life  he  disclosed  with  a  benevolent  voice.  The  duties,  to  which 
man  is  summoned,  he  exemplified  in  his  own  perfect  conduct.  The 
hopes,  which  man  was  invited  to  cherish,  he  portrayed  in  colours 
of  light.  The  door  of  heaven,  shut  before  to  this  Apostate  world, 
he  unbarred  with  his  own  })0wer;  and  love  invited  labouring  and 
heavy  laden  sinners  to  enter  in,  and  find  rest.  Wandering  pro- 
digals, perishing  with  want  and  nakedness,  and  lost  to  the  universe 
of  God,  he  sought,  and  found,  and  brought  home  to  his  Father's 
house  rejoicing.  Wretches,  dead  in  tresjjassts  and  sins,  he  raised 
to  spiritual  and  immortal  life.  This  vast  earthly  catacomb  he  en- 
tered ;  and  summoned  together  by  his  voice  the  bones  of  the  im- 
mense congregation  in  its  gloomy  recesses,  bone  to  his  bone.  The 
♦  host  of  skeletons  he  covered  with  ilcsh;  and  bj-eathing  upon  tiieni 
the  breath  of  life,  bade  them  sta7id  upon  their  feet,  as  an  exceeding 
great  army  for  7nullitude. 

To  accomplish  this  Divine  purpose,  he  underwent  every  humilia- 
tion, and  every  suflTcring.  He  was  born  in  a  stable,  and  cradled  in  a 
manger.  The  greatest  part  of  his  life  he  spent  in  the  humble  and  la- 
borious business  of  a  mechanic  ;  and  literally  earned  his  bread  ivith 
the  sweat  of  his  broro.  Poor  beyond  the  common  lot  of  poverty, 
he  had  not,  while  ministering  immortal  blessings  to  a  world,  a  place 
where  to  lay  his  head.  For  all  the  suHering  he  wrought  miraculous 
works  of  beneficence;  but  the  jjower,  with  which  they  were 
wrought,  ready  at  the  call  of  others,  was  rarely  exerted  for  himself. 
At  the  same  time,  he  was  hatcil.  and  persecuted  day  by  day. 
Wickedness  employed  all  its  hostility  against  him;  its  pride  and 
cunning;  its  malice  and  wrath  ;  cajunuiiated  his  name,  invaded  his 
peace,  and  hunted  his  life.  By  his  friends  he  was  betrayed  and 
forsaken.  By  his  enemies  he  was  accused  of  drunkenness  and 
gluttony,  of  impiety  and  blasphemy,  of  being  the  friend  of  sinners, 


SER.  LXIII]  AMIABLENLSS  OF  CHRIST.  297 

and  the  coadjutor  of  Satan.  From  the  agonies  of  Gethsemane  he 
was  conveyed  successively  to  the  iniquitous  tribunal  of  the  Sanhe- 
drim ;  to  the  bloody  hall  of  Pilate ;  to  the  cross  ;  and  to  the  tomb. 
At  the  close  of  a  life,  spent  in  bitterness  and  sorrow,  he  consum- 
mated all  his  sufferings,  by  undergoing  that  last  and  greatest  of  all 
evils,  the  wrath  of  God,  poured  out  upon  him  as  the  substitute  for 
sinners. 

All  these  things  he  foresaw,  when  he  brought  these  tidings  to 
mankind.  They  were  always  before  him;  and  were  indispensa- 
ble parts  of  that  Mediation,  which  he  voluntarily  assumed.  They 
were  undergone,  therefore,  in  a  continual  anticipation.  Every 
day  he  was  literally,  a  man  of  sorrows,  and  acquainted  with  grief. 
In  the  full  view  of  them  all,  he  came  to  this  world,  to  proclaim 
peace  and  salvation  to  those,  who  despised,  rejected,  and  perse- 
cuted him  ;  who  nailed  him  to  the  cross,  and  compelled  him  to 
the  grave.  To  these  very  men  he  announced  all  good ;  himself; 
his  favour;  his  kingdom;  his  house;  his  presence;  his  everlasting 
joy.  Think  what  tidings  these  are.  Think  to  whom  they  are 
published. 

Thus,  from  a  summary  view  of  this  subject,  Christ,  in  publishing 
these  tidings  to  mankind,  appears  invested  with  supreme  amiable- 
ness  and  beauty.  No  attribute,  which  forms,  no  action  which 
becomes,  the  perfect  character,  is  wanting  in  him.  With  all  things 
in  his  hands ;  with  all  excellence  and  enjoyment  in  his  mind  ;  he 
pitied  us,  miserable  worms  of  the  dust ;  descended  from  heaven ; 
became  man  ;  lived,  and  died,  and  rose  again ;  that  we  might  live 
for  ever.  With  his  own  voice  he  proclaimed,  in  the  tidings  of  the 
text,  the  very  things,  which  he  has  done,  and  suffered,  and  the  infi- 
nite blessings,  which  in  this  manner  he  has  purchased  for  mankind. 
"There  is  now,"  he  cries,  '■'•glory  to  God  in  the  /./^/le*^,  while  there 
is  peace  on  earth,  and  good-will  towards  men.  In  this  ruined  world, 
so  long  enveloped  in  darkness,  so  long  deformed  by  sin,  so  long 
wasted  by  misery ;  where  guilt,  and  sorrow,  and  suffering,  have 
spread  distress  without  control,  and  mourning  without  hope :  where 
war  and  oppression  have  ravaged  without,  and  remorse  and  des- 
pair consumed  within;  where  Satan  has  exalted  his  throne  above 
the  stars  of  God,  while  its  sottish  millions  have  bent  before  him  in 
religious  worship ;  in  this  ruined  world,  where,  since  the  Apostacy, 
real  good  was  never  found,  and  where  tidings  of  such  good  were 
never  proclaimed  ;  even  here,  I  announce  the  tidings  of  expiated 
sin;  a  pardoning  God;  a  renewing  Spirit;  an  opening  heaven; 
and  a  dawning  immortality.  Here  peace  anew  shall  lift  her  ohve 
branch  over  mankind.  Here  salvation  from  sin  and  wo  shall 
anew  be  found  :  and  here  God  shall  dwell,  and  reign,  the  God  of 
Zion.  Come  unto  me,  all  ye  that  labour,  and  are  heavy  ladeii ;  and 
I  will  give  you  rest.  Incline  your  ear,  and  hear,  and  your  soul  shall 
live :  and  I  will  make  an  everlasting  covenant  with  you,  even  the 
$ure  mercies  of  David.     The  Spirit  of  Jehovah  is  upon  me,  because 

Vol.  II.  38 


298  AMIABLENESS  OF  CHRIST.  [SER.  LXIIT 

he  hath  anoinled  me  to  preach  good  tidings  U7ito  the  meek  ;  he  hath 
sent  me  to  hind  up  the  broken-hearted^  to  proclaim  liberty  to  the 
captives,  and  the  opening  of  the  prison  to  them  that  are  bound.  I 
will  greatli/  rejoice  in  the  Lord  j  my  soul  shall  be  joyful  in  my  God  f 
for  he  hath  clothed  me  7vith  garments  of  sahalion  j  he  hath  covered 
me  xcith  the  robe  of  righteousness ;  as  a  Bridegroom  dccketh  himstlf 
with  ornaments  ;  as  a  Bride  udorneth  herself  with  jtwels.^'' 

Every  Messenger  of  good  news  is,  of  cojrso,  desirable  and 
lovely  in  the  eyes  of  those,  who  are  deeply  interested;  and  a  part 
of  that  lustre,  belonging  to  the  tidings  themselves,  is  by  a  natural 
association  diffused  around  him,  by  whom  they  are  borne :  espe- 
cially because  he  is  regarded  as  voluiUarily  announcing  good  to 
us,  and  as  rejoicing  in  our  joy.  How  glorious,  how  lovely,  then, 
does  Christ  appear,  when  coming  with  all  the  inlierent  splendour 
and  beauty  of  his  character,  and  the  transcendent  dignity  of  his 
station,  to  proclaim  to  us  tidings  infinitely  desirable,  of  good  infi- 
nitely necessary  and  infinitely  great !  Men  to  him  were  wholly 
unnecessary.  Had  all  their  millions  been  blo(ted  out  of  the  king- 
dom of  God ;  they  would  not  even  have  left  a  blank  in  the  creation. 
With  a  word  he  could  have  formed,  of  the  stones  of  the  street, 
other  millions,  wiser,  better,  and  happier  ;  more  dutiful,  and  more 
desirable.  How  divinely  amiable  does  he  appear,  when  the  ti- 
dings, which  he  brings,  are  tidings  of  his  own  arduous  labours  on 
our  behalf,  and  of  his  own  unexampled  sufferings  :  labours  and  suf- 
ferings, without  which  good  tidings  could  never  have  reached  us, 
and  real  good  never  been  found  in  this  miserable  world  !  How 
divinely  amiable  does  he  appear,  when,  notwithstanding  the  apos- 
tacy  and  guilt  of  the  race  oi'  Adam,  he  came,  of  his  own  accord,  to 
publish  these  tidings  of  immortal  good  to  rebels  and  enemies ;  and 
while  proclaiming  them,  rejoiced  in  the  habitable  parts  of  the  earth, 
and  found  his  delights  with  the  sons  of  men  ! 

What,  then,  must  be  the  guilt,  what  the  debasement,  of  those, 
who  are  regardless  of  the  glorious  declarations,  hostile  to  the  be- 
nevolent designs,  and  insensible  to  the  perfect  character,  of  this 
Divine  herald  !  How  blind,  and  deaf,  and  stupid,  must  they  be  to 
all  that  is  beautiful,  engaging,  and  lovely  !  How  grovelling  must 
be  their  moral  taste  !  How  wonderful  their  neglect  of  their  own 
well-being  !  How  evidently  is  their  ingratitude  as  the  sin  of  witch- 
craft, and  their  stubbornness  as  iniquity  and  idolatry  !  Were  these 
tidings  to  be  proclaimed  in  hell  itself;  one  can  scarcely  fail  to  im- 
agine, that  all  the  malice,  impiety,  and  blasphemy,  in  that  dreary 
world,  would  be  suspended  ;  that  fiends  would  cease  to  conflict 
with  fiends;  that  sorrow  would  dry  the  stream  of  never-ending 
tears ;  that  remorse  would  reverse,  and  blunt,  his  stings  ;  that  De- 
spair would  lift  up  his  pale  front  with  a  commencing  smile ;  that 
the  prisoners  of  wrath,  (then  prisoners  of  hope)  would  shake  their 
chains  with  transport ;  and  that  all  the  gloomy  caverns  would  echo 
to  the  sounds  of  gratitude  and  joy.  In  our  own  world,  once  equally 


3ER.  LXIII]  AMIABLENESS  OF  CHRIST.  299 

hopeless,  these  tidings  are  actually  proclaimed.     What  must  be 
the  spirit  of  those,  who  refuse  to  hear? 

But,  O  ye  followers  of  the  Divine  and  compassionate  Saviour; 
infinitely  different  is  the  wisdom,  displayed  by  you!  When  this 
Divine  Messenger  proclaims  to  you  peace  and  salvation;  when  he 
informs  you  that  he  has  died,  that  you  may  live  ;  when  he  demands 
of  you  cordially  to  embrace  his  atonement,  and  accept  his  interces- 
sion, you  cheerfully  hear,  believe,  and  obey.  Conscious  of  your 
own  guilty  character,  and  ruined  condition,  you  have  yielded  your- 
selves to  him,  with  all  the  heart,  in  the  humble,  amiable,  penitent, 
exercise  of  faith  and  love ;  and  finally  chosen  him  as  your  own 
Saviour.  On  your  minds  his  image  is  instamped  ;  in  your  life  his 
beauty  shines  with  real,  though  feeble,  radiance :  in  your  character 
his  loveliness  is  begun  :  in  your  souls  his  immortality  is  formed. 
On  you  his  Father  smiles,  a  forgiving  God.  On  you  his  Spirit 
descends  with  his  sanctifying  and  dove-like  influence.  To  you  his 
word  unfolds  all  his  promises;  his  daily  favour;  his  everlasting 
love.  To  you  hell  is  barred  ;  and  all  its  seducing  and  destroying 
inhabitants  confined  in  chains.  Heaven  for  you  has  already  opened 
its  everlasting  doors  ;  and  the  King  of  glory  has  entered  in,  to  pre- 
pare a  place  for  you.  The  joy  of  that  happy  world  has  been 
already  renewed  over  your  repentance.  The  Spirit  of  truth  con- 
ducts you  daily  onward  in  your  journey  through  life,  and  in  your 
way  towards  your  final  home.  Death,  your  last  enemy,  is  to  you 
deprived  of  his  strength  and  sting ;  and  the  grave  despoiled  of  its 
victory.  Your  bodies  will  soon  be  sown  in  the  corruption^  raeak- 
ness,  and  dishonour  of  your  present  perishable  nature,  to  be  raised 
in  the  incorruption,  power,  and  glory,  of  immortality.  Your  souls, 
cleansed  from  every  sin,  and  stain,  antl  weakness,  this  Divine  Mes- 
senger will  present  before  the  throne  of  his  Father  without  spot,  or 
wrinkle,  or  any  such  thing  y  to  be  acquitted,  approved,  and  blessed. 
In  the  world  of  light,  and  peace,  and  joy,  enlarged  with  knowl- 
edge, and  refined  with  evangelical  virtue,  he  will  unite  you  to  the 
general  assembly  of  the  frst-born,  and  to  the  innumerable  company 
of  Angels  ^  will  make  you  sons,  and  priests,  and  kings  to  God,  and 
cause  you  to  live,  and  reign,  with  him  for  ever  and  ever.  All 
things  will  then  be  yours ;  you  zvill  be  Christ^s ;  and  Christ  will  be 
God''s.  Anticipate,  and  by  anticipation  enjoy  to  the  full,  this  di- 
vine assemblage  of  blessings;  they  are  your  birth-right.  But, 
while  you  enjoy  them,  deeply  pity,  and  fervently  pray  for,  your 
foolish,  guilty,  and  miserable  companions. 


SERMON  JLXIV, 

CONSEQUENCES  OF  CHRIST'S  MEDIATION. 
JUSTIFICATION. JUSTIFICATION     BY     THE     FREE    GRACE    OF    GOD. 


RoHAirs  iii.  24. — Being  justified  freely  by  his  grace,  through  the  redemption,  which 
is  in  Christ  Jesus. 

IN  the  series  of  sermons,  which  I  have  preached  hitherto,  as 
part  of  a  system  of  Theology,  I  have  considered  the  Existence  and 
Perfections  of  God ;  the  Disobedience  and  Apostacy  of  Man  ;  and 
the  Impossibility  of  his  justif  cation  by  his  own  righteousness  j  the 
Covenant  of  Redemption,  made  between  the  Father  and  the  Son;  the 
Character,  Mediation,  and  Offices,  of  Christ.       The  former  class  of 
subjects  constitutes  what  is  frequently  called  the  Religion  of  Nature; 
the    latter,  the  first   branches   of  the  Christian,  Remedial  system, 
grafted  upon  that  religion.     Perfect  beings  are  justified   by  their 
own  obedience  ;  since  they  fulfil  all  the  demands  of  the  divine  law. 
To  them,  therefore,  the  religion  of  nature  is  amply  sufticicnt  to  se- 
cure their  duty,  their  acceptance  with  God,  and  their  final  happi- 
ness.    Sinful  beings  cannot  thus  be  justified  ;  because  they  have 
not  rendered  that  obedience,  which  is  the  only  possible  ground  of 
justification  by  Law.     Of  course,  some  other  ground  of  justifica- 
tion is  absolutely  necessary  for  them,  if  they  arc  ever  to  be  accept- 
ed, or  rewarded.     For  this  the  religion  of  Christ  professes  to  have 
made  ample  provision.      In  my  examination  of  the  Character  and 
Offices  of  Christ,  I  have  attempted  to  show,  that  he  has  taught  all 
which  is  necessary  to  be  known,  believed,  or  done,  by  us,  in  order 
to  our  acceptance  with  God  ;    and  has  accomplished  the  expiation 
of  our  sins  in  such  a  mannci',  that  God,  in  justifying  us,  may  be  just 
to  himself,  and  to  the  Universe.     Thus  far,  it  is  hoped,  the  way  to 
our  return  from  our  A|10^tacy  has  been  made  clear  and  satisfactory. 
The  next  great  question,  to  be  asketl,  and  a  question  of  infinite 
moment  to  every  one  of  us,  is,  In  xohat  manner  do  zoe  become  inte- 
rested in  the  Mediation  of  Christ,  and  entitled  to  the  glorious  bless- 
ings which  he  has  purchased  for  man  ?     This  question  is  partially 
answered  in  the  text.     Here  we  are  said  to  be  justified  freely  by 
the  grace  of  God,  through  the  redemption  of  Christ  Jesus.      In  this 
declaration,  our  justification  is  immediately  connected  with  the  re- 
demption of  Christ,  as  its  meritorious,  or  procuring,  cause.      The 
source  of  it,  also,  on  the  part  of  God,  is  directly  asserted:  as  is  also, 
the  manner,  in  zohich  it  is  accomplished.     We  are  said  to  be  justified 


SEK.  LXIV]  JUSTIFICATION,  ii.c.  301 

freely^  and  just  ijied  by  his  grace.  All  this  is,  also,  said  to  be  done 
through,  by  means  of,  or  on  account  of,  the  redemption  of  Christ. 
These  subjects  are  intended  to  occupy  the  following  discourse. 

In  the  course  of  my  investigation  I  shall  consider, 

I.  In  what  sense  mankind  are  justified  under  the  Gospel. 

fl.   In  ivhut  sense  we  are  freely  justified  by  the  grace  of  God. 

I.  I  shall  consider  m  what  sense  mankind  are  justified  under  the 
Gospel. 

The  word  justify,  as  I  observed  in  a  former  discourse,  is  taken 
from  the  business  of  judicial  courts  ;  and  denotes  the  acquittal  of  a 
person,  tried  by  such  a  court,  xipon  an  accusation  of  a  crime.  The 
person,  accused,  being  upon  trial  found  innocent  of  the  charge,  is 
declared  to  be  just,  in  the  view  of  the  Law  ;  and,  by  an  easy  and  na- 
tural figure,  is  said  to  be  justified ;  that  is,  made  just.  In  this  ori- 
ginal, forensic  sense  of  the  term,  it  is  obvious  from  what  has  been 
s;ii  J  in  a  former  discourse,  that  no  human  being  can  be  justified  by 
the  law,  or  before  the  bar,  of  God.  As  all  mankind  have  disobeyed 
this  Law;  it  is  clear,  that  he,  zo  hose  judgment  is  invariably  accorc?- 
ing  to  truth,  must  declare  them  guilty. 

Still  the  Scriptures  abundantly  teach  us,  ihsit,  what  the  Lazv  could 
not  do,  in  that  it  was  weak  through  the  fiesh,  God,  sending  his  own 
Son  in  the  likeness  of  sinful  fiesh,  and  for  a  sin-ofering,  has,  by 
thus  condemning  sin  in  the  fiesh,  accomphshed  for  multitudes  of 
our  sinful  race.  It  is,  however,  certain,  that  justification,  when 
extended  to  returning  sinners,  must,  in  some  respects,  be,  of  course, 
a  thing  widely  difi'erent  from  justification  under  the  Law.  A  sub- 
ject of  law  is  justified  only  when  he  is  in  the  full  and  strict  sense 
just:  that  is,  when  he  has  completely  obeyed  all  the  requisitions  of 
the  law.  In  this  case,  his  obedience  is  the  only  ground  of  his  jus- 
tification :  and  is  all  that  is  necessary  to  it ;  because  he  has  done 
every  thing,  which  was  required  of  him;  and  no  act  of  disobedi- 
ence can  be  truly  laid  to  his  charge.  From  this  case,  that  of  the 
penitent,  under  the  Gospel,  differs  entirely.  He  has  been  guilty 
of  innumerable  acts  of  disobedience  ;  and  has  not  fulfilled  the  de- 
mands of  the  Law,  even  in  a  single  instance.  All  these  acts  of 
disobedience  are  truly  chargeable  to  him,  when  he  comes  before 
the  Bar  of  God  at  the  final  trial ;  nor  can  he  ever  be  truly  said  not 
to  have  been  guilty  of  them.  If,  therefore,  he  be  ever  justified  ; 
it  must  be  in  a  widely  difterent  sense  from  that,  which  has  been 
already  explained.  The  term  is,  therefore,  not  used  in  the  Gos- 
pel because  its  original  meaning  is  intended  here ;  but  because  this 
term,  figuratively  used,  better  expresses  the  thing  intended,  than 
any  other.  The  act  of  God,  denoted  by  this  term  as  used  in  the  Gos- 
pel, so  much  resembles  a  forensic  justification,  or  justification  by 
law,  that  the  word  is  naturally,  and  by  an  easy  ti-anslation,  adopted 
to  express  this  act. 

The  justification  of  a  sinner  under  the  Gospel,  consists  in  the  three 
folloiving  things:  Pardoning  his  sins  ;  Acquitting  him  from  the  pun- 


302  JUSTIFlCATlOiN  BY  THE  [6ER.  LXIV, 

ishment  which  they  have  deserved ;  and  entitling  him  to  the  rewards, 
or  blessings,  due  by  Law  to  perfect  obedience  only. 

In  order  to  form  clear  and  satisfactory  views  of  this  subject,  it 
will  be  useful  to  examine  the  situation  of  man,  in  his  progress  from 
ajjostacy  to  acceptance,  as  it  is  exhibited  in  the  Scriptures. 

In  the  covenant  of  redemption,  the  Father  promised  Christ,  that, 
if  he  shotdd  make  his  soul  a  propitiatory  sacrifce  for  sin,  he  should 
see  a  seed,  which  should  prolong  ihtir  days  :*  Or.  as  it  is  expressed 
by  God  in  the  89th  Psalm,  His  seed  shotdd  endure  for  ever,  and  his 
throne,  that  is,  his  dominion  over  them,  as  the  days  of  Heaven,  In 
this  covenant, /Aree  things  are  promised  to  Christ,  inconsequence  of 
his  assumption,  and  execution,  of  the  Mediatorial  office  :  Isl,  That 
a  seed  shall  be  giveyi  him;  '2d,  That  they  shall  endure  and  be  happy 
for  ever;  and  3d,  That  his  dominion  over  them  shall  be  co-extinded 
with  their  eternal  being.  It  was,  then,  certain,  antecedently  to 
Christ's  entrance  upon  the  office  of  Mediator,  that  he  should  not 
assume,  nor  execute,  it  in  vain  ;  but  should  receive  a  reward  for  all 
his  labours  and  sufferings ;  such  as  he  thought  a  sufficient  one ;  such 
as  induced  him  to  undertake  this  office,  and  to  accomplish  all  the 
arduous  duties  which  it  involved.  This  reward  was  to  be  formed 
of  rational  and  immortal  beings,  originally  apostate,  but  redeemed 
by  him  from  their  apostacy,  through  the  atonement,  made  for  their 
sins  by  his  sufferings  ;  particularly  his  death;  and  the  honour,  which 
he  rendered  to  the  divine  law  by  his  personal  obedience.  All  these 
redeemed  apostates  were  to  endure  for  ever  in  a  state  of  perfect 
holiness  and  happiness ;  and  both  this  holiness  and  happiness  were 
to  be  for  ever  progressive,  under  his  perfectly  wise  and  benevolent 
administration. 

In  this  covenant,  then,  it  is  promised,  that  the  persons  here  spo- 
ken of,  and  elsewhere  declared  to  be  a  great  multitude,  which  no 
man  can  number,  of  all  nations,  kindreds,  and  tongues,  should  be 
the  seed,  the  children  of  Christ;  his  property ;  and  that  not  only  in 
a  peculiar,  but  in  a  singular  sense ;  not  only  created  by  him,  as  all 
other  intelligent  beings  were,  but  redeemed  by  him  also ;  and  that 
at  the  expense  of  his  own  life. 

The  least  consideration,  however,  will  clearly  show  us,  that  sin- 
ners can  never  become  Christ's  in  any  such  sense,  as  to  be  accept- 
ed by  him,  unless  they  are  delivered  from  the  sentence  of  condem- 
nation, pronounced  against  them  by  the  law  of  God.  This  law,  I 
have  formerly  had  occasion  to  observe,  is  unalterable.  It  is  in  it- 
self perfect;  and  cannot  be  made  better.  God,  the  perfect  and 
unchangeable  Being,  cannot,  without  denying  his  perfection,  consent 
to  make  it  worse.  Besides,  He  has  declared,  that  the  Universe 
shall  sooner  pass  away,  than  one  jot,  or  one  tittle,  of  the  Law  shall 
pass,  until  all  shall  be  fulfllcd.  Yet  if  this  sentence  be  universal- 
ly executed,  the  reward,  pron}iscd  to  Clu-ist  in  the  covenant  of  re- 

'  Isaiah  liii    in.     Lowth. 


SBR.  LXIV]  FREE  GRACE  OF  GOD.  303 

demption,  viz.  the  immortal  holiness  and  happiness  of  those,  who 
in  that  covenant  were  promised  to  him  as  his  seed,  must  of  neces- 
sity fail.  This  sentence,  therefore,  will  not  be  universally  executed, 
because  such  an  execution  wom/c?  render  the  promise  of  God  of  none 
effect. 

Further;  all  who  are  involved  in  the  execution  of  this  sentence 
will  not  only  suffer,  but  also  sin  forever.  But  no  words  are  neces- 
sary to  prove,  that  a  collection  of  sinners,  continuing  to  sin  for 
€ver,  could  in  no  sense  constitute  a  reward  to  Christ,  for  his  labours 
and  suiferings,  in  the  work  of  redemption.  From  them  he  could 
receive  neither  love,  gratitude,  nor  praise.  In  their  character  he 
could  see  nothing  amiable,  nothing  to  excite  his  complacency.  In 
his  government  of  them,  his  goodness  and  mercy  would  find  no 
employment,  and  achieve  no  glory.  Nor  could  they  ever  be  his  in 
the  sense  of  the  covenant  of  redemption. 

Thus  it  is  beyond  a  doubt  evident,  that,  with  regard  to  all  those 
who  are  thus  promised  to  Christ,  the  sentence  of  the  Divine  Law 
will  not,  and  cannot,  be  executed ;  and  that,  when  they  appear 
at  their  final  trial,  they  will  be  acquitted  from  the  punishment  due 
to  their  sins,  and  delivered  from  the  moral  turpitude  of  their  char- 
acter. All  this  is  plainly  indispensable  to  the  fulfilment  of  the 
covenant  of  redemption.  Accordingly,  we  find  it  all  promised  in 
the  most  definite  manner,  wherever  the  subject  is  mentioned  in  the 
Gospel. 

The  first  step,  in  the  final  fulfilment  of  the  promises,  contained  in 
this  covenant,  towards  those  who  are  the  seed  of  Christ,  is  the  par- 
don of  their  sins.  Sin,  until  it  is  pardoned,  is  still  charged  to  the 
sinner's  account.  Hence,  he  is,  in  this  situation,  exposed  to  the 
punishment  which  it  has  deserved.  The  pardon  of  sin  is,  of  course, 
attended  by  the  exemption  of  the  sinner  from  punishment ;  so  much 
of  course,  that  these  things  are  usually  considered  as  but  one. 
They  ore,  however,  separable,  not  only  in  thought,  but  in  fact. 
We  do  not  always,  nor  necessarily  punish  offenders,  whom  we  still 
do  not  forgive.  The  offender  may  have  merited,  and  may  contin- 
ue to  merit,  punishment ;  and  yet  sufficient  reasons  may  exist,  why 
he  should  not  be  punished,  although  they  are  not  derived  from  his 
moral  character.  Forgiveness,  in  the  full  sense,  supposes  the  of- 
fender penitent ;  and  includes  an  approbation  of  his  character  as 
such,  and  a  reconciliation  to  him  of  the  person  who  forgives.  But 
these  things  are  not  involved  in  a  mere  determination  to  exempt  an 
offender  from  punishment.  On  the  part  of  God,  however,  in  his 
conduct  towards  returning  sinners,  these  things  are  not,  I  confess, 
separable  in  fact. 

But  the  sinner  might  be  forgiven,  and  acquitted  from  the  pun- 
ishment due  to  his  sins ;  and  yet  not  be  rendered  the  subject  of 
future  blessings  :  much  less  of  the  blessings,  promised  in  the  cove- 
nant of  redemption.  He  might  be  annihilated.  He  might  be 
placed  in  a  state  of  happiness  imperfect,   and  mixed,  like  that  of 


304  JUSTIFICATION  BY  THE  [SER.  LXIV. 

the  present  world;  or  he  might  be  ))l;i(:ed  in  a  slate  ol  liappiness 
unmixed  and  perfect,  and  yet  gr(;itly  inlerior  to  tliat,  Aviiich  will  \)e 
actually  enjoyed  by  the  penitent  children  oi  Adam.  Another  step, 
therefore,  indispensable  to  the  cc  nij)lete  fulfihiient  of  the  covenant 
of  redemption,  is  entitling  them  to  the  very  blessings,  which  are 
here  promised:  viz.  the  blessings  of  heaven  :  the  fir.-^t  blessings,  as 
I  may  hereafter  have  occasion  to  show,  in  the  kingdom  of  God. 

These  three  things,  which  1  have  specified,  as  being  involved  in 
the  justification  of  mankind,  are  all  clearly  included,  and  promised 
in  the  covenant  of  redemption  :  and  the  connexion  of  them,  or  of 
our  justification,  with  that  work,  as  the  only  foundation  on  which 
our  justification  can  rest,  is,  1  think,  too  manifest  from  what  has 
been  said,  to  be  doubted. 

Having  thus  stated  what  I  intend  by  justification  under  the  Gos- 
pel, I  shall  inquire, 

II.  In  what  sense  we  are  said  to  be  justified  freely  by  the  grace  of 
God. 

From  what  has  been  said  in  a  former  discourse,  concerning  the 
impossibility  of  justification  by  our  own  obedience,  it  is,  I  trust, 
evident,  that  our  justification  can  in  no  sense  nor  degree,  be  said 
with  truth,  to  be  merited  by  ourselves.  In  this  respect,  therefore, 
if  it  exist  at  all,  it  must  of  necessity  be  communicated  freely.  It 
will,  however,  be  necessary  to  a  satisfi'Ctory  explanation  of  this  sub- 
ject, to  examine  it  particularly ;  so  as  to  jirevent  any  misconcep- 
tion concerning  its  nature ;  and  so  as  to  obviate  any  objections, 
which  may  arise  in  the  minds  of  those  who  hear  me.  To  this  ex- 
amination it  will  be  indispensable,  that  1  settle,  in  the  beginning, 
the  meaning,  which  I  annex  to  the  term,  Grace,  on  wdiich  the  import 
of  the  proposition  depends. 

The  word  Grace,  is  used  by  the  inspired  w'riters  in  various 
senses. 

1st.  It  denotes  a  free  gift;  which  was,  perhaps,  its  original 
meaning : 

2dly.  The  free,  sovereign  love  of  the  Father,  Son,  and  Holy 
Ghost,  the  source  of  every  such  gift  from  God  : 

3dly.  The  efficacious  power  of  the  Holy  Gho^t  on  the  hearts  of 
mankind:  2  Corinthians  xii.  9. 

4thly.  That  state  of  reconciliation  with  God,  which  is  enjoyed  by 
Christians  :  Romans  v.  2. 

5thly.  Ayiy  virtue  of  the  Christian  character  :  and, 

6thly.  Any  particular  favour,  communicated  by  God:  Eph.  iii.  8. 

Beside  this,  in  common  use  it  denotes  gracefulness  of  person, 
deportment,  or  character. 

In  the  text,  it  is  manifestly  used  in  the  second  sense  ;  and  denotes 
the  free,  sovereign  love  of  God  ;  the  source  of  all  our  benefits. 

That  we  are  justified  freely  by  the  grace  of  God,  thus  understood, 
I  will  now  attempt  to  show  by  the  following  considerations  : 


SER.  LXIV]  FREE  GRACE  OF  GOD.  303 

1st.  Under  the  influence,  or  in  the  indulgence^  of  this  Love,  God 
formed  the  original  design  of  saving  mankind. 

The  law  of  God  is  a  perfectly  just  law.  But  by  this  law  man 
was  condemned,  and  finally  cast  off.  Justice,  therefore,  in  no 
sense  demanded  the  deliverance  of  mankind  from  condemnation. 
Of  course,  this  deliverance  was  proposed,  and  planned,  by  the 
mere  sovereign  mercy  of  God. 

2dly.  The  covenant  of  redemption  was  the  result  of  the  same 
mercy. 

In  this  covenant,  God  promised  to  Christ  the  eternal  happiness 
of  all  his  seed  ;  that  is,  his  followers.  Now  it  is  certain,  that  no 
one  of  these  obeyed  the  law  of  God.  This  was  certainly  foreknown 
by  God;  and  with  this  foreknowledge  he  was  pleased  to  promise 
ihis  glorious  blessing  concerning  creatures,  who  were  only  rebels 
and  apostates,  and  who  merited  nothing  but  wrath  and  indignation. 
Sovereign  love,  only,  could  operate  in  favour  of  such  beings  as 
these. 

3dly.  The  same  Divine  disposition  executed  the  work  of  redemp- 
tion. 

When  Christ  came  to  his  own ;  his  own  received  him  not.  On 
the  contrary,  they  hated,  opposed,  and  persecuted  him  through 
his  life ;  and,  with  a  spirit  still  more  malignant  and  furious,  put 
him  to  death. 

The  very  same  sp'frit  is  inherent  in  the  nature  of  all  men.  We 
ourselves,  who  condemn  the  Jews  as  Murderers,  still  with  the 
same  pertinacity  reject  the  Saviour.  We  neither  believe,  nor 
obey ;  we  neither  repent  of  our  sins,  nor  forsake  them  ;  we  neither 
receive  his  instructions,  nor  walk  in  his  ordinances.  Opposed  to 
him  in  our  hearts,  we  are  opposed  to  him,  also,  in  our  lives. 

The  same  opposition  prevails  in  the  whole  race  of  Adam.  Nor 
is  there  recorded  on  the  page  of  history,  a  single  known  instance, 
in  which  it  may  be  believed,  even  with  remote  probability,  that 
man,  from  mere  native  propensity,  or  an  original  goodness  of 
heart,  has  cordially  accepted  Christ.  Certainly,  nothing  but  the 
sovereign  love  of  God  could  accomplish  such  a  work,  as  that  of 
redemption,  for  beings  of  this  character. 

4thly.  The  Mission  and  Agency  of  the  Divine  Spirit  were  the  result 
ef  this  love  only. 

In  the  human  character  there  is  nothing  to  merit  the  interference 
of  this  glorious  person  on  the  behalf  of  mankind.  Cfu'ist  came 
to  seek,  and  to  redeem,  man,  because  he  was  lost.  The  Divine 
spirit  came  to  sanctify  him,  because  without  sanctification  he  was 
undone.  This,  the  very  fact  of  his  regeneration  unanswerably 
proves.  Regeneration  is  the  commencement  of  virtue  in  the  soul. 
Without  evangelical  love,  says  St.  Paul,  I  am  nothing  :  that  is, 
r  am  nothing  in  the  kingdom  of  God :  I  have  no  spiritual  or  virtuous 
existence.  From  the  necessity  of  regeneration,  then,  to  man ;  and 
the  fact,  that  he  is  regenerated ;  it  is  certain,  that  there  is  nothing 

Vol.  II.  '  39 


306  TUSTIKICATION  BY  THE  [SER.  LXIV. 

in  his  nature,  except  his  miserable  condition,  which  could  be  an 
inducement  to  the  Spirit  of  Grace  to  interfere  in  human  concerns. 
What  is  true  of  this  act  of  the  Divine  Spirit,  is  equally  true  of 
his  agency  in  enlightening,  quickening,  purifying,  and  sirenglhen- 
ing,  man  in  the  Christian  course,  and  conducting  him  finally  to 
heaven. 

5thly.  As  all  these  steps,  so  plainly  necessary  to  the  justification 
of  man,  are  the  result  of  the  unmerited  love  of  God;  so  his  justifi- 
cation itself  flows  entirely  from  the  same  love. 

Christ  in  his  sufferings  and  death  made  a  complete  atonement 
for  the  sins  of  mankind.  In  other  words,  he  rendered  to  the  law, 
character,  and  government,  of  God,  such  peculiar  honour,  as  to 
make  it  consistent  with  their  unchangeable  nature  and  glory,  that 
sinners  should,  on  the  proper  conditions,  be  forgiven.  But  the 
atonement  inferred  no  obligation  of  justice,  on  the  part  of  God,  to 
forgive  them.  They  were  still  sinners,  after  the  atonement,  in  the 
same  sense,  and  in  the  same  degree,  as  before.  In  no  degree 
were  they  less  guilty,  or  less  deserving  of  punishment. 

The  supposition,  incautiously  admitted  by  some  divines,  that 
Christ  satisfied  the  demands  of  the  law  by  his  active  and  passive 
obedience,  in  the  same  manner  as  the  payment  of  a  debt  satisfies 
the  demands  of  a  creditor,  has,  if  I  mistake  not,  been  heretofore 
j)roved  to  be  unfounded  in  the  Scriptures.  We  owed  God  our 
obedience,  and  not  our  property ;  and  obedience  in  its  own  nature 
is  due  from  the  subject  himself,  and  can  never  be  rendered  by  an- 
other. In  refusing  to  render  it,  we  are  criminal;  and  for  this 
criminality  merit  punishment.  The  guilt,  thus  incurred,  is  inherent 
in  the  criminal  himself,  and  cannot  in  the  nature  of  things  be  trans- 
ferred to  another.  All  that,  in  this  case,  can  be  done  by  a 
substitute,  of  whatever  character,  is  to  render  it  not  improper  for 
the  Lawgiver  to  pardon  the  transgressor.  No  substitute  can,  by 
any  possible  effort,  make  him  cease  to  be  guilty,  or  to  deserve  pun- 
ishment. This  (and  I  intend  to  say  it  with  becoming  reverence)  is 
beyond  the  ability  of  Omnipotence  itself.  The  fact,  that  he  is 
guilty,  is  past;  and  can  never  be  recalled. 

Thus  it  is  evident,  that  the  sinner,  when  he  comes  before  God, 
comes  in  the  character  of  a  sinner  only ;  and  must,  if  strict  justice 
be  done,  be  therefore  condemned.  If  he  escape  condemnation, 
then,  he  can  derive  these  blessings  from  mercy  only,  and  in  no  de- 
gree from  Justice.  In  other  words,  every  blessing,  which  he 
receives,  is  a  free  gift.  The  pardon  of  his  sins,  his  acquittal  from 
condemnation,  and  his  admission  to  the  enjoyments  of  heaven,  are 
all  given  to  him  freely,  and  graciously,  because  God  regards  him 
with  infinite  compassion,  and  is  therefore  pleased  to  corainunicate 
to  him  these  unspeakable  favours. 

Should  it  be  said,  that  God  has  promised  these  blessings  to  the 
penitent,  in  the  covenant  of  redemption,  made  with  Christ,  and  in 
the  covenant  of  grace,  made  with  the  penitent ',  and  has  thus  brought 


SER.  LXIV]  FREE  GRACE  OF  GOD  307 

himself  under  obligation  to  bestozo  them :  I  answer,  that  this  is  in- 
deed true,  but  that  it  affects  not  the  doctrine.  The  promise,  made 
in  these  covenants,  is  a  gracious  promise,  originated  by  the  Divine 
compassion.  Certainly,  this  procedure  on  the  part  of  God,  is  not 
the  less  free,  or  gracious,  because  he  was  pleased  to  publish  his 
own  merciful  design  of  accepting  penitent  sinners,  and  to  confirm 
it  to  them  by  a  voluntary  promise.  As  I  have  already  remarked^ 
every  part  of  the  Divine  conduct  towards  the  sinner,  every  spiritual 
blessing  which  the  sinner  receives,  antecedently  to  his  justification, 
is  the  result  of  grace  only,  or  a  sovereign  love.  These  preceding 
acts,  therefore,  being  themselves  absolutely  gracious,  can  never 
render  the  act  of  justifying  the  sinner  the  less  gracious,  or  render 
him  the  meritorious  object  of  that  justification,  to  which  he  could 
iiever  have  been  entitled,  but  by  means  of  these  preceding  acts  of 
grace.  The  promise  of  justification  was  made,  not  to  a  meritori- 
ous being,  but  to  a  sinner;  a  guilty,  miserable  rebel,  exposed  by 
his  rebellion  to  final  perdition.  The  fulfilment  of  this  promise  is 
an  act  equally  gracious  with  that  of  making  the  promise  itself. 

Should  it  be  said,  that  the  sinner  is  renewed,  antecedently  to  his 
justification  ;  and,  having  thus  hecovnt  a  holy  or  virtuous  being,  has 
also  beco?ne  either  wholly,  or  partially,  a  meritorious  object  of  justi- 
fication :  I  answer,  that  the  Law  of  God  condemns  the  sinner  to 
death  for  the  first  transgression.  Now  it  will  not  be  said,  that  the 
sanctified  sinner  is  not  chargeable  with  many  transgressions  ;  the 
guilt  of  which  still  lies  at  his  door,  and  for  which  he  may  noa;  be 
jusdy  condemned,  notwithstanding  his  repentance.  This,  it  is 
believed,  was  made  abundantly  evident  in  a  former  discourse  con- 
cerning the  impossibility  of  justification  by  our  own  obedience. 
The  sinner  therefore,  although  sanctified,  still  deserves  the  wrath 
of  God  for  all  his  transgressions  ;  and,  according  to  the  sentence 
of  the  Law,  must,  if  considered  only  as  he  is  in  himself,  be  finally 
punished. 

That  the  penitent  is  not  partially  justified  on  account  of  his  own 
merit  after  he  is  sanctified,  must,  I  thmk,  be  acknowledged,  if  we 
attend  to  the  following  considerations. 

1st.  It  will  be  admitted,  that  all  those,  who  are  sanctified,  are 
also  justified. 

Whom  he  called,  them  he  also  justified :  that  is,  he  justified  all 
those,  whom  he  called  effectually,  or  sanctified.  But  it  will  not  be 
denied,  that  some  persons  are  sanctified  on  a  dying  bed :  when  they 
have  no  opportunity  to  perform  any  works  of  righteousness,  which 
might  be  the  ground  of  their  justification.  The  case  of  the  penitent 
thief  w\\\,  I  suppose,  be  generally  acknowledged  to  be  substantially 
of  this  nature.  It  will  not  be  denied,  that  some  persons  are  sanc- 
tified from  the  womb  ;  as  were  Jeremiah  and  John  the  Baptist ;  nor 
that,  of  these,  some  die,  antecedently  to  that  period  of  life,  when 
they  become  capable  of  direct  acts  of  moral  good  and  evil.  The 
children  of  believing  parents,  dedicated  to  God,  and  dying  in  their 


308  JUSTIFICATION  BV  HIE  [SER.  LXIV 

infancy,  Avill,  I  suppose,  be  allowed  to  be,  universally,  instances 
of  this  kind.  Concerning  all  the  instances,  which  exist,  of  both 
these  classes,  it  must  be  acknowledged,  that  without  exception 
they  are  the  subjects  of  justification  ;  and  that  they  are  in  no  sense 
justified  on  account  of  their  own  righteousness  ;  but  solely  by  the 
free  grace  of  God,  on  account  of  the  righteousness  of  Christ.  If, 
then,  others  are  justified  partially,  on  account  of  their  own  right- 
eousness ;  justification  is  given  to  some  ot  mankind  on  one  ground^  . 
or  procuring  cause,  and  to  others  on  another,  and  very  different 
ground.  But  no  such  doctrine  is  any  where  taught,  or  even  hinted 
at,  in  the  Scriptures ;  and  1  presume,  that  no  intelligent  man,  ac- 
quainted with  them,  will  pretend,  that  any  such  diversity  exists  in 
the  justification  of  mankind. 

2dly.  The  Scriptures  no  zohere  teach  us,  that  we  are  justified 
partly  on  account  of  our  own  righteousjiess,  and  partly  on  account 
of  the  righteousness  of  Christ. 

St.  Paul,  in  the  27th  verse  of  the  context,  pursuing  the  subject 
of  justification  by  the  free  grace  of  God,  says,  Where  is  boasting, 
then  ?  It  is  excluded.  By  what  Law  ?  Of  works  ?  J^fay  ;  but 
by  the  law  of  faith.  Here  we  are  taught,  that  all  boasting  is  abso- 
lutely excluded;  and  that  it  is  excluded,  not  by  the  law  of  works, 
but  by  the  law  of  faith.  But  the  same  Apostle  says,  that  to  him 
that  7oorketh  the  reward  is  reckoned,  not  of  grace,  but  of  debt  :  that 
is,  the  reward  of  justification  and  its  consequences  would  be  due  to 
him,  who  received  it  on  account  of  his  works.  He,  then,  certainly 
might  boast :  that  is,  he  might  truly  say,  that  he  had  merited  justi- 
fication by  his  own  works.  If  he  had  merited  justification  partly 
by  his  own  works,  he  can  truly  boast  of  having  merited  that  part 
of  his  justification.  Boasting,  therefore,  cannot,  on  this  plan  of 
justification,  be  excluded.  Yet  the  Apostle  elsewhei-e  teaches  us, 
that  it  was  one  end  of  the  system  of  redemption,  as  established  by 
God,  that  no  flesh  shotdd  glory  in  his  presence,  but  that  he  who  glo- 
rieth,  should  glory  only  in  Christ.   1  Cor.  i.  29 — 31. 

Besides,  it  is  incredible,  if  this  doctrine  be  true,  that  no  mention 
of  it  should  be  made  in  the  Scriptures.  I  know  of  no  passage  in 
the  Scriptures,  so  much  relied  on  by  its  abettors,  as  the  discourse 
of  St.  James  in  the  2d  Chapter  of  his  Epistle.  In  a  future  dis- 
course I  design  to  examine  the  account,  given  of  this  subject  by 
St.  James;  and  expect  to  show,  that  he  furnishes  no  support  to  it. 
Should  I  succeed  in  this  expectation,  it  will  probably  be  admitted 
by  those  who  hear  me,  that  the  doctrine  finds  no  countenance  in 
the  Scriptures,  and  must  therefore  be  given  up. 

3dly.  The  works  of  the  best  men  never  fulfil  the  demands  of  the 
Law  ;  and  therefore  cannot  be  the  ground,  either  wholly,  or  partial- 
ly, of  their  justification. 

In  the  conclusion  of  the  7th  chapter  of  the  Epistle  to  the  Ro- 
mans, St.  Paul  describes  his  own  state,  as  it  was  when  he  wrote  this 
Epitfle ;  or,  generally,  after  his  conversion.     As  this  assertion  has 


SER.LXIV]  FREE  GRACE  OF  GOD.  309 

been  doubted ;  and  as  respectable  Divines  have  supposed  this  dis- 
course to  be  an  account  of  St.  PauPs  state  before  he  was  converted ; 
I  shall  attempt  to  prove  the  truth  of  my  assertion.  This  I  shall  do, 
very  summarily,  in  the  three  following  remarks, 

1st.  St.  Paul  observes,  verse  22d,  /  delight  in  the  law  of  God, 
after  the  inward  man.  This  assertion  was  never  true  of  any  man, 
antecedently  to  his  regeneration.  St.  Paul  does  not  say,  that  he 
approves  of  the  law  of  God.  This  would  have  been  a  declaration 
concerning  his  reason,  or  his  conscience.  But  he  says,  /  delight  in 
the  Law  of  God.  This  is  a  declaration  concerning  his  feelings  ; 
his  heart.  The  heart  of  an  unregenerate  man  never  yet  delighted 
in  the  Divine  Law. 

2dly.  In  the  24th  verse,  he  exclaims,  O  wretched  man,  that  lam  ! 
Who  shall  deliver  me  from  the  body  of  this  death  ? 

From  this  exclamation  it  is  certain,  that  the  evil,  from  which  St. 
Patd  so  passionately  wished  a  deliverance,  was  existing  at  the  time 
whca  the  passage  was  written.  But  at  the  time  when  the  passage 
was  written,  St.  Paul  had  been  a  convert  many  years.  The  evil 
existed,  therefore,  after  his  conversion. 

3dly.  In  the  25th  verse,  he  says,  So  then,  with  the  mind  I  myself 
serve  the  law  of  God. 

This  assertion  could  never  be  truly  made  concerning  any  unre- 
generate man.  The  mind  of  every  such  man,  we  know  from  the 
mouth  of  the  same  Apostle,  is  enmity  against  God ;  not  subject  to 
his  Law,  neither  indeed  can  be. 

The  account  given  by  St.  Paul  of  himself  in  this  chapter,  is,  then, 
an  account  of  his  moral  state,  at  the  time  when  the  chapter  was  writ- 
ten. As  St.  Paul  in  all  probabihty  was  inferior  to  no  other  mere 
man,  in  moral  excellence  ;  he  may  be  justly  considered  as  having 
given  us,  here,  a  description  of  Christians  in  their  very  best  state. 

But,  if  in  this  state  there  is  a  law  in  their  members,  warring 
against  the  law  of  their  minds,  and  bringing  them  into  captivity  to 
the  law  of  sin,  which  is  in  their  members  ;  if  when  they  would  do 
good,  evil  is  present  with  them  ;  so  that  the  good  which  they  would 
they  do  not ;  and  the  evil  which  they  would  not  they  do  ;  how  plain 
is  it,  that,  instead  of  meriting  justification  by  their  works,  they  daily 
violate  the  law  of  God,  provoke  his  anger,  expose  themselves  to 
condemnation,  and  stand  in  infinite  need  of  the  intercession  of 
Christ,  and  the  pardon  of  their  sins,  in  order  to  their  salvation  ! 

Besides,  the  very  best  actions  of  regenerated  men  are  imperfect ; 
and  fall  short  of  the  demands  of  the  Law.  This  position  is  so 
rarely  contested,  that  I  need  not  here  allege  arguments,  to  evince 
its  truth.  But  it  cannot  be  pretended,  that  an  obedience,  which 
does  not  even  answer  the  demands  of  the  Law  in  any  case,  but  is 
invariably  defective,  and  therefore  in  some  degree  sinful,  can  be 
the  ground  of  justification  to  any  man. 

I  have  now  finished  the  observations,  which  I  intended  concern- 
ing this  subject.    If  I  mistake  not,  they  furnish  ample  proof,  that  we 


310  JLSTIFICATIOM  BY  THE  L!~l^l^  LXIV 

are  jtislijicd  freely  by  the  grace  of  God,  through  the  redemption 
which  is  in  Christ  Jesus.  A  few  remarks  shall  conclude  the  dis- 
course. 

REMARKS. 

1  St.  From  what  has  been  said  it  is  evident,  that  the  salvation  of 
mankind  is  a  glorious  exhibition  of  the  character,  and  particularly 
of  the  Benevolence,  of  God. 

On  this  subject  1  cannot  dwell;  and  shall  only  observe  summari- 
ly, that  the  work  of  our  salvation  was  contrived,  and  accomplish- 
ed, by  God  alone :  that  the  means,  by  which  it  was  accomplished, 
viz.  the  Mediation  of  Christ,  and  the  mission  and  agency  of  the 
Holy  Ghost,  far  from  lessening,  only  enhance,  our  conceptions  of 
the  Divine  Benevolence,  displayed  in  this  work  :  that  the  good- 
will, manifested  in  doing  any  thing,  is  ever  proportioned  to  the  ef- 
forts, which  are  made  :  that,  in  the  present  case,  the  eftbrts,  actual- 
ly made,  are  the  most  wonderful,  which  have  been  disclosed  to  the 
Universe  ;  and  that  they,  therefore,  discover  the  good-will  of  the 
Creator  to  mankind,  in  a  manner,  and  in  a  degree,  wholly  unex- 
ampled. 

All  this,  at  the  same  time,  was  done  for  beings  entirely  imneces- 
sary  to  God.  In  himself,  therefore  ;  in  his  own  compassion  ;  must 
have  existed,  the  originating,  powerful,  and  productive  cause  of  this 
wonderful  event.  What  must  have  been  the  good-will  of  Him, 
who  sent  his  Son  to  seek,  and  to  save,  that  which  was  lost ;  and  to 
become  obedient  unto  death,  even  the  death  of  the  cross,  that  sinners 
and  rebels  might  live  ? 

2dly.  The  Socinian  objection  against  the  doctrine  of  the  Atone- 
merit,  that  it  is  opposed  to  the  Scriptural  account  of  the  exercise  of 
grace  in  our  justification,  is  here  seen  to  be  groundless. 

If  the  observations,  made  in  this  discourse,  are  true ;  the  doc- 
trine of  the  atonement,  instead  of  lessening,  or  destroying,  the  ex- 
ercise of  grace  in  our  justification,  only  renders  this  act  of  God 
more  eminently  gracious.  If  all  these  things,  which  have  been 
mentioned,  particularly  the  atonement  of  Christ,  were  necessary 
to  be  done,  in  order  to  the  salvation  of  mankind,  the  mercy,  which 
resolved  on  them  all,  is  far  more  strongly  displayed,  than  if  nothing 
more  had  been  necessary,  than  barely  to  forgive  the  sinner. 

3dly.  If  God  be  thus  merciful,  all  the  declarations  of  his  mercy 
ought  to  be  believed  by  us. 

The  disposition,  which  could  contrive,  and  execute,  these  things, 
of  its  own  mere  choice  ;  without  any  reward ;  without  any  expect- 
ation of  any  reward  ;  for  beings  equally  undeserving,  and  unne- 
cessary ;  can  do  all  things,  which  are  kind,  and  proper  to  be  done. 
Especially  can  this  disposition  carry  the  things,  which  it  has  con- 
trived, andbegun,intocomplete  execution.  To  do  this  is  its  own 
natural  bent ;  the  mere  progress  of  its  inherent  propensities.  The 
declarations  therefore,  which  manifest  the  determination  of  hira,  in 


SER.  LXIV]  FREE  GRACE  OF  GOD.  31 1 

whom  this  disposition  resides,  to  accompHsh  all  things  pertaining 
to  this  work,  ought  cordially,  as  well  as  entirely,  to  be  believed. 
To  distrust  them  is  equally  absurd,  and  guilty :  absurd,  because 
they  are  supported  by  the  most  abundant  evidence  •,  guilty,  be- 
cause the  distrust  springs  from  the  heart,  and  not  from  the  under- 
standing. 

Why  should  God  be  disbelieved,  when  he  declares,  that  he  has 
no  pleasure  in  the  death  of  the  sinner?  or  when  he  proclaims,  PVho- 
soever  will,  let  him  come,  and  take  the  zoater  of  life  freely  ?  If  he 
had  wished  to  punish  mankind,  for  the  gratification  of  his  own 
views,  or  pleasure,  could  he  not  have  done  it  with  infinite  ease? 
To  him  it  was  certainly  unnecessary  to  announce  the  forgiveness 
of  sin  ;  to  send  his  Son  to  die,  or  to  give  his  Spirit,  and  his  Word, 
to  sanctify,  and  save.  This  immense  preparation  depended  solely 
on  his  own  mere  pleasure.  He  might  have  suffered  the  law  to  take 
its  course.  He  might  have  annihilated,  or  punished  for  ever,  the 
whole  race  of  Adam ;  and  with  a  command  have  raised  up  a  new 
and  better  world  of  beings  in  their  stead.  Men  are  in  no  sense  ne- 
cessary to  God.  He  might  have  filled  the  Universe  widi  Angels 
at  once  ;  perfect,  obedient,  excellent,  and  glorious  beings ;  and 
been  loved,  praised,  and  obeyed,  by  them  for  ever.  Why  then, 
but  because  he  was  desirous  to  save  poor,  guilty,  perishing  men, 
did  he  enter  upon  the  work  of  their  salvation  ?  Why  did  he  give 
his  Son,  to  redeem  them  ?  Why  did  he  send  hi^  Spirit,  to  sanctify 
them  ?  Why  did  he  proclaim  glad  tidings  of  great  joy  unto  all  peo- 
ple? Why  does  he  wait  with  infinite  patience,  why  has  he  always 
waited,  to  be  gracious  ;  amid  all  the  provocations,  and  sins,  of  this 
polluted  world  ?  Why  are  the  calls  of  mercy,  after  being  so  long, 
and  so  extensively,  rejected  with  scorn  and  insult,  repeated  through 
one  age  after  another?  Why,  after  all  our  unbelief,  are  they  re- 
peated to  us  ?  Why  are  Ave,  after  all  our  transgressions,  assem- 
bled, this  day,  to  hear  them  ?  The  true,  the  only,  answer  is ;  God 
is  infinitely  kind,  merciful,  and  willing  to  save  to  the  uttermost. 

Let,  then,  this  glorious  Being  be  believed  without  distrust :  with- 
out delay.  Let  every  sinner  boldly  come  to  the  throne  of  grace ;  to 
the  door  of  life ;  and  be  assured,  that,  if  he  desires  sincerely  to 
enter,  he  will  not  be  shut  out. 


SERMON  LXV. 

JUSTIFICATION. THE    DUTY    OF    BELIEVING. 


RouANS  iii.  28 — Therefore  we  conclude,  that  a  man  is  justified  by  faith,  without  the 
deeds  of  the  Law  : 

MORE    CORRECTLY    RENDERED, 

Therefore  we  conclude,  that  Man  is  justified  by  faith,  without  works  of  Law. 

In  the  last  discourse,  I  attempted  to  show,  that  in  consequence 
of  the  redemption  of  Christ,  Man  is  justified  freely  by  the  grace  of 
God.  The  grace  of  God  is  the  source,  'he  moving  cause,  of  this 
blessing  to  mankind.  The  next  subject  of  consideration,  before 
us,  is  the  Means,  by  which  man,  in  the  economy  of  redemption,  be- 
comes entitled  to  this  blessing.  These,  in  the  text,  are  summed  up 
in  the  single  article,  Faith;  which  is  here  declared  to  be  the  instru- 
ment of  justification.  To  elucidate  this  truth  is  the  design,  with 
which  I  have  selected  the  present  theme  of  discourse. 

But  before  I  enter  upon  the  doctrine  in  form,  it  will  be  necessary 
to  remind  you,  that  an  Objection  is  raised  against  it  at  the  thresh- 
old ;  which,  if  founded  in  truth,  would  seem  to  overthrow  it  at 
once.  It  is  this  :  that  faith  is  so  far  from  being  of  a  moral  nature, 
as  to  be  necessary,  and  unavoidable :  man  being  absolutely  passive 
in  believing,  and  under  a  physical  impossibility  of  doing  otherwise 
than  he  actually  does  ;  whether  in  believing,  or  disbelieving.  Of 
course,  it  is  further  urged,  Jin  attribute,  governed  wholly  by  physical 
necessity,  can  never  recommend  us  to  God ;  much  less  become  the 
ground  of  so  important  a  blessing,  as  justification. 

It  will  be  easily  seen  that,  so  long  as  this  objection  has  its  hold 
on  the  mind,  and  is  allowed  its  full  import,  the  doctrine  of  justifi- 
cation by  faith  can  never  be  received,  unless  in  a  very  imperfect 
and  unsatisfactory  manner.  If  faith  is  a  thing,  over  which  wc 
have  no  control ;  if  we  believe  only  under  the  influence  of  a  physi- 
cal necessity,  and,  whether  we  believe  or  disbelieve,  it  is  physically 
impossible  for  us  to  do  otherwise  ;  then  it  is  plain,  that  Faith  is  so 
far  from  being  praiseworthy,  amiable,  and  capable  of  recommend- 
ing us  to  God,  as  to  merit  and  sustain  no  moral  character  at  all. 
According  to  this  scheme,  therefore,  faith  and  unbelief,  being 
equally  and  absolutely  involuntary  and  unavoidable,  can  never 
constitute  a  moral  distinction  between  men.  Faith  can  never  be 
an  object  of  the  approbation;  nor  unbelief  of  the  disapprobation 
of  God.  Much  less  can  we  be  praiseworthy  in  believing,  or 
blameable  in  disbelieving.  Still  less  can  we  on  one  of  these  grounds 
be  rewarded,  and  on  the  other  punisherl.     Least  of  all  can  we. 


SER.  LXV.]  THE  DUTY  OF  BELIEVING.  313 

in  consequence  of  our  faith,  be  accepted,  and  hhssod  for  ever ; 
and,  in  consequence  of  our  unbelief,  be  rejected,  and  punished  with 
endless  misery. 

All  these  things,  however,  are  directly  and  palpably  contradic- 
tory to  the  whole  tenoiir  of  the  Gospel.  In  this,  taith  is  approved, 
commanded,  and  promised  an  eternal  rew^ard.  Unbelief,  on  the 
contrary,  is  censured,  forbidden,  and  threatened  with  an  everlast- 
ing punishment.  Faith,  therefore,  is  the  hinge,  on  which  the  whole 
evangelical  system  turns.  {fy^  believe  not  that  I  am  he;  ye  shall 
die  in  your  sins;  He,  that  believeth  on  the  Son,  hath  everlasting  life  ; 
and  he  that  believeth  not,  shall  not  see  life  ;  are  declarations,  which, 
while  they  cannot  be  mistaken,  teach  us,  that  all  the  future  inte- 
rests of  man  are  suspended  on  his  faith  ;  and  are,  at  the  same  time, 
declarations,  to  which  the  whole  Evangelical  system  is  exactly 
conformed.  If,  then,  our  faith  and  disbelief  are  altogether  invol- 
untary, and  the  effect  of  mere  physical  necessity ;  God  has  annex- 
ed everlasting  life  and  everlasting  death,  not  to  any  moral  charac- 
ter in  man,  but  to  the  mere  result  of  physical  causes.  A  conse- 
quence so  monstrous  ought  certainly  not  to  be  admitted.  The 
Scriptures,  therefore,  must  be  given  up,  if  this  scheme  is  true. 

I  have  now,  I  presume,  shown  it  to  be  necessary,  that,  before  I 
enter  upon  the  discussion  of  the  doctrine,  contained  in  the  text,  this 
objection  shoidd  be  thoroughly  examined,  and  removed.  To  do  this, 
will  be  the  business  of  the  present  discourse. 

In  opposition  to  this  objection,  then,  I  assert,  that  Faith,  and  its 
opposite,  disbelief,  are,  in  all  moral  cases,  voluntary  exercises  of  the 
mind  ;  are  proper  objects  of  commands  a7id  prohibitions  ;  and  proper 
foundations  of  praise  and  blame,  rezvard  and  punishment.  This 
doctrine  I  shall  endeavour  to  prove  by  the  following  arguments  ; 
derived  both  from  Reason  and  Revelation  ;  because  the  objection, 
which  I  have  been  opposing,  has  been  incautiously  admitted,  at 
times,  by  Christians,  as  well  as  openly,  and  triumphantly,  alleged 
by  Infidels. 

1st.  Faith  is  everywhere  commanded  in  the  Scriptures. 

This  is  his  commandment,  that  ye  believe  on  the  name  of  his  Son, 
Jesus  Christ.  1  John  iii.  23.  J^ozo  after  that  John  zvas  put  in  pris' 
on,  Jesus  came  into  Galilee,  preaching  the  Gospel  of  the  Kingdom  of 
God,  and  saying.  The  time  is  fidflled  ;  and  the  Kingdom  of  God  is 
at  hand.  Repent  ye,  and  believe  the  Gospel.  Mark  i.  14,  15.  In 
tliese  two  passages,  we  have  the  command  to  believe  the  Gospel, 
delivered  by  Christ  in  form  ;  and  the  declaration  of  the  Evangel- 
ist, that  it  is  the  commandment  of  God,  that  we  believe  on  the  name 
of  his  Son  Jesus  Christ.  Whatever,  then,  we  understand  by  faith ; 
it  is  the  object  of  a  command,  or  law,  which  God  has  given  to 
mankind ;  a  thing,  which  may  be  justly  required,  and  of  course  a 
thing,  which  they  are  able  to  render  as  an  act  of  obedience,  at 
least  in  some  circumstances.  God  cannot  require  what  man  is  not 
physically  able  to  perform.     But  all  obedience  to  God  is  volunta- 

VoL.  II.  40 


314  IHK  DUTY  UF  BELIEVING.  [SER.  LXV. 

ry.  Nolhiiig  is,  or  can  bo,  demanded  by  him,  which  is  not  in  its 
nature  voluntary  ;  nor  can  any  thing,  but  the  will  of  Intelligent  be- 
ings, be  the  object  of  moral  law.  No  man  will  say,  that  a  brute, 
a  stone,  or  a  stream,  can  be  the  object  of  such  law.  Faith  there- 
fore, being  in  the  most  express  terms  required  by  a  law,  or  com- 
mand, of  God,  must  of  course  be  a  voluntary  exercise  of  the  mmd, 
in  such  a  sense,  t!)at  it  can  be  rightfully  required. 

Further  5  the  language  of  the  first  of  these  passages  most  evi- 
dently denotes,  that  the  command  to  believe  on  the  name  of  Jesus 
Christ  is  one  of  peculiar  and  pre-eminent  importance.  This  is  his 
commandment :  as  if  there  were  no  other  ;  or  no  other,  which  in  its 
importance  may  be  compared  with  this.  Here  St.  John  teaches  us, 
that  faith  is  pre-eminently  required  by  God,  in  a  manner  distinct 
from  that,  in  which  he  requires  other  acts  of  obedience  generally. 
Of  course,  faith  is  not  only  justly  required  of  mankind  by  God  ; 
but  is  required  in  a  manner  more  solemn,  than  many  other  acts, 
universally  acknowledged  to  be  voluntary. 

Accordingly,  a  peculiar  sanction  is  annexed  to  the  law,  requiring 
our  faith.  He  that  believeth  shall  be  saved^  and  he  that  believeth 
not  shall  be  damned. 

The  reward  and  the  penally,  here  announced,  are  the  highest 
which  exist  in  the  Universe  ;  and,  therefore,  directly  indicate  the 
obedience  and  the  disobedience  to  be  of  supreme  import.  Nothing 
can  be  a  stronger  proof,  that,  in  the  eye  of  God,  faith  and  unbelief 
are  voluntary,  or  moral  exercises  of  man. 

But  it  may  be  alleged,  that  the  faith,  enjoined  in  these  commands, 
is  not  a  mere  speculative  beliefs  and,  therefore,  not  the  faith,  rohich, 
in  the  geyieral  objection  opposed  by  me,  is  asserted  to  be  physically 
necessary  and  involuntary.  I  readily  agree,  that  the  faith,  here  en- 
joined, is  saving  faith;  and  that  this  is  not  mere  speculative  belief. 
But  such  a  belief  is  an  indispensable  part  of  saving  faith  ;  and  so 
absolutely  inseparable  from  it,  that  without  such  belief  saving  faith 
cannot  exist.  Saving  faith  is  always  a  speculative  belief,  joined 
with  a  cordial  consent  to  the  truth,  and  a  cordial  approbation  of  the 
object,  lohich  that  truth  respects.  When,  therefore,  saving  faith 
is  commanded;  speculative  belief,  which  is  an  inseparable  part  of 
it,  is  also  commanded.  It  is  not,  indeed,  required  to  exist  by  itself; 
or  to  be  rendered  without  the  accordance  of  the  heart.  But, 
whenever  saving  faith  is  required,  speculative  belief  is  absolutely 
required.  Of  course  speculative  belief  is,  at  least  in  some  degree, 
in  our  power ;  and  may  be  rendered  as  an  act  of  obedience  to 
God. 

To  him  who  believes  in  the  inspiration  of  the  Scriptures,  these 
passages,  and  many  others  like  them,  furnish  complete  proof,  that 
faith,  whether  saving  or  speculative,  is  an  act  of  the  mind,  which  is 
in  such  a  sense  voluntary,  as  to  be  the  proper  object  of  a  command, 
or  law  ;  that  it  may  be  justly  required  of  mankind ;  and  that  it 
cannot  be  either  refused  or  neglected  without  guilt. 


SER.  LXV.]  THE  DUTY  OF  BELIEVING.  315 

2dly.  The  universal  consent  of  mankind  furnishes  ample  proof 
that  faith  is,  in  many  instances,  a  voluntary,  or  moral  exercise. 

The  evidence  which  I  propose  to  derive  from  this  source,  lies  in 
the  following  general  truth  :  That  in  all  cases,  where  mankind  have 
sufficient  opportunity  thoroughly  to  understand  any  subject,  a)id  are 
under  no  inducement  to  judge  with  partiality,  their  universal  judg- 
ment is  right.  As  I  presume  this  truth  will  not  be  doubted  ;  1  shall 
not  attempt  to  illustrate  it  by  any  arguments.  That  the  present 
case  is  included  within  this  general  truth  is  certain.  Every  man, 
who  thinks,  at  all,  knows  by  his  own  personal  experience,  and  by 
his  daily  intercourse  with  other  men,  whether  his  own  faith,  and 
their's,  be  voluntary  in  many  instances,  or  not;  1  say,  in  many  in- 
stances j  because,  if  the  assertion  be  admitted  with  this  limitation, 
it  will  be  sufficient  for  my  purpose.  If,  then,  mankind  have  de- 
termined, that  faith  is  sometimes  voluntary,  the  doctrine,  against 
which  I  contend,  must  be  given  up. 

The  language  of  mankind  very  frequently  expresses  their  real 
views  in  a  manner,  much  more  exactly  accordant  with  truth,  than 
their  Philosophical  discussions.  Men  make  words,  only  when  they 
have  ideas  to  be  expressed  by  those  words,  and  just  such  ideas,  as  the 
words  are  formed  to  express.  If,  then,  we  find  words  in  any  lan- 
guage, denoting  any  ideas  whatever,  we  know  with  certainty,  that 
such  ideas  have  existed  in  the  minds  of  those,  by  whom  the  words 
were  used.  Whenever  these  ideas  have  been  derived  from  expe- 
rience and  observation,  we  also  know,  that  they  are  real,  and  not 
fantastical ;  and  are  founded,  not  in  imagination,  but  in  fact.  In 
all  languages,  are  found  words,  denoting  the  same  things  with  the 
English  terms,  candour,  fairness,  reasonableness,  impartiality,  and 
others,  generally  of  the  like  import.  The  meaning  of  all  these 
terms  is  clearly  of  this  nature  :  that  the  persons,  to  w  horn  they  are 
justly  applied,  use  their  faculties  in  collecting,  weighing,  and  ad- 
mitting, evidence,  in  a  manner  equitable  and  praiseworthy.  Ac- 
cordingly, all  persons,  who  do  this,  are  highly  esteemed,  and 
greatly  commended,  as  exhibiting  no  small  excellence  of  moral 
character. 

In  all  languages,  also,  there  are  words,  answ^ering  to  the  English 
words,  prejudice,  partiality,  unreasonableness ,  and  unfairness.  By 
these  terms,  when  applied  to  this  subject,  we  uniformly  denote  a 
voluntary  employment  of  our  faculties  in  collecting,  weighing,  and 
admitting  evidence,  conducted  in  a  manner  inequitable  and  blame- 
worthy. Accoriiingly,  persons,  to  whom  these  terms  are  justly 
applied,  that  is,  the  very  persons  who  employ  their  faculties  in  this 
manner,  are  universally  disesteemed,  and  condemned,  as  guilty  and 
odious. 

All  these  words  were  formed  to  express  ideas,  really  existing  in 
the  human  mind;  and  ideas, derived  from  experience  and  observa- 
tion. Of  course,  these  ideas  have  a  real  foundation  in  nature,  and 
fact ;  and  the  words  express  that  which  is  real. 


310  fHE  DUTY  OF  BELIEVING.  [SER.  LXV. 

As  ihc  lcini>  which  I  have  lurnlioiied,  arc  parts  of  the  customa- 
ry language  of  a  great  nation  ;  an(i  as  other  nations  have,  univer- 
sally, corres})ondi!ig  terms ;  it  is  certain,  that  tliese  are  the  ideas 
of  all  men  ;  every  where  presented  by  experience  and  observa- 
tion ;  derived  from  facts,  and  grounded  in  reality.  The  common 
voice  of  mankind  ha.s,  therefoi-'.-,  decided  the  question  in  a  manner, 
which,  1  appiehend,  is  incapable  of  error,  and  can  never  be  im- 
peached. 

In  perfect  accordance  with  these  observations,  we  know,  that 
"olunlary  blindness  to  evidence,  argument,  and  truth,  is  customary 
phraseology  in  the  daily  conversation  of  all  men.  In  accordance 
with  these  observations  also,  the  declaration,  that  none  are  so 
blmd,  as  they  7oho  will  not  see,  is  proverbial,  and  regarded  as  a 
maxim. 

3dly.  The  mind  is  perfectly  voluntary  in  the  employment  of  col- 
lecting evidence,  on  every  (futstion  which  it  discusses. 

All  questions  are  attended  by  more  or  less  arguments,  capable  of 
being  alleged  on  both  sides.  These  arguments  do  not  present 
themselves  of  course  ;  but  must  be  sought  for,  and  assembled,  by 
the  activity  of  the  mind.  In  this  case,  the  mind  can  either  resolve, 
or  refuse,  to  collect  arguments ;  and  in  this  conduct  is  wholly  vol- 
untary, and  capable,  therefore,  oi  being  either  virtuous  or  sinful, 
praiseworthy  or  blameworthy,  rewardable  oi-  punishable.  Wherev- 
er its  duty  and  interest;  wherever  the  commands  of  God,  or  law- 
ful human  authority,  or  the  well-being  of  ourselves,  or  our  fellow- 
men  ;  demand,  that  we  collect  such  arguments  ;  we  are  virtuous  in 
obeying,  and  sinful  in  refusing. 

Sometimes  we  obey :  often  we  refuse.  Most  frequently,  when 
we  perform  this  duty  at  all,  we  perform  it  partially.  Concerning 
almost  every  question,  which  is  before  us,  we  assemble  some  argu- 
ments, and  refuse,  or  neglect,  to  gather  others.  In  this  employ- 
ment the  mind  usually  leans  to  one  side  of  the  question ;  and  la- 
bours, not  to  find  out  truth,  or  the  means  of  illustrating  it,  but  to 
possess  itself  of  the  arguments,  which  will  support  the  side  to 
which  it  inclines,  and  weaken,  or  overthrow,  that  which  it  dislikes. 
Thus  we  collect  all  the  arguments  in  our  power,  favourable  to  our 
own  chosen  doctrines,  and  oppose  the  contrary  ones;  and  of  de- 
sign, or  through  negligence,  avoid  searciiing  for  those,  which  will 
weaken  our  own  doctrines,  or  strengthen  such  as  oppose  them.  In 
all  this,  our  inclinations  are  solely  and  supreni(>ly  active,  and  gov- 
ern the  whole  process.  For  this  conduct,  therefore,  we  are  deserv- 
ing of  blame;  and,  as  the  case  may  be,  of  punishment. 

4thly.  The  mind  is  equally  voluntary  in  weighing,  admitting,  or 
rejecting,  evidence,  after  it  is  collected. 

It  is  as  easy,  and  as  common,  for  the  mind  to  turn  its  eye  from 
the  noioer  of  evidence,  as  from,  the  evidence  itself.  \  have  already 
shown,  that  we  can,  at  pleasure,  either  collect  arguments,  or  refuse 
to  collect  them.     With  equal  ease  we  can  examine  them  after  they 


SER.  LXV  ]  THE  DUTY  OF  BELIEVING.  317 

are  collected,  or  decline  this  examination  ;  and  after  such  examina- 
tion as  we  choose  to  make,  is  completed,  we  can  with  the  same 
case  either  admit,  or  reject  them.     The  grounds,  on  which  we  can 
render  the  admission  or  rejection  satisfactory  to  ourselves,  are  nu- 
merous; and  are  always  at  hand.   The  arguments  in  question  may 
oppose,  or  coincide  with,  some  unquestioned  maxim,  principle,  or 
doctrine,  pre-conceived  by  us,  and  regarded  as  fundamental ;  and 
for  these  reasons  may  be  at  once  admitted,  or  rejected.    They  may 
accord  with  the  opinions  of  those,  whom  we  may  think  it  pleasing, 
honourable,  safe,  or  useful,  to  follow.     We  may  hastily  conclude, 
that  they  are  all  the  arguments,  which  favour  the  doctrine  opposed 
to  ours  ;  and  deem  them  wholly  insufficient  to  evince  its  truth.    We 
may  suppose,  whenever  they  seem  to  conclude  against  us,  that 
there  is  some  latent  error  in  them,  discernible  by  others,  if  not  by 
ourselves  ;   which,  if  discerned,  would  destroy  their  force.     We 
may  determine,  whenever  the  arguments  in  our  possession  are  ap- 
prehended to  be  inconclusive  in  favour  of  our  own  opinions,  that 
there  are  others,  which,  although  not  now  in  our  possession,  would,  if 
discovered  by  us,  determine  the  question  in  our  favour.     We  may 
believe,  that  the  arguments  before  us  will,  if  admitted,  infer  some 
remote  consequence,  in  our  apprehension  grossly  absurd  ;  and  on 
the  ground  of  this  distant  consequence  reject  their  immediate  in- 
fluence.    Or  the  doctrine,  to  be  proved,  may  be  so  odious  to  us,  as 
to  induce  us  to  believe,  that  no  arguments  whatever  can  evince  its 
truth.     For  these  and  the  like  reasons,  we  can  weigh  or  not  weigh, 
admit  or  reject,  any  arguments  whatever;  and  conclude  in  favour 
of  either  side  of,  perhaps,  every  moral  question. 

A  Judge,  in  any  cause  which  comes  before  him,  can  admit,  or 
refuse  to  admit,  witnesses  on  either  side.  After  they  have  testified, 
he  can  consider,  or  neglect,  their  testimony ;  and  can  give  it  what 
degree  of  credit  he  pleases,  or  no  credit  at  all.  In  all  this,  he  acts 
voluntarily  ;  so  perfecdy  so,  that  another  Judge,  of  a  different  dis- 
position, could,  and  would,  with  the  same  means  in  his  possession, 
draw  up  a  directly  opposite  judgment  concerning  the  cause.  Facts 
of  this  nature  are  so  frequent,  as  to  be  well  known  to  mankind,  ac- 
knowledged universally,  and  accounted  a  part  of  the  ordinary 
course  of  things.  The  mind,  in  considering  doctrines,  is  usually 
this  partial  Judge ;  and  conducts  itself  towards  its  arguments,  as 
the  Judge  towards  his  witnesses.  In  this  conduct  it  is  altogether 
voluntary,  and  altogether  sinful. 

In  the  contrary  conduct  of  collecting  arguments  with  a  design  to 
know  the  truth  ;  in  weighing  them  fairly  ;  and  in  admitting  readily 
their  real  import ;  it  is  equally  voluntary ;  and  possesses,  and  ex- 
hibits, the  contrary  character  of  virtue  as  really,  as  in  any  case 
whatever.  Accordingly,  all  men,  when  employed  in  observing 
these  two  modes  of  acting  in  their  fellow-men,  have  pronounced 
the  latter  to  be  excellent  and  praiseworthy,  and  the  former  to  be 
unjust,  base,  and  deserving  alike  of  their  contempt  and  abhorrence. 


318  THE  DUTY  OF  BELIEVING.  [SER.  LXV 

5thl}'.  The  doctrine,  wldrh  I  am  opposing,  if  true,  renders  both 
virtue  and  vice,  at  least  in  a  great  proportion  of  instances,  impossible. 

All  virtue  is  nothing  else,  but  voluntary  obedience  to  truth  j  and 
all  sin  is  nothing  else,  but  voluntary  disobedience  to  truth,  or  volun- 
tary obedience  to  error.  Accordingly,  God  has  required  nothing  of 
mankind,  but  that  they  shmdd  obey  truth;  parlicidarly  thk  truth  \ 
or  Evangelical  truth.  Voluntary  conformity  to  truth,  is,  therefore, 
virtue  in  every  possible  instance.  But  we  cannot  voluntarily  con- 
form to  truth,  unless  we  believe  it.  If  our  faith,  then,  is  wholly 
involuntary,  and  necessary  ;  it  follows  of  course,  that  we  are  never 
faultv,  nor  punishable,  for  not  believing  ;  since  our  faith  in  every 
case,  where  we  do  not  believe,  is  physically  impossible.  For  not 
believing,  therefore,  we  arc  not,  and  cannot  be,  blameable ;  and  as 
we  cannot  conform  to  truth,  when  we  do  not  believe  it  to  be  truth ; 
it  follows,  that,  whenever  we  do  not  believe,  we  are  innocent  in  not 
obeying. 

For  the  same  reason,  whenever  we  believe  error  to  be  truth,  our 
belief,  according  to  this  scheme,  is  compelled  by  the  same  physical 
necessity  ;  and  we  are  guiltless  in  every  such  instance  of  faith.  All 
our  future  conformity  to  such  error  is  of  course  guiltless  also. 
Thus  he,  who  believes  in  the  existence  and  perfections  of  Jehovah, 
in  the  rectitude  of  his  law  and  Government,  and  in  the  duty  of 
obeying  him,  and  he,  who  believes  in  the  Deity  of  Beelzebub,  or  a 
calf,  or  a  stock,  or  a  stone;  while  they  respectively  worship,  and 
serve,  these  infinitely  different  gods;  are  in  the  same  degree  virtu- 
ous, or  in  the  same  degree  sinful.  In  other  words,  they  are  neither 
sinful,  nor  virtuous.  The  faith  of  both  is  alike  physically  neces- 
sary ;  and  the  conformity  of  both  to  their  respective  tenets  follows 
their  faith,  of  course. 

Should  it  be  said,  that  although  faith  is  thus  necessary,  our  con- 
formity, or  non-conformity,  to  rohat  we  believe,  is  still  voluntary  ;  and 
therefore  is  virtuous  :  I  answer,  that  were  I  to  allow  this,  as  I  am 
not  very  unwilling  to  do,  to  be  true  ;  still,  the  objector  must  ac- 
knowledge, that  a  vast  proportion  of  those  human  actions,  which 
have  universally  been  esteemed  the  most  horrid  crimes,  are,  ac- 
cording to  his  own  plan,  completely  justified.  He  cannot  deny, 
that  the  heathen  have  almost  universally  believed  their  idols  to  be 
gods,  and  their  idolatry  the  true  religion.  He  cannot  deny,  that  a 
great  part  of  the  wars,  which  have  existed  in  the  world,  have  by 
those,  who  have  carried  them  on,  been  believed  to  be  just;  that  the 
persecutions  of  the  Christians  were  by  the  heathen,  who  were  the 
authors  of  them,  thought  highly  meritorious  ;  that  the  horrid  cruel- 
ties of  the  Popish  Inquisition  were  to  a  great  extent,  considered  by 
the  Catholics  as  doing  God  service ;  and  that  all  the  Mohammedan 
butcheries  were  regarded  by  the  disciples  of  the  Koran  as  directly 
required  by  God  himself.  Nay,  it  cannot  be  denied  by  the  Object- 
or, nor  by  any  man  who  has  considered  the  subject,  that  the  Jews, 
in  very  great  numbers,  believed  themselves  warranted  in  rejecting, 


tiER.LXV]  THE  DUTY  OF  BELIEVING.  319 

persecuting;  and  crucifying  Christ.  This  is  undoubtedly  indicated 
by  that  terrible  prediction  of  the  Saviour,  If  ye.  believe  not,  that  I  am 
he,  ye  shall  die  in  your  sins.  Let  the  Objector,  then,  and  all  who 
hold  his  opinions  on  this  subject,  henceforth  be  for  ever  silent  con- 
cerning the  guilt,  usually  attributed  to  these  several  classes  of  men ; 
and  acknowledge  them  to  have  been  compelled  by  a  physical  ne- 
cessity to  all  these  actions ;  lamentable  indeed,  but  wholly  unstain- 
ed with  any  criminality. 

At  the  same  time,  let  it  be  observed,  that  the  determination  of 
the  Will  is  always  as  the  dictate  of  the  Understanding,  whtch  pre- 
cedes it.  If,  then,  this  dictate  of  the  Understanding  is  produced 
by  a  physical  necessity  ;  how  can  the  decision  of  the  Will,  wnich 
follows  it  of  course,  be  in  any  sense  free  ?  If  faith  be  necessary  in 
the  physical  sense  ;  every  other  dictate  of  the  Understanding  must 
be  equally  necessary;  and,  of  course,  that,  which  precedes  every 
determination  of  the  will.  In  what  manner,  then,  can  the  de- 
termination of  the  will  fail  of  being  the  mere  result  of  the  same 
necessity? 

But  if  the  determinations  of  the  will  are  physically  necessary  ; 
they  cannot  be  either  virtuous  or  sinful.  If,  therefore,  these  things 
are  true,  there  can  be,  according  to  this  scheme,  neither  virtue, 
nor  vice,  in  man. 

6thly.  This  doctrine  charges  God  with  a  great  part,  if  not  with  all 
the  evil  conduct  of  mankind. 

Whatever  the  system  of  things  in  this  world  is,  it  was  contrived, 
and  created,  and  is  continually  ordered,  by  God.  If  mankind  be- 
lieve, only  under  the  coercion  of  physical  necessity  ;  then  God  has 
so  constituted  them,  as  to  render  their  faith,  in  this  sense,  necessary 
and  unavoidable.  Whenever  they  err,  therefore,  they  err  thus 
necessarily  by  the  ordinance,  and  irrresistible  power,  of  God.  Of 
course,  as  the  state  of  things  in  this,  as  well  as  all  other  respects, 
is  the  result  of  his  choice ;  he  has  chosen,  that  they  should  err, 
and  compelled  them  to  err  by  the  irresistible  impulse  of  almighty 
power.  In  this  case,  we  will  suppose  them  to  design  faithfully  to 
do  their  duty ;  or,  in  other  words,  to  conform  their  conduct  to  the 
doctrines,  which  they  actually  believe,  and  suppose  to  be  truth. 
In  thus  acting,  they  either  sin  ;  or  they  do  not.  If  they  sin  ;  God 
compels  them  to  sin.  If  they  do  not;  still,  all  their  conduct  is 
productive  of  evil  only  :  for  conformity  to  error  is,  of  course,  pro- 
ductive only  of  evil.  By  this  scheme,  therefore,  this  mass  of  evil, 
immensely  great  and  dreadful,  is  charged  to  God  alone. 

At  the  same  time,  if  in  the  same  manner  they  embrace  truth  \ 
their  reception  of  it  is  equally  compelled.  Their  conformity  to  it 
is,  of  course,  no  more  commendable,  than  their  conformity  to  error: 
and  God  has  so  constituted  things,  that  they  cannot  conform  to  it 
of  choice,  or  from  love  to  truth,  as  such ;  but  only  from  physical 
necessity.  Or,  if  this  should  be  questioned,  they  cannot  conform 
to  it  from  the  apprehension  that  it  is  truth;  because  they  have  em- 


320  THE  DUTV  OF  BELIEVING.  [SER.  LXV 

braced  it  under  (he  force  of  this  necessity  ;  and  must  conform  to 
every  thing,  which  they  have  embraced,  in  one  manner  only. 

Th<:-re  are  many  other  modes  of  disproving  this  doctrine,  on 
which  I  cannot  now  dwell ;  and  which  cannot  be  necessary  for  the 
present  purpose,  if  the  arguments,  already  advanced,  have  the 
decisive  inlluence,  which  they  appear  to  me  to  possess.  I  will  only 
observe  further,  that  the  scheme,  which  I  am  opposing,  is  directly 
at  war  with  all  the  commands  and  exhortations,  given  us  to  search 
the  Scriptures,  to  receive  the  truth,  to  seek  for  wisdom,  to  Jaiow  God, 
to  helievc  in  Christ,  and  to  believe  his  Kord ;  and  with  the  commen- 
dations and  promises,  given  to  those  who  do,  and  the  censures  and 
thrcateaings.  denounced  against  those  who  do  not,  these  things. 
Equally  inconsistent  are  they  with  all  our  own  mutual  exhortations 
to  candour,  to  investigation,  to  impartial  decisions,  and  to  all  other 
conduct  of  the  like  nature ;  our  commendation  of  those  who  {)ursue 
it,  and  our  condemnation  of  those  who  do  not.  Botli  the  Scriptures 
and  common  sense  ought,  if  this  scheme  is  well  founded,  to  assume 
totally  new  language,  if  they  would  accord  with  truth. 

Should  any  person  suppose,  that  1  have  annexed  too  much  im- 
portance to  truth,  in  asserting,  that  virtue,  in  all  instances,  is  nothing 
else,  but  a  voluntary  conformity  to  truth;  and  ima2;ined,  that  it 
ought  to  be  defined,  a  voluntary  conformity  to  the  divine  precepts  ; 
he  may  gain  complete  satisfaction,  on  this  point,  by  merely  chang- 
ing a  precept  into  a  proposition.  For  example  ;  the  precepts, 
Thou  shalt  have  no  other  Gods  before  me,  and  Thou  shall  honour 
thy  father  and  thy  mother,  become  truths,  when  written  in  this  man- 
ner :  It  is  right,  or  it  is  thy  duty,  to  have  no  other  Gods  before  me  ; 
or  to  honour  thy  father  and  thy  mother. 

I  have  now,  if  I  mistake  not,  clearly  evinced  the  falsehood  of  the 
doctrine,  which  1  have  opposed:  and  shown  it  to  be  equally  con- 
trary to  the  Scriptures,  and  to  the  Common  sense  of  mankind. 

Whenever  this  doctrine  has  been  honestly  imbibed,  it  has,  I  pre- 
sume, been  imbibed  from  a  misapprehension  of  the  influence  of 
that  acknowledged  principle  of  philosophy  ;  that  in  receiving  im- 
pressions from  all  objects  the  mind  is  passive  only  ;  and,  therefore, 
is  necessitated  to  receive  just  such  impressio)is,  as  the  objects,  pre- 
sented to  its  view,  are  fitted  to  make.  No  man,  acquainted  with  the 
Slate  of  the  human  mind,  will  call  this  principle  in  question.  But 
no  man,  of  this  character,  can  rationally  imagine,  that  it  can  at  all 
affect  the  subject  of  this  discourse ;  so  as  to  furnish  any  support  to 
the  scheme,  which  I  am  opposing. 

The  amouiit  of  this  princij>le  is  exactly  this:  tluxt  God  has  so 
constituted  the  mind,  and  has  formed  objects  in  such  a  manner,  that 
they  uniformly  present  to  the  mind  their  real  state  and  nature,  and 
not  another.  Were  this  not  the  structure  of  the  mind,  and  tlie 
proper  efficacy  of  the  objects,  with  which  it  is  convcrsani ;  it  would 
either  be  never  able  fo  see  truly,  or  would  never  know  when  it 
saw  in  this  manner.     This  constitution  of  things,  then,  is  indis- 


SER.  LXV]  THE  DUTY  OF  BELIEVING.  321 

pensable  to  our  discernment  of  their  true  nature ;  and  without  it 
Ave  could  never  be  able,  satisfactorily,  to  distinguish  truth  from 
falsehood. 

But  nothing  is  more  evident,  than  that  this  constitution  of  things 
in  no  degree  aflccts  the  subject  in  debate.  In  no  sense  is  it  true, 
that,  because  we  have  such  optics  ;  and  the'things,  with  which  we 
are  conversant,  such  a  nature;  we  are,  therefore,  obliged  to  turn 
our  eyes  to  any  given  object;  to  view  it  on  any  given  side  ;  to  ex- 
amine it  in  any  given  manner ;  or  to  connect  it,  in  our  investigation, 
with  any  other  particular  set  of  objects.  Truth  is  the  real  agree- 
ment or  disagreement  of  ideas,  asserted  in  propositions.  The  re- 
lations of  these  ideas  are  its  basis.  Now  we  can  compare,  and  con- 
nect, what  ideas  we  please,  in  what  manner  we  please,  and  by  the 
aid  of  any  other  intervening  ideas  which  we  choose.  In  this  man- 
ner, we  can  unite,  and  separate,  them  at  pleasure  ;  and  thus  either 
come  to  the  knowledge  of  truth,  or  the  admission  of  falsehood,  ac- 
cording to  our  inclinations.  All  these  things,  also,  we  can  refuse 
to  do ;  and  in  both  cases  we  act  in  a  manner  perfectly  voluntary. 
Were  we  not  passive  in  the  mere  reception  of  ideas,  we  should 
see,  to  no  purpose.  Were  we  not  active  in  comparing  and  con- 
necting them,  we  should  see  only  under  the  intiuence  of  physical 
necessity. 

From  these  considerations  it  is  evident,  unless  I  am  deceived, 
that  this. principle,  so  much  relied  on  by  those,  with  whom  I  am 
contending,  has  not  the  least  influence  towards  the  support  of  their 
scheme. 

REMARKS. 

From  these  observations  we  learn, 

1st.  Why  men  in  exactly  the  same  circ%imstances,  judge,  and  be- 
lieve, very  differently  concerning  the  same  objects. 

When  a  question,  or  doctrine,  is  proposed  to  the  consideration 
of  several  men,  in  the  same  terms,  w^ith  the  same  arguments,  and 
at  the  same  time  ;  we,  almost  of  course,  find  them  judging,  and 
deciding,  concerning  it,  in  different  manners.  Were  our  judg- 
ment, or,  what  is  here  the  same  thing,  our  faith,  the  result  of  mere 
physical  necessity  ;  this  fact  could  never  take  place.  But  it  is 
easily  explained,  as  the  natural  course  of  things,  where  such  judges 
as  men  are  concerned.  When  a  question  is  thus  proposed  ;  one 
declines,  or  neglects,  to  inquire,  altogether.  Another  listens  on- 
ly \o  the  evidence  on  one  side.  A  third,  partially  to  that  on  both 
sides.  A  fourth,  partially  to  that  on  one  side,  and  wholly  to  that 
on  the  other.  And  a  fifth,  to  all  the  evidence,  which  he  can  find. 
One  cares  nothing  about  the  question ;  another  is  pre-determined 
to  give  his  decision  on  one  side  ;  and  another  resolves  to  decide 
according  to  truth.  One  is  too  lazy ;  another  too  indifferent;  an- 
other too  biassed  ;  and  another  too  self-sufficient;  to  discover  truth 
at  all.     In  all  these,  except  the  candid,  thorough  examiner,  the 

Vol.  II.  41 


322  THE  DUTY  OF  BELIEVING.  [SER.  LXV. 

conduct  which  they  adopt  on  this  subject,  is  sin.  Inclination, 
choice,  bias  of  mind,  prevents  them  from  coming  to  the  knowledge 
of  the  truth.  Ff  they  loved  truth,  as  their  duty  demands,  they 
would  easily,  and  certainly,  find  it.  Their  indifference  to  it,  or  their 
hatred  of  it,  is  the  true  reason,  why  they  find  it  not ;  and  the  real 
explanation  of  the  strange  manner,  in  which  they  judge,  and  of 
their  otherwise  inexplicable  faith  in  doctrines,  not  only  absurd, 
but  unsupported  even  by  specious  evidence. 

2dly.  From  these  observations,  also,  it  is  evident,  that  faith  may 
be  a  virtuous,  and  unbelief  a  sinful,  affection  of  the  m,ind. 

Truth  is  the  foundation  of  all  good.  On  this,  as  their  basis,  rest 
the  character,  designs,  government,  and  glory,  of  the  Creator  ; 
and  all  the  happiness  and  virtue  of  the  Intelligent  Universe.  But 
the  only  way,  in  which  truth  can  be  useful  to  Intelligent  creatures, 
or  the  means  of  the  Divine  glory,  is  by  being  believed.  Every  de- 
gree of  happy  influence,  which  truth  has,  or  can  have,  on  the  In- 
telligent Kingdom,  is,  therefore,  derived  entirely  from  faith  ;  so 
far  as  absolute  knowledge  is  not  attainable.  On  faith,  then,  all 
these  amazing  interests  wholly  rest.  That  which  is  not  believed 
cannot  be  obeyed.  The  influence  of  truth  cannot  commence  in 
our  minds,  until  our  faith  in  it  has  commenced.  Universal  unbe- 
lief, therefore,  would  completely  destroy  the  Divine  Kingdom,  and 
the  general  happiness,  at  once.  Of  course,  partial  unbelief;  the 
unbelief  of  many,  a  few,  or  one;  aims  directly  at  the  same  destruc- 
tion. 

Since,  then,  faith  is  a  voluntary  exercise  of  the  mind  ;  it  follows, 
that,  whenever  it  is  exercised  towards  moral  objects,  it  is  virtu- 
ous ;  is  an  eflbrt  of  the  mind,  directed  to  the  promotion  of  this  im- 
mense good,  which  I  have  specified.  To  the  degree,  in  which  it 
may  be  thus  virtuous,  no  limits  can  be  affixed  :  but  it  may  rise  to 
such  a  height,  as  to  occupy  all  the  supposable  powers  of  any  In- 
telligent creature. 

On  the  contrary,  Unbelief,  when  directed  towards  moral  objects, 
being  always  voluntary,  is  always  sinful.  Its  efficacy,  as  opposed 
to  the  glory  of  God  and  the  good  of  the  Universe,  has  been  already 
mentioned.  Its  insolence  towards  the  Divine  character  is  exhibit- 
ed in  the  strongest  terms  by  St.  John,  in  this  memorable  declara- 
tion :  He,  that  believeth  not  God,  hath  made  him  a  liar.  What  a 
reproach  is  this  to  the  Creator !  What  an  impious  expression  of 
contempt,  to  the  infinitely  blessed  Jehovah  !  The  very  insult  of- 
fered to  him  by  the  old  Serpent,  in  his  seduction  of  our  first  pa- 
rents !  Them  this  unbelief  destroyed ;  and,  from  that  melancholy 
day,  it  has  been  the  great  instrument  of  perdition  to  their  posterity. 
Faith  is  the  only  medium  of  our  access  to  God.  To  come  to  him 
we  must  believe  that  he  is :  for  without  such  belief  he  would  be  to 
us  a  mere  niiulity.  .^theism,  therefore,  cuts  a  man  olf  from  all 
access  to  God  ;  and  consequently  from  all  love,  and  all  ol)cdience. 
WVre  the  Universe  atheistical,  it  would  cease  from  all  moral  con- 


J 


3ER.  LXV]  THE  DUTY  OF  BELIEVING.  323 

nexion  with  its  Creator.  Deism,  though  a  humbler  degree  of  the 
same  spirit,  produces  exactly  the  same  efl'ects.  He,  that  believeth 
not  the  Son,  hath  not  life ;  but  the  wrath  of  God  abideth  on  him. 
Practical  unbelief  the  same  spirit  in  a  degree  still  inferioi",  is,  how- 
ever, followed  by  the  same  miserable  consequences.  A  mere 
speculative  belief  leaves  the  heart,  and  the  life,  as  it  found  them ; 
opposed  to  God,  and  the  objects  of  his  indignation.  The  Specu- 
lative believer,  therefore,  although  advanced  a  step  beyond  the 
Deist  and  two  beyond  the  Atheist,  is  still  disobedient  and  rebel 
lious,  xoithout  hope,  and  without  God  in  the  world. 


SERMON  L.XVI. 

JUSTIFICATION. THE    NATURE    OF    FAITH. 


Romans  iii.  '28 — Therefore  we  conclude,  that  Manis  justijied  by  faith,  without  works 

of  Law. 

In  my  last  discourse,  I  attempted  to  show,  that  faith  and  unbe- 
lief a7-e  voluntary  cxercisis  of  the  mind,  and  niay,  therefore,  be  virtu- 
ous  or  sinful ;  and  to  nfute  the  objections  against  this  doctrine^  This 
I  did,  without  critically  examining  the  Kuturt  rf faith,  which  I  pur- 
posely reserved  for  a  separate  discussion.  This  is  evidently  the 
next  object  of  inquiry.  I  shall,  therefore,  endeavour,  in  this  dis- 
course, to  explain  the  Faith  of  the  Gospel;  or  the  Faith  by  which 
we  are  jus  ti fed. 

I.  Faith,  in  this  sense,   respects  God  as  its  object. 

Abraham  believed  God,  and  it  was  counted  to  him  for  righteous- 
ness. Gen.  XV.  6.  Rom.  iv.  3.  Gal.  iii.  6.  James  ii.  23.  With- 
out faith  it  is  impossible  to  please  Him  :  for  he  that  comet h  to  God 
must  believe,  that  he  is,  and  that  hr.  is  the  reioarder,  of  them  that  dili- 
gently seek  him.  Heb.  xi.  6.  Believe  in  the  Lord  your  God  ;  so  shall 
ye  be  established.  2  Chron.  ii.  20.  IVho  by  hitn.  says  St.  Peter  to  the 
Christians  to  whom  he  wrote,  do  believe  in  God,  that  raised  him 
up  from  the  dead  and  gave  him  glory,  that  your  faith  and  hope  might 
be  in  God.  1  Pet.  i.  21.  The  Jailer  rejoiced,  believing  in  God  with 
all  his  house.  Acts  xvi.  34.  That  they  who  have  believed  in  God 
might  be  careful  to  maintain  good  rvorks.  Jesus  answering  saith 
unto  them,  Believe  in  God.  Mark  xi.  27.  Hs  that  believeth  on  him 
that  sent  me  hath  everlasting  life.  John  v.  24. 

It  will  be  unnecessary  to  multiply  proofs  any  farther.  I  have 
made  these  numerous  (juotations,  to  show,  that,  in  the  common 
language  of  the  Scriptures,  Faith  in  God  is  commanded  ;  is  the  uni- 
versal characteristic  of  Christians  ;  is  declared  to  be  the  object  of 
Divine  approbation;  is  counted  to  them  for  righteousness  ;  and  is 
entitled  to  an  everlasting  reward. 

II.  The  faith  of  the  Gospel  especially  respects  Christ  as  its  object. 
Ye  believe  in  God,  says  our  Saviour  to  his  Apostles,  believe  also 

in  me.  John  xiv.  1.  (f  y-  believe  not  that  I  am  he,  ye  shall  die  in 
your  sins.  John  viii.  24.  fh  that  believeth  on  the  Son  hath  everlasting 
life:  he  that  believeth  not  is  condemned  already.  John  iii.  36.  John 
iii.  18.  and  John  vi.  40.  But  to  him  that  xcorkrih  not.  but  believeth 
on  him  that  justifieth  the  ungodly,  his  faith  is  counted  for  righteous- 
ness. Rem*  iv.  5.  In  these  passages  it  is  evident,  that  to  all  such 
as  are  acquainted  with  the  Gospel  it  is  indispensable,  that  their 
faith  respect  Christ  as  its  especial  object ;  that,  wherever  this  is 


SER.  LXVI  ]  THE  NATURE  OF  FAITH.  325 

the  iact,  they  are  assured  of  everlasting  hfe  ;  and  wherever  it  is 
not,  they  will  not  see  life ;  but  the  wrath  of  God  abideth  on  them. 

III.  The  faith  of  the  Gospel  respects  Christ,  particularly,  as  the 
Son  of  God. 

He  that  bdieveth  on  the  Son,  hath  life.  John  vi.  40.  John  iii.  36. 
And  he  that  believe th  not  the  Son,  shall  not  see  life.  Whosoever  de- 
nieth  the  So)i,  the  same  hath  not  the  Father.  1  John  ii.  23.  He  that 
helievelh  not,  is  condemned  already,  because  he  believeth  not  on  the 
name  of  the  only  begotten  Son  of  God.  John  iii.  18. 

IV.  The  Faith  of  the  Gospel  respects  Christ  as  its  object,  in  all  his 
offices,  but  especially  in  his  priestly  office. 

As  a  prophet,  or  the  preacher  of  the  Gospel. 

Then  said  Jesus  to  those  Jezos  who  believed  on  Him,  If  ye  continu6 
in  my  word,  ye  are  my  disciples  indeed.  And  ye  shall  know  the 
truth  j  and  the  truth  shall  make  you  free.  He  that  receiveth  not 
my  ivords  hath  one  that  judgeth  him.  John  xii.  48.  The  words 
that  I  speak  unto  you,  they  are  spirit,  and  they  are  life.  John  vi. 
63.  That  they  might  all  be  damned,  who  believed  not  the  truth. 
2  Thess.  ii.  12.  The  Gospel  is  the  power  of  God  unto  salvation. 
Rorn.  i.  16.  In  Christ  Jesus  I  have  begotten  you  through  the  Gos- 
pel. 1  Cor.  iv.  15. 
As  a  Priest. 

Whom  God  hath  set  forth  to  be  a  propitiation  through  faith  in  his 
blood.  Rom.  iii.  25.  My  blood  is  drink  indeed.  John  vi.  55.  Whoso 
eat  "Ah  my  jlesh  and  drinketh  my  blood,  hath  eternal  life.  John  vi.  54. 
See  also  53,  56,  and  51.  So  many  of  us,  as  were  baptized  into  Jesus 
Christ,  were  baptized  into  his  death.  Rom.  vi.  3.  Generally,  all 
those  passages,  which  speak  of  mankind  as  justified,  and  saved, 
by  the  blood  and  by  the  death  of  Christ,  indicate,  in  an  unequivo- 
cal manner,  that  our  faith  especially  respects  this  as  its  object ; 
because  his  death  is  especially  tlie  means  of  our  salvation ;  since 
by  this  he  became  a  propitiation  for  the  sins  of  the  world. 
As  a  King. 

Believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  thou  shall  be  saved,  thou 
and  thy  house.  Acts  xvi.  31.  No  man  can  say,  that  Jesus  is  the 
Lord,  but  by  the  Holy  Ghost.  1  Cor.  xii.  3.  And  they  stoned  Ste- 
phen, invocating,  and  saying,  Lord  Jesus,  receive  my  spirit  j  and  he 
cried,  with  a  loud  voice,  Lord,  lay  not  this  sin  to  their  charge.  Acts 
vii.  59,  60.  For  I  know  in  whom  I  have  believed ^  and  am  per- 
suaded, that  he  is  able  to  keep  that  which  I  have  committed  unto  him 
against  that  day.  In  all  these  instances  the  Faith,  referred  to,  is 
evidently  faith  in  Christ,  as  the  Lord,  or  King,  in  Zion.  The  two 
last  passages  exhibit  very  strong  examples  of  faith  in  Christ,  as  the 
sovereign  disposer  of  all  things.  To  dejiy  the  Lord,  who  bought  usy 
St.  Peter  declares  to  be  the  means  of  bringing  upon  ourselves  swift 
destruction.    2  Pet.  ii.  1. 

V.   The  Faith  of  the  Gospel  is  an  affection  of  the  heart. 


326  i'HE  NATURE  OF  FAITH.  [SER.  LXVI. 

With  thp  heart,  says  St.  Paul,  man  believeth  unto  righteousness. 
Rom.  X.  10.  This  passage  would  be  more  literally  translated, 
JVith  the  heart  faith  exists  unto  righteousness,  that  is,  the  faith  which 
is  accounted  to  man  for  righteousness,  or  which  is  productive  of 
righteousDess  in  the  life,  hath  its  seat  in  the  heart;  and  the  heart 
in  this  exercise  co-operates  with  the  understanding.  In  the  former 
of  these  senses,  the  faith  itself  is  called,  Rom.  iv.  13,  the  righteous- 
71CSS  of  faith;  the  faith  itself  being  a  righteous  or  virtuous  exercise. 
For  the  promise,  that  he  should  be  heir  of  the  world,  was  not  to 
Abraham,  or  to  his  seed,  through  law,  but  through  the  righteousness 
of  Faith.  Rom.  iv.  13.  If  thou  believest  with  all  thine  heart,  said 
Philip  to  the  Efinuch,  thou  mayest  be  baptized.  Acts  viii.  37.  The 
faith  of  the  heart,  therefore,  was  indispensable  to  the  Eunuch,  as 
the  proper  subject  of  baptism. 

VI.  The  Faith  of  the  Gospel  is  the  Faith  of  Abraham. 

Both  St.  Paul  and  St.  James  have  taught  this  doctrine  so  clearly, 
and  so  abundantly,  that  1  suppose  no  proof  of  this  truth  will  be 
demanded.  I  shall  only  observe,  therefore,  that  by  St.  Paul  the 
believing  Gentiles  are  said  to  walk  in  the  steps  of  the  faith  of  .^bra- 
ham  ;  and  to  be  the  seed,  which  is  of  the  faith  of  Abraham  ;  and 
that  on  this  account  Abraham,  is  called  the  Father  of  all  them  that 
believe,  in  reference  to  the  promise,  that  he  should  be  the  father  of 
many  nations.   Rom.  iv.  11,  12,  16. 

Having  established,  as  I  hope,  these  several  points  by  clear,  une- 
quivocal scriptural  decisions;  I  proceed  to  the  main  object  of  this 
discourse,  to  which  all  that  has  been  said  will  be  found  to  be  inti- 
mately related,  and  highly  important,  by  every  person  who  wishes 
to  understand  this  supremely  interesting  subject,  viz.  the  nature  of 
that  exercise,  which  thus  respects  God  as  its  object ;  which  pecu- 
liarly respects  Christ  as  its  object ;  which  is  an  affection  of  the 
heart;  and  which  is  of  the  very  same  nature  with  that  faith,  which 
was  counted  to  Abraham  for  righteousness.   I  assert,  then, 

VII.  That  the  Faith  of  the  Gospel  is  that  emotion  of  the  mind, 
which  is  called  trust,  or  Confidence,  exercised  towards  the  moral 
character  of  God,  and  particularly  of  the  Saviour. 

All  those  of  my  audience,  who  have  been  accustomed  to  read 
theological  writings,  must  know,  that  few  moral  subjects  have  been 
so  much  debated,  as  Faith.  The  controversy,  concerning  it,  began 
in  the  days  of  the  Apostles,  and  has  continued  to  the  present  time. 
Many  writers  have  undoubtedly  adopted  views  concerning  this 
subject,  which  are  not  warranted  by  the  Scriptures.  Many  others, 
who  have  been  sufficiently  orthodox,  have  yet  appeared  to  me  to 
leave  the  subject  less  clear,  and  distinct,  than  I  have  wished.  Few 
of  their  readers  have,  I  suspect,  left  the  perusal  of  what  they  have 
written  with  such  satisfactory  views,  concerning  the  nature  of  faith, 
as  to  leave  their  minds  free  from  perplexity  and  doubt.  Most  of 
them  would,  I  apprehend,  wish  to  ask  the  writers  a  few  questions 
at  least ;  the  answers  to  which  would,  in  their  view,  probably  re- 


SER.  LXVI]  THE  NATURE  OF  FAITH.  327 

move  several  difficulties,  and  place  the  whole  subject  in  a  more 
distinct  and  obvious  light.  The  difficulty,  which,  in  my  own  re- 
searches, has  appeared  to  attend  many  orthodox  writings  concern- 
ing it,  has  been  this  :  It  has  been  connected  with  various  other 
things ,  which,  although  contributing,  perhaps,  to  the  writer's  par- 
ticular purpose,  have  yet  distracted  my  attention,  and  prevented 
me  from  obtaining  that  clear  and  distinct  view  of  faith,  which  I 
wished.  Like  a  man,  seen  in  a  crowd,  its  appearance,  although 
in  many  respects  real  and  true,  was  yet  obscure,  indistinct,  and  un- 
satisfactory.    I  wished  to  see  and  survey  it  alone. 

It  wiU  not,  I  suppose,  be  doubted,  that  Evangelical  faith,  what- 
ever is  its  object,  is  in  all  instances  one  single  exercise  of  the  mind. 
This  being  admitted,  I  proceed  to  show,  that  this  exercise  is  the 
Confidence,  mentioned  above,  by  the  following  arguments. 

1st.   This  Confidence  was  the  faith  of  Abraham. 

This  position  I  shall  illustrate  from  two  passages  of  Scripture. 
The  first  is  Heb.  xi.  8,  By  Faith  Abraham,  lohen  he  was  called  to  go 
out  into  a  place,  which  he  shoidd  after  receive  for  an  inheritance,  obey- 
ed j  and  he  went  out,  not  knowing  whither  he  went.  In  this  passage  of 
Scripture  it  is  declared,  that  Abraham  was  called  to  go  into  a  dis- 
tant land;  and  that,  in  obedience  to  this  call,  he  went  out}  not 
knowing  whither  he  went.  It  is  further  declared,  that  he  went  by 
faith ;  that  is,  the  faith  so  often  mentioned  in  this  chapter.  That 
this  was  Evangelical  or  justifying  faith  is  certain ;  because  at  the 
close  of  the  preceding  chapter,  it  is  mentioned  as  the  faith  by 
which  the  just  shall  live,  (see  verse  38)  because  it  is  styled  the 
faith,  without  which  it  is  impossible  to  please  God;  the  faith,  with 
which  Abraham  offered  up  Isaac  ;*  with  which  Moses  esteemed  the 
reproach  of  Christ  greater  riches  than  the  treasures  in  Egypt ;  with 
which  believers  are  said  to  desire  a  better  country,  that  is,  an 
heavenly  ;  and  on  account  ofiohich  God  is  not  ashamed  to  be  called 
their  God;  and  to  reward  which  he  is  said  to  have  prepared  for 
them  a  city ;  or  in  other  words,  heaven. t  The  faith,  then,  with 
which  Abraham  went  out  to  the  land  of  Canaan,  was  the  faith  of 
the  Gospel. 

The  whole  of  the  chapter  is  employed  in  unfolding  the  nature  of 
this  Virtue.  The  manner,  in  which  this  is  done,  will,  I  am  per- 
suaded, be  found,  upon  a  thorough  examination,  to  be  singularly 
wise  and  happy.  Faith  is  here  described  by  its  effects,  and  by  ef- 
fects which  it  has  actually  produced.  These  are  chosen  with  great 
felicity  and  success.  The  persons  selected,  are  persons  who  lived 
long  before  the  appearance  of  Christ.  Of  course  they  knew  very 
little  concerning  this  glorious  person,  in  the  strict  sense  of  the  term, 
knowing.  Their  faith  was,  therefore,  not  at  all  confused,  and  ob- 
scured, by  any  real,  or  apprehended,  mixture  of  knowledge.  It 
existed  simply,  and  by  itself ;  and  for  that  reason  is  seen  apart  from 

•  See  James  ii.  21—23.  f  See  Heb.  xi.  6,  16,  17,  26 


3'28  TflE  NATURE  OF  FAITH.  [SER.  LXVI. 

all  Other  objects.  In  each  of  these  persons  it  is  seen  in  a  new  situ- 
ation; and  therefore,  in  some  respects,  in  a  new  light.  It  appears 
in  strong  and  efficacious  exercise  ;  and  is  therefore  seen  indubita- 
bly. It  is  exhibited  as  producing  obedience  in  very  many  forms; 
and  is  thus  exhibited  as  the  .source  of  obedience  in  every  form.  It  is 
seen  in  many  situations,  and  those  highly  interesting  and  difficult ; 
and  is  therefore  proved  to  be  capal)lc  of  producing  obedience  in 
every  situation,  and  of  enabling  us  to  overcome  every  difficulty.  In  a 
word,  it  is  here  proved  beyond  debate,  that  faith  is  in  all  instances, 
the  victor  1^,  lohich  overcometh  the  world. 

The  faith  of  Abraham,  exercised  on  this  occasion,  was,  then,  the 
faith  of  the  Gospel.  To  understand  its  nature,  as  exhibited  in  this 
passage,  it  will  be  useful  to  consider  the  whole  situation  and  con- 
duct of  Abraham,  at  the  time  specified.- 

When  Abraham  was  called  to  go  out  of  his  own  land,  he  knew 
not  whither  he  was  going ;  to  what  country,  or  to  what  kind  of  resi- 
dence. He  knew  not  whether  the  people  would  prove  friends  or 
enemies,  kind  or  cruel,  comfortable  or  uncomfortable,  neighbours 
to  him ;  nor  whether  his  own  situation,  and  that  of  his  family,  would 
be  happy  or  unhappy.  Wholly  uninfluenced  by  these  considera- 
tions, and  all  others,  by  which  men  are  usually  governed  in  their 
enterprises,  he  still  adventured  upon  an  undertaking,  in  which  his 
own  temporal  interests  and  those  of  his  family,  were  finally  em- 
barked. Why  did  he  thus  adventure  ?  The  only  answer  to  this 
question  is,  he  was  induced  to  go  by  a  regard  to  the  character  of 
the  person  who  called  him.  This  regard  was  of  a  peculiar  kind. 
It  was  not  reverence,  love,  nor  admiration.  Neither  of  these  is 
assigned  by  the  Apostle  as  the  cause  of  his  conduct.  They  might, 
they  undoubtedly  did,  exist,  in  his  mind;  but  they  did  not  govern 
his  determination. 

The  emotion,  by  which  he  was  compelled  to  leave  his  home, 
was  confidence.  God  summoned  him  to  this  hazardous  and  import- 
ant expedition  :  and  he  readily  obeyed  the  summons.  The  true 
and  only  reason  was,  he  confided  entirely  in  the  character  and  di- 
rections of  God.  God,  in  his  view,  was  a  being  of  such  a  charac- 
ter, that  it  was  safe,  and  in  all  respects  desirable,  for  Abraham  to 
trust  himself  implicitly  to  his  guidance.  Such  were  his  views  of 
this  glorious  Being,  that  to  commit  himself,  and  all  his  concerns,  to 
the  direction  of  God  was,  in  his  estimation,  the  best  thing  in  his 
power;  best  for  him,  and  best  for  his  family.  He  considered  God 
as  knowing  better  than  he  knew,  and  as  choosing  better  than  lie 
could  choose  for  himself.  At  the  same  time  he  experienced  an  ex- 
quisite pleasure  in  yielding  himself  to  the  direction  of  God.  The 
Divine  character  was,  to  his  eye,  beautiful,  glorious,  and  lovely  ; 
and  the  emotion  of  confiding  in  it  was  delightful.  Sweet  in  itself, 
it  was  approved  by  his  conscience,  approved  by  his  Creator,  and 
on  both  accounts  doubly  delightful. 


SER.  LXVI.]  THE  NATURE  OF  FAITH.  329 

The  prime  object  of  this  confidence  was  the  moral  character  of 
God  ;  his  goodness,  mercy,  faithfulness,  and  truth.  Unpossessed 
of  these  attributes,  he  could  never  be  trusted  by  us.  His  know- 
ledge and  power  would,  in  this  case,  be  merely  objects  of  terror, 
and  foundations  of  that  dreadful  suspense,  which  is  finished  misery. 
The  confidence  of  Abraham,  therefore,  was,  evidently,  confidence 
in  the  moral  character  of  God. 

It  ought  here  to  be  observed,  that  the  Person,  to  whom  Abra- 
ham?s  confidence  was  immediately  directed,  was  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ.  No  man  hath  seen  God'the  Father  at  any  time.  The  person 
appearing  under  the  name  of  God  to  the  Patriarchs,  was  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ.  This  is  decisively  proved  in  many  ways  ;  and,  par- 
ticularly, by  the  direct  declaration  of  St.  Paul,  1  Cor.  x.  9,  Neither 
let  us  tempt  Christ,  as  some  of  them  also  tempted,  and  were  destroyed 
of  serpents.  The  passage,  here  referred  to,  and  the  only  one  in 
which  this  event  is  recorded  by  Moses,  is.  Numb.  xxi.  5,  6  :  And 
the  people  spake  against  God,  and  against  Moses  ;  Wherefore  have 
ye  brought  us  tip  out  of  Egypt,  to  die  in  the  wilderness  ?  for  there  is 
no  bread,  neither  is  there  any  water  ;  and  our  soid  loatheth  this  light 
bread.  And  Jehovah  sent  fiery  serpents  among  the  people,  and  they 
hit  the  people,  and  much  people  of  Israel  died.  The  God,  the  Jeho- 
vah, here  mentioned,  is  unequivocally  declared  by  St.  Paid  to  be 
Christ:  and  that  it  was  the  same  God,  who  destroyed  the  Israelites 
on  this  occasion,  that  appeared  throughout  the  Old  Testament  to 
the  Patriarchs  and  their  descendants,  will  not  be  questioned. 
Christ,  therefore,  was  the  immediate  object  of  confidence  to  Abra- 
ham. 

Let  me  endeavour  to  exhibit  this  subject  with  greater  clearness 
by  a  familiar  example.  A  parent  sets  out  upon  a  journey,  and 
takes  with  him  one  of  his  little  children,  always  accustomed  to  re- 
ceive benefits  from  his  parental  tenderness.  The  child  plainly 
knows  nothing  of  the  destined  journey  ;  of  the  place,  to  which  he 
is  going;  of  the  people,  whom  he  will  find;  the  entertainment, 
which  he  will  receive  ;  the  sufferings,  which  he  must  undergo  ;  or 
the  pleasures,  which  he  may  enjoy.  Yet  the  child  goes  willingly, 
and  with  delight.  Why  ?  not  because  he  is  ignorant ;  for  ignor- 
ance by  itself  is  a  source  to  him  of  nothing  but  doubt  and  fear. 
Were  a  stranger  to  propose  to  him  the  same  journey,  in  the  same 
terms,  he  would  decline  it  at  once  ;  and  could  not  be  induced  to 
enter  upon  it  without  compulsion.  Yet  his  ignorance,  here,  would  be 
at  least  equally  great.  He  is  wholly  governed,  as  a  rational  being 
ought  to  be,  by  rational  considerations.  Confidence  in  his  parent, 
whom  he  knows  by  experience  to  be  only  a  benefactor  to  him,  and 
in  whose  affection  and  tenderness  he  has  always  found  safety  and 
pleasure,  is  the  sole  ground  of  his  cheerful  acceptance  of  the  pro- 
posed journey,  and  of  all  his  subsequent  conduct.  In  his  parent's 
company  he  feels  delighted ;  in  his  care,  safe.  Separated  from 
him,  he  is  at  once  alarmed,  anxious,  and  miserable.     Nothing  can 

Vol.  U.  42 


J30  illK  iNATUKE  OF  FAITH.  [SER.  LXVf 

easily  restore  him  to  peace,  or  comfort,  or  hope,  but  the  return  of 
his  parent.  In  his  own  obedience,  and  fihal  affection,  and  in  his 
father's  approbation  and  tenderness,  care  and  guidance,  he  finds 
sufficient  enjoyment,  and  feels  satisfied  and  secure.  He  looks  for 
no  other  motive,  than  his  father's  choice,  and  his  own  confidence. 
The  way,  which  his  father  points  out,  although  perfectly  unknown 
to  him,  the  entertainment  which  he  provides,  the  places  at  which  he 
chooses  to  sto]),  and  the  measures,  universally,  which  he  is  pleased 
to  take,  aj'e,  in  the  view  of  the  child,  all  proper,  right,  and  good. 
For  his  parent's  pleasure,  and  for  that  only,  he  inquires;  and  to 
this  single  object  are  confined  all  his  views,  and  all  his  affections. 

No  characteristic  is  by  common  sense  esteemed  more  amiable, 
or  more  useful,  in  little  children,  more  suited  to  their  circumstances, 
their  wants,  and  their  character,  than  confidence.  Nor  is  any  pa- 
rent ever  better  pleased  with  his  own  little  children,  than  when 
they  exhibit  this  characteristic.  The  pleasure  of  receiving  it,  and 
that  of  exercising  it,  are  substantially  the  same. 

In  adult  years,  men  of  every  description  reciprocate  the  same 
pleasure  in  mutual  confidence,  whenever  it  is  exercised.  Friends, 
husbands  and  wives,  rulers  and  subjects,  demand,  experience,  and 
enjoy,  this  affection  in  a  manner,  generally  corresponding  with  that 
I  have  described. 

The  second  passage,  from  which  I  propose  to  show,  that  this  con- 
fidence was  the  faith  oi  Abraham,  is  Rom.  iv.  20 — 22,  He  stagger- 
ed not  at  the  proralse  of  God  through  unbelief,  but  was  stro7ig  in 
faith,  giving  glory  to  God,  and  being  fully  persuaded,  that  what  he 
had  promised  he  was  able  also  to  perform  ;  aiid  therefore  it  was  im- 
puted to  him  for  righteousness.  The  faith  of  Abraham,  here  de- 
scribed, in  which  he  was  strong,  giving  glory  to  God,  and  which 
was  imputed  to  him  for  righteousness,  was  faith  in  the  promise  of 
God  concerning  the  future  birth  of  Isaac,  through  whom  he  was  to 
become  the  progenitor  of  Christ,  and  the  father  of  many  nations, 
especially  of  believers  of  all  ages.  This  faith  was  built  on  the 
moral  character  of  the  proniiser.  But  faith  in  a  promise,  when  it 
is  directed  to  the  disposition  of  the  proniiser,  as  is  plainly  the  case 
here,  because  the  fulfilment  of  the  promise  must  depend  entirely 
on  this  disposition,  is  the  very  confidence,  of  which  I  have  been 
speaking. 

2dly.    This  is  the  faith  of  the  Old  Testament. 

Though  he  slay  me,  yet  will  I  trust  in  him,  says  Job,  chapter 
xiii.  15. 

I  will  trust  in  the  merry  of  God  for  ever  and  ever.     Psalm  lii.  8. 

I  will  trust  in  the  covert  of  thy  wings.     Psalm  Ixi.  4. 

The  righteous  shall  be  glad  in  the  Lord,  and  shall  trust  in  him. 
Psalm  Ixiv.  10. 

They  that  trust  in  the  Lord  shall  be  as  Mount  Zion,  which  cannot 
he  removed,  but  abidethfor  ever.     Psalm  cxxv,  1. 


SER.  LXVL]  THE  NATURE  OF  FAITH.  331 

Who  is  among  yon  that  feareth  the  Lord  F  let  him  trust  in  the 
name  of  the  Lord,  and  stay  upon  his  God.     Isaiah  1.  10. 

Cursed  be  the  man  that  trusteth  in  man,  and  maketh  jiesh  his 
arm,  and  whose  heart  departeth  from  the  Lord.  Blessed  is  the 
man  that  trusteth  in  the  Lord,  and  whose  hope  the  Lord  is.  Jer. 
xvii.  5,  6. 

No  person,  acquainted  with  the  Scriptures,  can,  I  think,  hesi- 
tate to  admit,  that  the  exercise  of  mind,  mentioned  in  these  pas- 
sages under  the  name  trust,  is  the  same  with  that,  which  in  the 
New  Testament  is  called  faith.  It  is  the  character  of  the  same 
persons  ;  viz.  the  righteous  ;  and  their  peculiar  and  pre-eminent 
character.  The  importance,  and  the  obligations  assigned  to  it, 
are  the  same ;  and  the  blessings  promised  to  it  are  the  same.  All 
who  possess  and  exercise  it  are  pronounced  blessed  ;  and  all  who 
do  not  possess  it,  are  declared  cursed. 

In  the  verse,  following  that  last  quoted  from  Jeremiah,  the  pe- 
culiar blessings  of  faith,  are  declared  to  be  the  blessings  of  the 
man,  who  trusteth  in  the  Lord.  For  he  shall  be  as  a  tree,  planted 
by  the  waters,  and  that  spreadeth  out  her  roots  by  the  River,  and 
shall  not  see  when  heat  cometh  ;  but  her  leaf  shall  be  green  j  and 
shall  not  be  careful,  in  the  year  of  drought,  neither  shall  cease  from 
yielding  fruit.  The  peculiar  character,  as  well  as  peculiar  bless- 
ing, of  faith,  is,  that  he,  who  is  the  subject  of  it,  shall  abound  in 
the  work  of  the  Lord. 

Such,  precisely,  is  the  glorious  blessing,  here  annexed  to  him 
who  trusteth  in  the  Lord  ;  a  blessing,  which  is  evidently  the  great- 
est of  all  blessings  :  for  our  Saviour  informs  us,  that  it  is  more 
blessed  to  give,  than  to  receive  ;  to  communicate  good,  than  to 
gain  it  at  the  hands  of  others :  a  declaration,  which  St.  Paul  ap- 
pears to  make  the  sum  of  all  that  Christ  taught  concerning  this  in- 
teresting subject. 

3dly.  It  is,  J  apprehend,  the  Faith  of  the  J^ew  Testament  also. 
In  various  places  in  the  New  Testament,  this  exercise  of  the 
mind  is  directly  called  by  the  names  trust  and  confidence. 

In  his  name  shall  the  Gentiles  trust  ;  quoted  from  Isaiah  xlii.  4, 
where  it  is  rendered,  the  Isles  shall  wail  for  his  law ;  in  Matthew 
xii.  21,  and  Rom.  xv.  12.  That  the  word  trust,  used  here,  de- 
notes the  faith  of  the  Gentiles  in  the  name  of  Christ,  will  not  be 
questioned. 

Ephesians  i.  12,  St.  Paul  says,  that  zi)<?,  that  is,  himself  and  his 
fellow-christians,  should  be  to  the  praise  of  his  glory,  roho  first  trust- 
ed in  Christ. 

1  Tim.  iv.  10,  For  therefore  we  both  labour  and  suffer  reproach 
because  zoe  trust  in  the  living  God,  zoho  is  the  Saviour  of  all  men, 
especially  of  those  that  believe. 

2  Tim.  i.  12,  For  I  knoio  whom  I  have  believed.  The  word 
^s^itfTsuxa   is,  by  the  translators,  rendered  trusted,  in  the  mai-gin. 


332  THE  NATLRL  OF  FAITH.  [SER.  LXVI 

It  is  rendered,  also,  in  the  same  manner  by  Crudcn,  and,  I  think, 
correctly. 

Jieb.  iii.  14,  If  we  hold  the  ht ginning  of  our  conjidoice  steadfast 
■unto  the  end  :  th;it  is,  our  faith  ulrcadjj  h'gun,         '** 

Heb.  xi.  1,  Faith  is  the  confidence  of  things  hoped  for.  This 
may  perhaps  be  regarded  as  a  general  definition.  The  word 
*«(rT£uw,  of  which  one  of  the  meanings  is  trust,  ought,  1  think,  to 
be  extensively  rendered  by  this  English  term,  in  order  to  express 
the  true  sense  of  the  original.  The  same  thing  may  also  be  ob- 
served concerning  its  derivatives. 

But  the  |)roof,  which  I  especially  mean  to  allege,  at  the  present 
time,  is  contained  in  the  following  things. 

1.  The  faith  of  Abraham  is  the  faith  of  the  New  Testament ;  and 
this  has,  I  flatter  myself,  been  already  proved  to  be  the  confidence 
above  mentioned. 

2.  In  that  extensive  account  of  faith,  which  is  given  us  in  the 
xi.  chapter  of  Hebrews,  we  are  taught,  that  the  faith,  exercised 
by  the  saints  of  the  Old  Testament,  is  the  same  with  the  faith  of 
the  Gospel ;  and  this  is  not  only  generally  called  Trust  in  the  Old 
Testament  itself;  but,  as  has  been  already  proved  in  several  in- 
stances, and,  were  there  time  or  necessity,  might  be  proved  in  all, 
is  no  other  than  the  confidence  which  I  have  specified.  All  these 
persons  confided  in  the  promises  of  God,  and  in  the  moral  charac- 
ter of  him  by  whom  they  were  given. 

4thly.  The  nature  of  the  case,  and  the  situation  of  the  penitent, 
whrn  he  exercises  faith  in  Christ,  clearly  evince  the  truth  of  the 
doctrine. 

The  sinner  is  condemned,  and  ruined.  By  the  Law  of  God  all 
hope  of  his  recovery  and  salvation  is  precluded.  Left  to  himself, 
therefore,  in  his  present  situation,  he  cannot  be  saved.  While  he 
is  in  this  miserable  condition,  Christ  declares,  that  he  is  able,  will- 
ing, and  faithful,  to  save  him ;  and  that,  to  this  end,  the  sinner  must, 
indispensably,  surrender  himself  into  his  hands,  or  give  himself  up 
to  him ;  and  consent  to  be  saved  by  him  in  his  own  way.  Now 
what  can  induce  the  sinner,  in  a  case  of  this  infinite  magnitude, 
thus  to  give  himself  into  the  hands  of  Cnrist  ?  Nothing  but  an 
entire  confidence  in  his  character,  as  thus  able,  willing,  and  faith- 
ful to  save.  But  how  shall  the  sinner  know  this  ?  Or  if  he  can- 
not know  it,  how  shall  he  be  persuaded  of  it?  Know  it,  in  the 
proper  sense  of  knowledge,  he  cannot ;  for  it  is  plainly  not  an  object 
of  science.  The  word  of  Christ  is  the  only  ultimate  evidence,  b) 
which  he  must  be  governed ;  and  this  word  depends,  for  all  its  ve- 
racity and  convincing  infiuence,  on  the  moral  character  of  Christ; 
on  his  goodness,  faithfulness,  and  truth.  Whenever  the  sinner, 
therefore,  gives  himself  to  Christ,  according  to  his  proposal,  and 
in  obedience  to  his  commands,  he  does  it  merely  because  he  places 
an  entire  confidence  in  his  moral  character,  and  in  the  declarations 
which  he  has  made.     In  these  he  confides,  because  they  arc  the 


3ER.LXVI.]  THE  NATURE  OF  FAITH.  333 

declarations  of  just  such  a  person,  possessing  just  such  a  moral 
character.  On  this  he  trusts  himself,  his  soul,  his  eternal  well- 
being. 

If  lie  trusts  in  the  instructions,  precepts,  and  ordinances  of  Christ, 
(for  our  faith  is  not  unfrequently  said  to  be  exercised  towards  these) 
it  is  only  b^ecause  they  are  the  instructions,  precepts,  and  ordi- 
nances of  such  a  person.  Some  of  them,  indeed,  he  may  discern 
to  be  true  and  right,  in  themselves ;  but  for  the  truth  of  others,  and 
the  wisdom  and  safety  of  obeying  them  all,  he  rehes,  and  must 
rely,  only  on  Christ's  character  as  their  author.  If  he  beheves  in 
the  righteousness  of  Christ,  and  the  acceptableness  of  it  to  God, 
as  the  foundation  of  pardon  and  peace  to  sinners;  he  believes,  or 
trusts,  in  it,  only  because  it  is  the  righteousness  of  just  such  a 
person. 

The  same  things  are  true  of  his  faith  in  the  invitations,  promises, 
resurrection,  ascension,  exaltation,  government,  intercession,  pre- 
sence, protection,  and  universal  blessings,  of  the  Redeemer.  The 
faith  of  the  Christian  is  exercised  towards  all  these  things.  But 
all  of  them,  separated  from  his  moral  character,  are  nothing  to  the 
behever. 

From  these  considerations  it  is,  I  think,  sufficiently  evident,  that 
the  faith  of  the  Gospel,  whatever  may  be  its  immediate  object,  is 
no  other  than  confidence  in  the  moral  character  of  God,  especially 
of  the  Redeemer. 

If  I  am  asked,  "What  is  Confidence  in  moral  character?"  I  an- 
swer, look  into  your  own  bosoms ;  and  examine  what  is  that  ex- 
ercise of  mind,  in  which  you  trust  a  man  for  the  sake  of  what  he 
is :  a  parent,  for  example,  or  a  friend.  In  this  exercise  you  will 
find  a  strong  illustration  of  the  faith  of  the  Gospel. 

Confidence^  or  trust,  is  a  complex  emotion  of  the  mind  j  and  in- 
volves good-will  to  its  object.  We  cannot  thus  confide  in  any  per- 
son, whom  we  do  not  love. 

It  involves,  also,  Complacency  in  the  object;  or  approbation  of 
his  character.  We  cannot  thus  trust  any  person,  whom  we  do  not 
esteem. 

It  involves  a  Conviction,  that  the  attributes,  which  awaken  our 
confidence,  really  exist  in  the  person  whom  zoe  trust. 

It  involves  a  Persuasion,  that,  in  the  case,  and  on  the  terms,  pro- 
posed, the  person,  in  whom  we  confide,  is  ready  to  befriend  us.  Until 
this  is  admitted  by  us,  there  will  be  nothing,  about  which  our  con- 
fidence can  be  exercised. 

It  involves  a  sincere  delight,  in  every  exercise  of  it.  No  emo- 
tion yields  higher  enjoyment  than  confidence. 

It  involves  a  cheerful  devotion  to  the  interests,  and  pleasure,  of 
the  object  trusted ;  a  disposition  to  promote  those  interests,  and  to  . 
conform  to  that  pleasure.     Towards  a  superior,  it  is  thus  the  foun- 
dation of  constant  and  ready  obedience. 

Generally,  it  is  the  true  and  supreme  attachment  of  a  creature  to 


534  THE  NATURE  OF  FAITH.  [SER.  LXVI. 

his  Creator ;  in  which  he  surrenders  himself  entirely  into  his  hands, 
to  be  disposed  of  by  him  at  his  pleasure,  and  to  be  made  the  in- 
strument of  his  glory. 

REMARKS. 

1st.  This  account  of  Evangelical  faith,  if  admitted,  py.ts  an  end  to 
all  disputes  concerning  the  question,  Whether  Faith  is  a  moral  virtue. 

So  long  as  the  nature  of  faith  is  unsettled,  every  question,  de- 
pending on  it,  must  be  unsettled  also.  If  we  do  not  determine 
what  the  faith  of  the  Gospel  is,  we  are  ill  prepared  to  decide 
whether  it  is  of  a  moral  nature,  or  not.  If  the  feith  of  the  Gospel 
be  a  mere  speculative  assent  to  probable  evidence,  although  we 
may  indeed  be  virtuous  in  the  disposition,  with  which  we  at  times 
exercise  it,  as  was,  I  trust,  proved  in  the  preceding  discourse;  yet, 
clearly,  it  is  not  necessarily  virtuous ;  nor,  if  the  mind  stop  here, 
can  it  be  virtuous  at  all.  In  mere  speculative  belief,  existing,  by 
itself;  that  is,  in  merely  yielding  our  assent  to  probable  evidence; 
we  are,  as  I  observed  in  the  same  discourse,  entirely  passive,  and 
in  no  sense  virtuous.  But  if  faith  is  confidence  in  God,  of  the  na- 
ture here  exhibited,  it  is  beyond  dispute  virtue ;  virtue  of  pre-emi- 
nent importance,  and  capable  of  existing  in  every  possible  degree. 
So  far  as  I  know,  Confidence,  in  this  sense,  has  ever  been  esteemed 
voluntary,  and  acknowledged,  therefore,  to  be  of  a  moral  nature. 
Plainly  this  is  its  true  character.  Accordingly,  it  is  approved, 
loved,  and  commended,  by  all  mankind ;  and  undoubtedly  merits 
all  the  encomiums,  given  to  it,  both  in  profane  writings  and  in 
Revelation. 

One  of  the  principal  reasons,  why  the  faith  of  the  Gospel  has 
been  supposed  to  be  a  mere  speculative  belief,  is  probably  this : 
speculative  belief  is  the  thing,  intended  by  the  term  faith  in  its  ori- 
ginal sense.  It  is  not  very  unnatural,  therefore,  when  we  begin  to 
read  the  Scriptures,  to  consider  this  as  the  meaning  of  the  word  in 
these  writings;  nor  is  it  very  unnatural  for  men  of  a  sanguine 
cast,  men  who  have  a  system  to  defend,  or  men  who  change  their 
opinions  with  reluctance,  to  retain  an  interpretation  which  they 
have  once  imbibed.  We  are  not,  therefore,  to  wonder,  that  this 
opinion  has  been  extensively  spread,  or  pertinaciously  retained. 

But  the  Scriptures  give  no  countenance  to  this  doctrine.  With 
the  heart  nlan  believeth  unto  righteousness,  is  the  sum  of  their  in- 
structions concerning  this  subject.  lie,  who  can  believe,  that  a 
speculative  assent  to  probable  evidence,  such  as  that  which  we 
yield  to  ordinary  historical  testimony,  produced  the  eflbcts  ascribed 
to  faith,  in  the  Uth  chapter  of  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews,  can  cer- 
tainly believe  any  thing. 

2dly.  This  doctrine  explains  to  us  the  Manner,  in  which  faith  is 
spoken  of  in  the  Scriptures. 

Particularly,  we  see  abundant  reasons,  why  it  is  spoken  of  as  a 
Virtue;  and  is  accordingly  commanded  in  many  forms,  on  many 


SER.  LXVI]  THE  NATURE  OF  FAITH.  335 

occasions,  and  to  all  persons ;  and  why  it  is  promised  a  glorious 
and  endless  reward.  At  the  same  time,  we  have  explained  to  us 
in  the  same  satisfactory  manner,  the  various  scriptural  accounts  of 
its  opposites.  Distrust,  or  Unbelief;  and  the  reasons  why  it  is  pro- 
nounced to  be  sinful,  is  every  where  forbidden,  and  is  threatened 
with  endless  punishment.  This  exhibition  of  faith,  also,  explains 
to  us  in  the  most  satisfactory  manner,  why  faith  is  strongly  and 
universally  commended  in  the  Scriptures;  and  why  unbehef  is  re- 
probated in  a  similar  manner ;  why  saints  are  called  believers  and 
faithful ;  these  names  being  considered  as  equivalent  to  the  names 
holy  and  virtuous ;  and  why  unbelievers  and  infidels  are  terms 
used  in  the  Scriptures,  as  equivalent  to  sinful,  wicked,  and  ungodly. 
We  learn,  further,  why  faith,  directed  to  the  Word,  Ordinances, 
and  Providence,  of  God;  to  the  Example,  Atonement,  Death,  Re- 
surrection, and  Exaltation,  of  Christ;  or  directly  to  the  Character 
of  God  and  the  Redeemer,  is  considered,  in  the  Scriptures,  as  sub- 
stantially of  the  same  nature  and  as  the  same  thing :  tlie  faith,  ex- 
ercised, being  always  the  same  moral  act,  springing  from  the  same 
spirit,  terminating  in  the  same  object,  and  producing  the  same  ef- 
fects. li\  therefore,  it  exists  with  reference  to  one  of  these  objects, 
it  exists,  also,  in  successive  acts,  invariably,  towards  them  all. 
Finally  ;  we  see  the  reason,  why  faith  in  God,  in  Christ,  or  in  di- 
vine truth,  is  exhibitcl  as  being,  in  a  sense,  the  sum  of  all  duty, 
and  the  foundation  of  all  present  and  future,  spiritual  good ;  and 
why  unbelief  is  presented  to  us,  as,  in  a  sense,  the  sum  of  all  dis- 
obedience, and  the  source  of  all  spiritual  evil  both  here  and  here- 
after. 

These  and  the  like  representations,  are  easily  explained,  if  by 
Faith  we  intend  Confidence  in  the  moral  character  of  God  and  the 
Redeemer.  Tiiis  confidence  is  plainly  the  beginning,  and  the 
continuance,  of  union  and  attachment  to  our  Creator ;  while,  on 
the  other  hand,  distrust  is  a  complete  separation  of  the  soul  from 
the  Author  of  its  being.  It  is  plainly  impossible  for  him,  who  dis- 
trusts God,  to  have  any  moral  union  to  him,  or  any  devotion  to  his 
pleasure. 

Confidence  is  also  the  highest  honour,  which  an  Intelligent  crea- 
ture can  render  to  his  Creator.  No  act  of  such  a  creature  can  so 
clearly,  or  so  strongly,  declare  his  approbation  of  the  Divine 
character,  or  his  devotion  to  the  Divine  will,  as  committing  om*- 
selves  entirely  to  him  in  this  manm^r.  In  this  act;  we  declare,  in 
the  most  decisive  manner,  the  character  of  God  to  be  formed  of 
such  attributes,  as  will  secure  our  whole  well-being,  and  fulfil  all 
our  vindicable  desires.  Whatever  can  be  hoped  for  from  supreme 
and  infinite  excellence,  we  declare  ourselves  to  expect  from  the 
character  of  God ;  and  pronounce  his  pleasure  to  be,  in  our  view, 
the  sura  of  all  that  is  excellent  and  desirable.  In  distrusting  God, 
we  declare  in  the  same  forcible  manner  precisely  the  opposite  things ; 


336  THE  NATURE  OF  FAITH.  [SER.  LXVI. 

and  thus,  so  far  as  is  in  our  power,  dishonour  his  character,  and 
impeach  his  designs. 

3dly.    This  account  of  Faith,  strongly  evinces  the  Divinity  of 
Christ. 

The  faith,  which  we  are  required  to  exercise  in  Christ,  is  as 
unquahficd,  as  entire,  and  as  extensive,  as  that  which  we  are 
required  to  exercise  towards  God.  The  blessings,  promised  to  it, 
are  the  same  ;  and  the  evils,  threatened  to  our  refusal  of  it,  are  also 
the  same.  No  mark  of  difference,  with  respect  to  these  particulars, 
is  even  hinted  at  in  the  Scriptures.  This  must,  I  think,  be  inex- 
plicable, unless  the  attribute  to  which  alone  the  faith  is  directed, 
and  which  alone  render  it  our  duty  to  exercise  it,  are  in  each  case 
the  same. 

Besides,  it  is  incredible,  that  an  Intelligent  being,  rationally  em- 
ployed, should  confide  himself,  his  everlasting  interests,  his  all,  to 
any  hands,  but  those  of  infinite  perfection.  Stephen,  full  of  the 
Holy  Ghost,  could  not,  I  think,  as  he  was  leaving  the  world,  have 
said  to  any  creature,  Lord  Jesus,  into  thy  hands  I  commend  my  spirit. 
No  man,  in  the  possession  of  a  sound  mind,  could,  as  it  seems  to 
me,  say  this  even  to  Gabriel  himself. 

4thly.  We  learn  from  these  observations,  that  the  faith  of  the  Gos- 
pel will  exist  for  ever. 

We  often  speak  of  faith,  as  hereafter  to  be  swallowed  up  in  vis- 
ion ;  and  intend  by  this,  that  it  will  cease  to  exist  in  the  future 
world.  In  a  qualified  sense,  it  is  undoubtedly  true  ;  for  many  things 
which  we  now  believe  only,  we  shall  hereafter  know  with  certainty. 
But  Confidence  in  God,  the  Father,  the  Son,  and  the  Holy  Ghost, 
will  exist  for  ever.  Moral  character  seems  not,  in  its  nature,  to  be 
an  object  of  science,  properly  so  called.  Spirits  by  every  eye, 
except  the  Omniscient,  are  discerned  only  through  the  medium  of 
their  actions  ;  which  are  proof  of  their  natural  attributes,  and  ex- 
pressions of  their  moral  character.  Moral  character  is  the  amount 
of  all  the  volitions  of  a  moral  agent.  As  these  are  free  and  inde- 
pendent, they  are  incapable  of  being  known,  but  by  the  volunta- 
ry manifestations  of  the  agent  himself.  United,  they  form,  and 
exhibit,  the  whole  moral  character.  In  parts,  though  they  denote 
it  truly,  they  denote  it  imperfectly. 

In  every  age  of  Eternity  it  will  be  true,  that,  in  the  physical 
sense,  it  is  possible  for  God  to  oppress,  or  destroy,  even  his  obedi^ 
ent  creatures.  The  proofs  that  he  will  not  are  found  only  in  the 
disclosure  of  his  moral  character ;  and  on  these  disclosures  his 
virtuous  creatures  will  for  ever  rely  with  undoubting  confidence, 
and  with  the  utmost  propriety  and  wisdom.  Knowledge,  or  sci- 
ence, in  the  strict  sense,  they  will  not,  I  think,  be  ever  able  to  ob- 
tain of  this  immensely  important  subject ;  nor  would  they  be  ben- 
efited, were  they  able.  Science  is  in  no  degree  of  a  moral  nature, 
nor  of  course  attended  by  virtuous  affections,  nor  followed  by  vir- 
tuous conduct.     But  confidence  is  in  itself  morale  and  virtuous. 


SER.  LXVI.]  THE  NATURE  OF  FAITH.  337 

and  capable  of  being  the  highest  virtue  of  a  rational  creature. 
Amiable  and  excellent  in  itself,  it  is  approved  and  loved  by  God  ; 
the  foundation  of  delight  in  his  character ;  the  source  of  unin- 
terrupted obedience  to  his  will ;  an  endearing  and  immoveable 
union  to  him ;  a  similar  union  to  the  virtuous  Universe ;  and  the 
basis  of  everlasting  friendship  and  beneficence,  in  all  their  mutual 
intercourse. 

It  will  therefore  revive  beyond  the  grave ;  and  with  new  vigour 
and  perfection.  With  every  new  display  of  divine  excellence, 
and  created  worth,  it  will  rise  higher  and  higher  without  end.  The 
mind,  in  which  it  exists,  will,  in  every  stage  of  its  progress,  become 
wiser,  nobler,  better,  and  happier.  Heaven  in  all  its  concerns ;  its 
inhabitants ;  and  dispensations ;  will,  from  its  influence,  assume 
without  intermission  a  brighter  aspect;  and  the  immense,  eternal 
Kingdom  of  Jehovah  continually  become  a  more  and  more  perfect 
mirror,  reflecting,  with  increasing  splendour,  his  supreme  excellence 
and  glory. 


Vol.  11,  43 


^     SERMON  LXVII. 


JUSTIFICATION. THE    INFLUENCE    OF    FAITH  IN    OUR    JUSTIFI- 
CATION. 


Romans  iii.  28. — Therefore  we  conclude  thtU  man  is  justified  by  FaiUi  without  vorkt 

of  Law. 

Having  shown,  that  we  are  justified  freely  by  the  grace  of  God; 
proved  the  duty  of  believing  ^  and  explained  the  nature  of  Evangel- 
ical Faith ;  in  the  three  preceding  discourses  ;  I  shall  now  proceed 
to  examine  the  Connexion  of  Faith  with  our  justification.  The 
first  of  these  discourses  was  employed  in  discussing  that  which  is 
done  in  our  justification  on  the  part  of  God.  In  this  discourse,  I 
shall  examine  the  Mature  and  Influence  of  that  which  is  done  on  the 
part  of  man,  towards  the  accomplishment  of  this  important  event. 
We  are  justified  freely,  or  gratuitously.  Yet  we  are  justified 
conditionally  :  not  in  our  natural,  corrupt,  and  universal  state;  but 
in  consequence  of  a  new  and  peculiar  state,  denoted  by  the  word 
faith. 

In  discussing  this  subject,  I  shall  include  the  observations  which 
I  think  it  necessary  to  make,  under  the  following  heads: 

I.  The  Manner,  in  which  faith  becomes,  and, 

II.  The  Propriety,  with  which  it  is  constituted  the  Means  of  our 
justification. 

I.  /  shall  attempt  to  describe  the  Manner.,  in  which  Faith  becomes 
the  Means  of  our  justification. 

To  exhibit  this  subject  in  the  clearest  light,  it  will  be  useful  to 
return  again  to  the  Covenant  of  Redemption ;  in  which  the  justifi- 
cation of  mankind  was  originally  promised.  You  will  perhaps 
remember,  that  there  are,  as  was  formerly  stated,  three  distinct 
promises,  contmned  in  this  Covenant;  beside  the  general  one, which 
involves  them  all:  that  Christ  shall  see,  or  possess,  a  seed;  that 
this  seed  shall  prolong  their  days;  or  endure,  or  be  happy,  for 
ever;  and  that  the  throne,  or  dominion,  of  Christ,  over  them,  shall 
be  as  the  days  of  heaven :  or  in  other  words,  eternal.  The  first  of 
these  promises,  on  which  the  other  two  are  founded,  is  that  Christ 
shall  see,  or  possess,  a  seed :  that  is,  he  shall  have  a  number,  else- 
where said  to  be  very  j^reat,  of  children,  disciples,  or  foll"wers,  in 
consequence  of  making  his  soul  an  offering  for  sin  ;  or  a  propitiatory 
sacrifice. 

The  great  question,  naturally  arising  in  this  place,  is,  In  what 
manner  do  Apostate  M'n,  of  whom  his  followers  xcere  to  consist,  be- 
come his  seed?     To  this  question  I  answer:  By  Faith.    In  explain- 


SER.  LXVII]  THE  INFLUENCE  OF  FAITH,  fcc.  339 

ing  the  true  and  full  import  of  this  answer,  every  thing  may  be  said 
which  is  necessary  to  the  object  under  considei'ation.  To  this  end, 
it  will  be  proper  to  observe, 

1st.  That  Mankind  do  not  become  the  children  of  Christ  by  Crea- 
tion. 

By  Creation,  all  men  are  equally  his  children.  But  all  men 
are  not  his  children,  in  the  sense  of  this  covenant.  In  this  sense, 
those  only  are  his  seed,  who  are  his  disciples.  But  we  know  from 
innumerable  passages  of  Scripture,  that  all  men  are  not  his  dis- 
ciples. 

2dly.  Men  do  not  become  the  children  of  Christ  by  their  Obedience 
to  the  Law. 

No  man  has  obeyed  the  Law ;  and,  therefore,  by  works  of  Law 
no  flesh  can  be  justified. 

3dly.  Men  do  not  become  the  children  of  Christ,  merely  by  his 
.Atonement. 

Christ  was  a  propitiation  for  the  sins  of  the  whole  world,  as  well 
as  for  his  disciples'.  But  the  whole  world  is  not  included  in  the 
number  of  his  disciples. 

4thly.  Mankind  do  not  become  the  children  of  Christ  by  their 
obedience,  wrought  after  they  believe  in  him. 

No  man  ever  obeys  in  the  scriptural  sense,  until  after  he  has  be- 
lieved. But  men  are  children  of  Christ,  whenever  they  believe ; 
and  that,  whether  they  live  to  perform  acts  of  obedience,  or  not. 
Multitudes,  there  is  every  reason  to  suppose,  die  so  soon  after  be- 
lieving, as  to  render  it  impossible  for  them  to  perform  any  acts  of 
obedience  whatever.  All  these  are  disciples  of  Christ.  Men, 
therefore,  are  justified  by  faith,  without  works  of  Law. 

As  these  are  all  the  modes,  in  which  mankind  have  ever  been 
supposed  to  become  disciples  of  Christ,  beside  that,  which  is  the 
main  subject  of  this  discourse  ;  the  necessary  conclusion  from  these 
observations  will  be,  that  men  become  his  children  by  faith,  accord- 
ing to  the  meaning  of  this  Covenant. 

At  the  same  time,  the  nature  of  the  case  furnishes  the  most  con- 
clusive evidence  to  this  position.  Men,  in  their  original  state,  are 
ruined  and  helpless.  In  this  state,  Christ  oifers  himself  to  them  as 
a  Saviour,  on  the  condition,  that  they  will  become  his  ;  or  that  they 
will  come  to  him;  or  that  they  will  give  themselves  up  to  him;  or 
in  other  words,  voluntarily  become  his.  In  the  xvii.  chapter  of  John, 
verse  2d,  Christ  says,  in  his  intercessory  prayer  to  God :  j^s  thou 
hast  given  him,  that  is,  Christ,  power  over  all  fiesh  ;  that  he  should 
give  eternal  life  to  as  many  as  thou  hast  given  him.  In  the  9th 
verse,  he  says,  /  pray  not  for  the  world,  but  for  them  which  thou 
hast  given  me  ;  for  they  are  thine.  And  all  mine  are  thine,  and 
thine  are  mine;  and  I  am  glorified  in  them.  In  these  passages  we 
learn  that  the  Father  gave  to  Christ,  originally,  some  of  the  human 
race  ;  that  all  these  are  Christ's  •  that  he  is  glorified  in  them ;  and 
l^hat  he  gives  them  eternal  life. 


340  THE  INFLUENCE  OF  FAITH  [SER.  LXVII. 

The  Covenant  of  Grace,  made  between  God  and  mankind,  is 
contained  in  these  words  :  I  will  be  your  God,  and  ye  shall  be  my 
people.  In  this  Covenant,  God  is  pleased  to  engage,  on  his  part, 
to  be  the  God  of  all  who  will  be  his;  and  man,  on  his  part,  gives 
himself  up  to  God,  engaging  to  be  his.  Accordingly,  mankind  are 
commanded  to  yield  tiiemselves  to  God.  Yield  yourselves,  says 
St.  Paul  to  the  Romans,  utUo  God,  as  those  that  are  alive  from  the 
dead.  Rom.  vi.  13.  Be  ye  not  stiff-necked,  said  Hezekiah  to  ihe 
Israelites,  as  your  fathers  were  ;  but  yield  yourselves  unto  the  Lord  ; 
and  serve  the  Lord,  that  the  fierceness  of  his  wrath  may  turn  away 
from  you. 

According  to  this  scheme,  which  is  every  where  the  scheme  of 
the  Scriptures,  those  who  are  children  of  Christ  become  such,  first, 
by  being  given  to  him  of  the  Father,  next  by  giving  themselves  to 
him,  and  then  by  being  received  by  him.  Him  that  comethunlo  me 
1  zcill  in  no  wise  cast  out.  John  vi.  37.  Thus  it  is  evident,  that  that, 
which,  on  the  part  of  mankind,  makes  them  Christ's  children,  is 
(heir  own  voluntary  gift  of  themselves  to  him.  Accordingly  St, 
Paul,  speaking  in  the  2d  EjVistle  to  the  Corinthians,  of  the  Mace- 
donian Chr'isivdns,  says,  that  they  first  gave  their  own  selves  to  the 
Lord.  Chapter  viii.  5. 

The  act,  by  which  the  voluntary  surrender  of  ourselves  to  Christ 
is  accomplished,  is  the  faith,  or  confidence,  of  the  Gospel.  When 
Christ  proposes  himself  to  us  as  a  Saviour,  it  is  plain,  that  we  have 
no  other  security  of  the  salvation,  which  he  promises,  beside  the 
promise  itself;  and  this  furnishes  no  security,  beside  what  is  con- 
tained in  his  character.  Confidence,  then,  in  his  character,  and  in 
his  promise  as  founded  on  it,  is  that  act  of  the  mind,  by  which 
alone  it  renders  itself  to  Christ,  and  becomes  his;  one  of  his  chil- 
dren; his  disciple  ;  his  follower.  Unless  the  soul  confide  in  him, 
it  is  plainly  impossible,  that  it  should  confide,  or  yield,  itself  to  him; 
and,  unless  it  yield  itself  to  him,  it  cannot  become  his.  But  the 
act  o(  confiding  in  him  is,  in  the  case  specified,  the  act  also  oi  con- 
fiding itself  to  him. 

When  the  soul  thus  renders  itself  into  the  hands  of  Christ,  i/  does 
it  on  his  own  terms.  It  casts  off  all  former  dependence  on  its  own 
righteousness,  whether  a})prehended,  or  real,  for  acceptance  with 
God;  for  forgiveness  and  justification.  Conscious  of  its  entire 
unworthincss,  and  desert  of  the  Divine  anger,  the  reality  and  great- 
ness of  its  guilt,  the  justice  of  its  condemnation,  and  the  impossi- 
bility of  expiating  its  own  sins,  it  casts  itself  at  the  footstool  of 
his  mercy,  as  a  suppliant  for  mere  [)ardon  ;  and  welcomes  him,  as 
the  glorious,  efficacious,  and  all-sufficient  Atonement  for  sin,  and 
Intercessor  for  sinners.  With  these  views,  and  affections,  it  yields 
itself  up  to  him,  as  a  free-will  offering,  with  an  entire  confidence 
in  all  that  he  hath  taught,  and  done,  and  suffered,  in  the  Divine 
character  of  Mediator  between  God  and  man.  In  this  manner  it 
becomes  his,  here  and  for  ever. 


SER.  LXVII.]  IN  OUR  JUSTIFICATION.  341 

As  his,  it  is  acknowledged,  in  accordance  with  that  glorious  prom- 
ise :  Him  that  comelh  tinto  me  will  I  in  nozvise  cast  out.  As  his,  its 
7iameis  written  in  the  Lamb''s  Book  of  life  ;  and  it  is  invested  with 
a  sure,  indefeasible  title  to  all  the  promises  of  the  Gospel ;  partic- 
ularly to  those,  recorded  in  the  2d  and  3d  chapter  of  the  Apoca- 
lypse ;  and  to  the  inheritance,  which  is  undefled,  and  fadeth  not 
away. 

It  has  been  often  debated,  whether  mankind  are  justified,  in  the 
full  and  proper  sense,  in  this  world,  or  in  that  which  is  to  come. 
To  the  great  question,  concerning  the  manner  of  our  justification, 
this  point  appears  to  me  to  be  of  little  importance.  Whenever  a 
man  thus  gives  himself  into  the  hands  of  Christ,  he  becomes  his,  in 
the  sense  of  the  Covenant  of  Redemption  ;  and  his  title  to  justifi- 
cation, in  this  character,  is  complete.  Whenever,  therefore,  he 
enters  into  the  future  world ;  and  appears  before  the  Judge  of  the 
quick  and  the  dead  ;  he  comes,  in  a  character  acknowledged  in  the 
Covenant  of  Redemption,  with  a  title  to  acceptance,  founded  on 
the  promise  of  the  Father,  contained  in  that  covenant ;  and  pleads, 
with  certain  prevalence,  his  own  performance  of  the  condition,  on 
his  part;  viz.  faith  in  the  Redeemer;  as  having  brought  him  within 
the  limits  of  that  promise.  As  Christ's,  then,  and  as  Christ's  alone  ; 
as  one  of  his  seed ;  he  is  acknowledged,  forgiven,  acquitted,  and 
received  to  the  heavenly  inheritance. 

It  is  here  to  be  obsei^ed,  and  always  to  be  remembered,  that  the 
believer  is  not  thus  accepted  on  account  of  his  faith,  considered  as 
merit  /  or  as  furnishing  a  claim  in  the  nature  of  a  work  of  righteous- 
ness, sufficiently  excellent  to  deserve  justification,  either  wholly,  or 
partially.  Considered  in  every  other  light,  except  that  of  being 
one  of  Christ's  children  ;  or,  in  other  words,  considered  merely  as 
a  moral  being;  he  merits  nothing  at  the  hand  of  God,  but  anger 
and  punishment.  If  he  were  to  he  judged  according  to  his  works, 
in  this  sense,  he  w^ould  be  ruined.  For  although  many  of  his  ac- 
tions are,  in  a  greater  or  less  degree,  really  virtuous;  yet  his  sins, 
also,  are  many  and  very  great;  enhanced  by  all  the  light  which  he 
has  enjoyed,  the  grace  which  he  has  received,  and  the  covenant 
which  he  has  made.  In  this  case,  he  would  come  before  God,  as 
a  mere  subject  of  Law  ;  no  jot  or  tittle  of  which  has  ceased  to  bind 
him  with  its  original  obligatory  force,  or  to  demand  from  him,  with 
all  its  original  authority,  exact  obedience.  Such  obedience  can, 
here,  be  the  only  possible  ground  of  justification  ;  and  this  obedi- 
dience  was  never  rendered  by  any  child  of  .,4 dam, 

II.  I  will  endeavour  to  show  the  propriety,  with  which  Faith  is 
constituted  the  means  of  our  justification. 

It  has  been  already  shown,  that  we  are  not  justified  by  faith, 
because  it  renders  us  deserving  of  this  favour  at  the  hand  of  God. 
Still  there  is,  I  apprehend,  an  evident  propriety  in  constituting  faith 
the  means  of  our  justification.  If  returning  sinners  are  to  be  justified 
at  all ;  it  will,  I  suppose,  be  acknowledged,  that  it  must  be  proper 


342  THE  INFLUENCE  OF  FAITH  [SER.  LXVU. 

for  God  to  justify  them,  in  such  a  maimer,  as  shall  most  conlribuU 
to  his  glory,  and  their  good.  This  1  shall  endeavour  to  prove  to 
be  the  real  consequence  of  the  manner,  in  which  they  are  actually 
justified. 

It  contributes  peculiarly  to  the  glory  of  God,  in  the  following, 
among  other  particulars. 

1st.  It  IS  a  dispensation  of  Grace  merely. 

Every  thing,  pertaining  to  this  dis])ensation  on  the  part  of  God, 
is  the  result  of  mere  sovereign,  unmerited  love.  This  attribute, 
thus  considered,  is  by  the  divine  writers  every  where  spoken  of, 
as  the  peculiar  glory  of  the  Divine  character.  Whenever  they 
have  occasion  to  mention  it,  they  rise  above  themselves;  utter 
their  sentiments  with  a  kind  of  rapture  •,  and  adopt  the  style  of  ex- 
clamation, rather  than  that  of  sober  description.  Who  art  thou, 
says  Zichariah,  0  great  mountain  ?  Before  Zeruhbabel  thou  shall 
become  a  plain  ;  and  he  shall  bring  forth  the  head-stone  thereof  with 
'shoutings  ;  crying,  Grace,  grace,  unto  it.  Behold,  what  mariner  of 
love,  says  St.  John,  the  Father  hath  bestowed  on  us,  that  we.  shoidd 
be  called  the  sons  of  God!  For  this  cause,  says  St.  Paul,  I  bow  my 
hnecsunio  the  Father  of  our  Lord  JesusChrist;  that  ye,being  rooted  aiid 
grounded  in  love,  may  be  able  to  comprehend,  with  all  saints,  what  is 
the  breadth,  and  length,  and  depth,  and  height ;  and  to  know  the 
love  of  Christ,  which  passcth  knowledge.  Having  predestinated  us. 
says  tlie  same  Apostle,  unto  the  adoption  of  children  by  Jesus  Christ 
to  himself  according  to  the  good  pleasure  of  his  will,  to  the  praise 
of  the  glory  of  his  grace  ;  wherein  he  hath  made  us  accepted  in  the 
Beloved:  In  whom  wc  have  redemption,  through  his  blood,  the  for- 
giveness of  sins,  according  to  the  riches  of  his  grace.  Praise  the 
Lord,  says  David,  for  he  is  good,  for  his  mercy  endurethfor  ever  ! 
In  this  maimer  the  subject  is  always  considered,  and  always  spoken 
of,  by  the  divine  writers.  I  shall  only  add,  that  the  Angels  them- 
selves appear  to  entertain  similar  thoughts  concerning  it ;  as  was 
abundantly  manifested,  when,  at  the  birth  of  the  Saviour,  they 
sung,  Glory  to  God  in  the  highest ;  and  on  earth  Peace  ;  Good-will 
towards  men. 

All  men  will  probably  agree,  that  love,  exercised  towards  ene- 
mies, is  the  fairest  and  most  illustrious  specimen  of  good-will,  of 
which  we  have  any  knowledge.  Exercised  by  God  towards  sin- 
ners, not  only  his  enemies,  not  only  lost  and  ruined,  but  eminently 
vile  and  guilty  enemies,  it  is  certainly  seen  in  its  consummation.  In 
justifying  mankind  through  faith  in  the  Redeemer,  this  manifesta- 
tion of  love  is  seen  in  its  fairest  and  most  finished  form.  All  the 
previous  steps,  indispensable  to  its  accomplishment,  and  beyond 
measure  wonderful,  were  dictated,  and  carried  into  execution,  by 
mere  grace.  By  mere  grace,  when  all  these  things  are  done,  is  the 
sinner  accepted,  without  any  merit  of  his  own  ;  and  only  in  the 
character  of  one,  who  has  confidentially  given  himself  to  Christ. 


SER.  LXVII.]  IN  OUR  JUSTIFICATION.  343 

In  this  dispensation,  then,  this  most  glorious  attribute  of  God  is 
seen  in  the  fairest  Ught. 

2dly.  //  is  filed  to  produce  the  greatest  degree  of  gratitude  in 
man. 

In  Luke  vii.  40,  we  are  told,  that  Simon  the  Pharisee,  at  whose 
house  our  Saviour  was  sitting  at  meat,  censured  hmi  for  suffering  a 
poor,  sinful  woman  to  anoint  him  with  precious  ointment ;  and  that 
Christ  said  unto  him,  Simon,  I  have  somewhat  to  say  unto  thee.  And 
he  saith,  Master,  say  on.  There  was  a  certain  creditor,  who  had 
two  debtors  y  the  one  owed  Jive  hundred  pence,  and  the  other  fifty. 
And  zvhen  they  had  nothing  to  pay,  he  frankly  forgave  them  both. 
Tell  r>ie,  therefore,  which  of  them  will  love  lam  most  ?  Simon  an- 
swered, and  said,  I  suppose,  that  he,  to  whom  he  forgave  most.  And 
he  said  unto  him.  Thou  hast  rightly  judged. 

From  this  passage  of  Scripture  it  is  evident,  that  forgiveness 
confers  a  peculiar  obligation,  and  inspires  peculiar  gratitude  ;  and 
that  this  obligation  and  gratitude  are  great,  in  proportion  to  the 
number,  and  guilt,  of  the  sins  which  arc  forgiven.  But  the  scheme 
of  justification  by  faith,  being  a  scheme  of  mere  forgiveness,  v.'ith- 
out  any  consideration  of  merit  on  the  part  of  those  who  are  justifi- 
ed, and  the  number  and  guilt  of  the  sins  forgiven  being  very  great; 
the  fairest  foundation  is  laid,  here,  for  the  highest  possible  grati- 
tude. This  emotion,  and  its  effects,  will  extend  through  etf  rnity ; 
and  constitute  no  small  part  of  the  character,  usefulness,  and  feli- 
city, of  the  Redeemed ;  and  no  small  part  of  their  loveliness  in  the 
sight  of  their  Creator.  Had  mankind  been  justified  by  works 
either  wholly  or  partially,  this  aftection,  and  its  consequences, 
could  not  have  existed  in  the  same  manner,  nor  in  the  same  degree. 

3dly.    This  dispensation  is  eminently  honourable  to  Christ. 

St.  Paid,  in  1  Corinthians,  quoting  from  Jtremiah  9th,  delivers  it 
as  a  precept,  intended  universally  to  regulate  the  conduct  of  man- 
kind, that  he  who  gloridh  should  glory  only  in  the  Lord ^  because 
he  is  made  unto  us  wisdom,  righteousness,  sanctif  cation,  and  redemp' 
tion.  In  conformity  to  this  rule  of  conduct,  we  find  it  asserted  in 
the  5th  of  the  Revelation,  that  the  four  living  Ones,  and  the  four 
and  twenty  Elders,  fell  down  before  the  Lamb,  and  sung  a  new  song  ; 
saying.  Thou  art  worthy  to  take  the  book,  audio  open  the  seals  there- 
of; for  thou  wast  slain  ;  and  hast  redeemed  us  to  God  by  thy  blood, 
out  of  every  kindred,  and  tongue,  and  people,  and  nation.  And  hast 
made  us  unto  our  God  Kings  and  Priests  :  and  we  shall  reign  on  the 
earth.  Immediately  upon  this,  the  whole  host  of  heaven  exclaimed 
with  a  loud  voice,  Worthy  is  the  Lamb,  that  was  slain,  to  receive  pow- 
er, and  riches,  and  wisdom,  and  strength,  and  honour,  and  glory,  and 
blessing.  Finally,  both  heaven  and  earth  are  exhibited  as  uniting 
with  one  voice  in  this  sublime  ascription  :  Blessing,  and  honour,  and 
glory ^  and  power,  be  unto  Him  that  sitteth  on  the  throne,  and  unto 
the  Lamb,  for  ever  and  ever.     At  the  close  of  this  act  of  celestial 


344  THE  INFLUENCE  OF  FAITH  [SER.  LXVIf. 

worship,  the  lour  living  Ones  subjoin  their  solemn  Amen!    This 
passage  needs  no  comment. 

In  the  scheme  of  justification  by  faith  it  is  evident,  tliat  all  the 
glory  of  saving  sinnrrs  from  cndkss  guilt  and  misery,  and  of  rais- 
ing them  to  immortal  happiness  and  virtue,  centers  in  the  Redeem- 
er ;  and  that,  according  to  his  own  declaration,  he  is  eminently  glo- 
rified, in  this  manner,  in  those,  who  are  given  to  him  by  the  Father 
as  his  children.  John  xvii.  10. 

4thly.  It  is  honourable  to  God,  that  he  should  annex  justification 
to  virtue^  and  not  to  any  thing  of  a  different  nature. 

Faith  is  virtue.  But  the  works  of  mankind,  wrought  before  the 
existence  of  faith  in  the  soul,  are  in  no  sense  virtuous.  Faith,  also, 
is  the  commencement  of  virtue  in  man.  It  is  highly  honourable  to 
God,  that  he  should  annex  justification  to  the  first  appearance  of 
virtue  in  the  human  character.  In  this  manner,  he  exhibits,  in  the 
strongest  degree,  his  readiness  to  forgive,  accept,  and  save,  the  re- 
turning sinner ;  the  greatness  of  his  mercy,  which,  at  the  sight  of 
the  returning  prodigal,  hastens  to  meet,  and  welcome  him,  guilty  as 
he  has  been,  in  all  his  rags,  and  dirt,  and  shame,  merely  because 
he  has  set  his  face  in  earnest  towards  his  father's  house  ;  and  the 
sublime  and  glorious  pleasure,  which  he  enjoys  in  finding  a  son, 
who  was  lost  to  all  good,  and  in  seeing  him,  once  dead,  alive  again 
to  useful  and  divine  purposes. 

5thly.  It  is  honourable  to  God,  that  he  should  annex  our  justifictt' 
tion  to  that  attribute,  zohich  is  the  true  source  of  virtuous  obedience. 

That  faith  is  the  true  source  of  such  obedience,  in  all  its  forms 
and  degrees,  is  so  completely  proved  by  St.  Paul  in  the  xi.  Chap- 
ter of  the  Episde  to  the  Hebrews,  as  to  admit  of  no  debate,  and  to 
demand  no  further  illustration.  He  declares  directly,  and  univer- 
sally, that  without  faith  it  is  impossible  to  please  God  in  any  act 
whatever;  and  that  by  faith  Enoch  m  his  obedience  pleased  God. 
By  necessary  consequence  all  the  other  worthies,  mentioned  in  that 
chapter,  pleased  him  also  for  the  same  reason.  On  account  of 
their  faith,  he  teaches  us,  that  God  is  not  ashamed  to  be  called  their 
God;  and  has  prepared  them  a  city;  an  everlasting  residence,  a 
final  home,  in  the  heavenly  world.  Finally,  he  shows,  that  faith  is 
the  real  and  only  source  of  that  obedience,  which  is  the  most  ardu- 
ous, self-denying,  honourable  to  the  human  character,  and  eminent- 
ly pleasing  to  God.  In  a  word,  every  thing  truly  glorious,  which 
can  be  achieved  by  man,  he  declares,  in  the  latter  part  of  the 
chapter,  to  be  achieved  by  faith  alone. 

St.  John,  also,  assures  us,  that  faith  is  the  victory,  which  over- 
cometh  the  world;  the  real  power,  by  which,  on  our  part,  tempta- 
tions are  effectually  resisted,  snares  escaped,  enemies  overthrown, 
and  heaven  with  all  its  blessings  finally  won. 

While  this  scheme  of  justification,  therefore,  strips  man  of  all 
pretensions  to  merit,  and  gives  the  whole  glory  of  his  salvation  to 
his  Maker,  it  furnishes  the  most  efficacious  means,  and  the  mos'. 


SER.  LXVII.]  IN  OUR  JUSTIFICATION.  345 

absolute  assurance,  of  his  future  obedience,  his  perpetual  improve- 
ment in  holiness,  and  his  certain  advancement  towards  the  best 
character,  which  he  will  ever  be  capable  of  sustaining.  The  obe- 
dience, springing  from  faith,  is  voluntary,  filial,  and  lovely.  All 
other  obedience  is  mercenary,  and  of  no  moral  worth.  It  will  not 
be  denied,  that  a  dispensation,  of  which  these  are  the  consequen- 
ces, is  highly  honourable  to  the  character  of  its  Author. 

Every  person,  who  has  attended  to  these  observations,  must 
clearly  see,  that  they  illustrate,  in  various  particulars,  the  usefulness 
of  this  dispensation  to  man:  all  of  them  plainly  involving  personal 
advantages,  and  those  very  great,  to  the  justified ;  as  well  as  pe- 
culiar glory  to  the  Justifier.  Two  additional  observations  will 
contain  all  that  is  necessary  to  the  further  illustration  of  this  part 
of  the  subject. 

1st.  This  dispensation  is  prof  table  to  mankind,  as  it  renders  their 
justif  cation  easy  and  certain. 

Had  our  justification  been  made  to  depend  on  a  course  of  obe- 
dience, it  is  not  difficult  to  see,  that  we  should  have  been  involved 
in  many  perplexities  and  dangers.  Repentance  at  late  periods  of 
life  would,  particularly,  have  been  exceedingly  discouraged.  It 
will  not  be  denied,  that  such  repentance  exists ;  nor,  however  rare 
we  may  suppose  it,  that  it  exists,  upon  the  whole,  in  many  in- 
stances. Nor  can  any  man  of  common  humanity  avoid  wishing, 
that  the  number  of  these  instances  may  be  greatly  increased.  Such 
instances  exist  even  on  a  dying  bed  ;  and,  as  there  is  good  reason 
to  beheve,  in  considerable  numbers.  But  how  discouraging  to 
such  persons  would  it  be,  to  know  that  their  Justification  was  de- 
pendent on  their  own  obedience !  Is  there  not  every  reason  to 
believe,  that  most,  if  not  all  persons,  in  these  circumstances,  would 
be  discouraged  from  every  effort,  and  lay  aside  the  attempt  as 
hopeless.  What,  in  this  case  also,  would  become  of  children,  dy- 
ing in  their  infancy  ?  and  what  of  persons,  perishing  by  shipwreck^ 
the  sword,  and  innumerable  other  causes,  which  terminate  hfe  by  a 
sudden,  unexpected  dissolution  ? 

Further;  if  Justification  were  annexed  to  our  obedience;  how 
should  the  nature  and  degree  of  obedience  be  estimated  ?  How 
pure  must  it  be?  What  degree  of  contamination  might  it  admit, 
and  still  answer  the  end?  XVith  what  degree  of  uniformity  must 
it  be  continued  ?  With  what  proportion  of  lapses,  and  in  what 
degree  existing,  might  it  be  intermixed?  These  questions  seem 
not  to  have  been  answered  in  the  Scriptures.  Who  is  able  to  an- 
swer them  ? 

Again ;  from  what  principle  in  man  shall  this  obedience  spring  ? 
From  the  mere  wish  to  gain  heaven  by  it?  Or  from  a  virtuous 
principle  ?  From  a  virtuous  principle ;  it  will  probably  be  an- 
swered. In  reply,  it  may  be  asked.  From  what  virtuous  principle? 
I  presume,  it  will  be  said.  From  love  to  God.  But  it  ought  to  be 
remembered,  that,  where  there  is  no  confidence,  there  is  no  love. 

Vol.  II.  44 


346  THE  INFLUENCE  OF  FAITH  [SER.  LXVU. 

and  therefore  no  virtue.  Consequently,  there  is,  in  this  case, 
nothing,  from  which  virtuous  obedience  can  spring.  How,  then, 
can  man  be  justified  by  his  obedience  ? 

But,  by  annexing  Justification  to  faith,  God  has  removed  all 
these  difficulties  and  dangers.  It  is  rendered  as  easy,  as  possible, 
to  our  attainment.  For  the  first  act  of  virtuous  regard  to  God, 
juhich  is  exercised,  or  can  be  exercised,  by  a  returning  sinner,  is  faith. 
If,  then,  he  can  do  any  thing,  which  is  praiseworthy,  or  virtuous, 
he  can  exercise  faith.  As  iiis  Justification  is  inseparably  annexed 
to  this  exercise  by  the  promise  of  God ;  it  is  as  certain,  as  that 
promise  is  sure. 

2dly.  This  scheme  provides  most  effectually  for  the  happiness  of 
man. 

Evangelical  faith  is  an  emotion  of  the  mind,  deHghtful  in  itself, 
and  delightful  in  all  its  consequences.     Faith  is  a  well-spring  of 
xuater  flowing  out  unto  everlasting   life.     All  the  streams,   which 
proceed  from  it  in  the  soul  of  the  believer,  are  sweet,  refreshing, 
and  life-giving.     Faith,  fixing  its  eye  on  the  unmerited  and  bound- 
less goodness  of  God,  sees,  in  the  great  act  of  Justification,  faith- 
fulness, truth,  and  mercy,  displayed,  to  which  it  neither  finds,  nor 
wishes  to  find,  limits.    The  soul,  in  the  contemplation  of  what  itself 
has  been,  and  what  it  has  received,  becomes  fitted,  through  this 
confidence,  for  every  thing  excellent,  and  every  thing  desirable. 
Peace,  and  hope,  and  love,  and  joy,  rise  up  spontaneously  under 
its  happy  influence ;  and  flourish,  unfavourable  as  the  climate  and 
soil  arc,  with  a  verdure,  and  strength,  unwithering  and  unfading. 
All  the  gratitude,  which  can  exist  in  such  a  soul,  is  awakened  by 
the  strong  consciousness  of  immense  and  undeserved  blessings ; 
and  all  the  obedience  prompted,  which  can  be  found  in  such  a 
life.     Good,  of  a  celestial  kind,  and  superior  to  every  thing  which 
this  world  can  give,  is  really,  and  at  times  delightfully,  enjoyed; 
and  sujjporting  anticipations  are  acquired  of  more  perfect  good  be- 
yond the  grave. 

This  extensive  and  all-important  subject  is  the  principal  theme 
of  St.  Paul's  discourse  in  the  seven  first  chapters  of  the  Epistle  to 
the  Romans.  In  the  8th  chapter,  he  derives  from  it  a  train  of  more 
sublime  and  interesting  reflections,  than  can  be  found  in  any  other 
j)assagc  of  Scripture,  of  equal  extent.  He  commences  them  with 
this  triumphant  conclusion  from  what  he  had  before  said:  There  is, 
therefore,  now  no  condemnation  to  them  who  are  in  Christ  Jesus,  who 
zoalk  not  after  the  flesh,  but  after  the  Spirit.  He  then  goes  on  to 
display,  in  a  series  of  delightful  consequences,  the  remedial  influ- 
ence of  the  Gospel  upon  a  world,  ruined  by  sin,  and  condemned 
by  the  law  of  God ;  marks  the  immense  diflerence  between  the 
native  character  of  man,  as  a  disobedient  subject  of  law,  and  his 
renewed  character,  as  an  immediate  subject  of  grace ;  and  dis- 
closes, particularly,  the  agency  of  the  Spirit  of  truth  in  regenerat- 
ing, quickening,  purifying,  and  guiding  the  soul,  in  its  progress 


aER.  LXVII.]  IN  OUR  JUSTIFICATION.  347 

towards  heaven.  The  consequences  of  this  agency  he  then 
describes  with  unrivalled  felicity  and  splendour;  and  animates  the 
Universe  with  anxious  expectation  to  see  the  day,  in  which  these 
blessed  consequences  shall  be  completely  discovered.  On  the 
consequences  themselves  he  expatiates  in  language  wonderfully 
lofty,  and  with  images  superlatively  magnificent.  Ifhat  shall  we, 
then,  say  to  these  things?  he  exclaims  :  If  God  be  for  us,  who  can 
be  against  us  ?  He,  that  spared  not  his  ozvn  Son,  but  delivered  him 
up  for  us  all,  how  shall  he  not,  with  him,  also,  freely  give  us  all 
things  ?  Who  shall  lay  any  thing  to  the  charge  of  God'^s  elect  ?  It 
is  God  that  justifeth.  Who  is  he  that  condemneth  ?  it  is  Christ  that 
died  j  yea,  rather,  that  is  risen  again  ,*  who  is  even  at  the  right  hand 
of  God ;  who  also  maketh  intercession  for  us.  Who  shall  separate 
us  from  the  love  of  Christ?  Shall  tribulation,  or  distress,  or  perse- 
cution, or  famine,  or  nakedness,  or  peril,  or  sword  ?  J^ay,  in  all 
these  things  we  are  more  than  conquerors,  through  him  that  hath 
loved  us.  For  I  am  persuaded,  that  neither  death,  nor  life,  nor  An- 
gels, nor  principalities,  nor  powers,  nor  things  present,  nor  things 
to  come,  nor  height,  nor  depth,  nor  any  other  creature,  shall  be 
able  to  separate  us  from  the  love  of  God,  which  is  in  Christ  Jesus 
our  Lord. 

Such  ought  to  be  the  thoughts  of  all,  who  read,  and  peculiarly  of 
all,  who  have  embraced,  the  Gospel.  Here  we  find  the  true  ap- 
plication of  this  doctrine ;  the  proper  inferences  to  which  it  con- 
ducts us.  We  could  not  have  originated  them;  but  we  can  imbibe 
and  apply  them.  A  scene  is  here  opened  without  limits,  and 
without  end.  On  all  the  blessings,  here  disclosed,  eternity  is  in- 
scribed by  the  Divine  hand.  We  are  here  assured  an  eternal 
residence,  of  immortal  virtue,  immortal  happiness,  and  immortal 
glory;  of  intelligence  for  ever  enlarging,  of  affections  forever  ris- 
ing, and  of  conduct  for  ever  refining,  towards  perfection.  What- 
ever the  thoughts  can  comprehend ;  whatever  the  heart  can  wish ; 
nay,  abundantly  more  than  we  can  ask,  or  think,  is  here  by  the 
voice  of  God  promised  to  every  man,  who  possesses  the  faith  of 
the  Gospel.  When  we  remember,  that  all  these  blessings  were 
purchased  by  the  humiliation,  life,  and  death,  of  the  Son  of  God  ; 
can  we  fail  to  exclaim  in  the  language  of  heaven :  Worthy  is  the 
Lamb  that  was  slain  to  receive  poxver,  and  riches,  and  wisdom,  and 
strength,  and  honour,  and  glory,  and  blessing  !  Amen. 


SERMON  LXVIII. 

JUSTIFICATION. RECONCILIATION    OF    PAUL    AND    JAMES. IN 

WHAT    SENSE    MANKIND    ARE    JUSTIFIED  BY    WORKS. 


Jaheb  ii.  24. — Ye  see  then  how  that  a  man  is  justified  by  works,  and  not  by  faith 

only. 

X  HIS  passage  of  Scripture,  together  with  a  part  of  the  context, 
IS  directly  opposed  in  terms,  to  the  doctrine,  which  has  been  deriv- 
ed, in  several  preceding  discourses,  from  St.  PauPs  Epistle  to  the 
Romans.  Infidels,  and  particularly  Voltaire^  have  seized  the  occa- 
sion, which  they  have  supposed  themselves  to  find  here,  to  sneer 
against  the  Scriptures ;  and  have  truimphantly  asserted,  that  Si.  James 
and  Si.  Paul  contradict  each  other  in  their  doctrine,  as  well  as  their 
phraseology.  Nor  are  Infidels  the  only  persons,  to  whom  this  pas- 
sage has  been  a  stumbling-block.  Divines  in  a  multitude  of  instan- 
ces, have  found  in  it  difficulties  which  they  have  plainly  felt,  and 
have  differed,  not  a  little,  concerning  the  manner  in  which  it  is  to 
be  interpreted. 

Some  divines,  among  whom  was  the  first  President  Edwards, 
have  taught,  that  St.  James  speaks  of  justification  in  the  sight  of 
men  only ;  while  St.  Paul  speaks  of  justif  cation  in  the  sight  of  God. 
This,  I  think,  cannot  be  a  just  opinion.  It  is  plain  from  the  21 — 23 
verses,  that  Stt  James  speaks  of  the  same  justification,  which 
Abraham  received,  and  in  which  his  faith  7oas  counted  unto  him 
for  righteousness.  It  is  also  evident  from  the  14th  verse,  in  the 
question,  can  faith  save  him  ?  From  this,  it  is  plain,  that  St. 
James  had  his  eye  upon  the  justification,  to  which  salvation  is 
annexed. 

Another  class  of  divines  have  supposed,  that  St.  James  teaches, 
here,  a  legal  or  meritorious  justif  cation  ;  and  that  this  is  the  true 
doctrine  of  the  Gospel  concerning  this  subject.  St.  Paul,  they  there- 
fore conclude,  is  to  be  so  understood  as  to  be  rcconcileable  with 
St.  James  in  this  doctrine. 

Others,  among  whom  are  the  late  Bishop  Home,  and  Dr.  Mtck- 
night,  suppose,  that  St.  James  speaks  of  our  justif  cation,  as  accom- 
plished, in  part,  by  those  good  works,  which  are  produced  by  faith  ; 
and  this  they  maintain,  also,  to  be  the  doctrine  of  St.  Paul.  It  is 
believed,  that  this  scheme  has  been  already  proved  to  be  unsound, 
but  as  it  is  true  that  St.  James  really  speaks  of  such  works,  it  will 
be  necessary  to  consider  the  manner,  in  which  he  speaks  of  them, 
more  particularly  hereafter. 


3ER.LXVin.]  IN  WHAT  SENSE  MANKIND,  Sic.  349 

Others,  and  among  them  Pool,  (whose  comment  on  this  chapter 
is  excellent)  suppose,  that  St.  Paul  speaks  of  justijication proper- 
ly so  called ;  and  Si.  James  of  the  manifestation,  or  proof  of  that 
justification.  That,  in  this  sense,  the  Apostles  are  perfectly  rec- 
oncileable,  I  am  ready  to  admit ;  Isut  am  inclined  to  doubt  whether 
this  is  the  sense,  in  which  St.  James  is  really  to  be  understood. 

By  this  time  it  must  be  evident  to  those  who  hear  me,  that  there 
is  some  real  difficulty  in  a  comparison  of  this  passage  of  St.  James 
with  the  writings  of  St.  Paul.  By  a  real  difficulty  I  do  not  intend, 
that  there  is  any  inconsistency  between  these  two  Apostles:  for,  I 
apprehend,  there  is  none :  but  [  intend,  that  there  is  so  much  ob- 
scurity in  this  discourse  of  St.  James,  as  to  have  led  divines  of 
great  respectability  and  worth  to  understand  his  words  in  very  dif- 
ferent manners;  and  prevented  them  from  agreeing,  even  when 
harmonious  enough  as  to  their  general  systems,  in  any  one  inter- 
pretation of  the  Apostle's  expressions.  Even  this  is  not  all.  Lu- 
ther went  so  far,  as,  on  account  of  this  very  chapter,  to  deny  the 
inspiration  of  St.  James  :  and  one  of  Lnther''s  followers  was  so 
displeased  with  it,  as  to  charge  this  Apostle  with  wilful  falsehood. 

St,  James  has  been  called,  with  more  boldness  than  accuracy,  a 
writer  of  paradoxes.  This  character  was,  I  presume,  given  of 
him  from  the  pithy,  sententious,  and  figurative  manner,  in  which  he 
delivers  his  thoughts.  This  manner  of  writing,  very  common 
among  the  Asiatics,  seems  to  have  been,  originally,  derived  from 
their  poetry.  The  most  perfect  example  of  it  in  the  poetical  form, 
found  in  the  Scriptures,  is  a  part  of  the  book  of  Proverbs,  com- 
mencing with  the  10th  chapter,  and  ending  with  the  29th.  Here, 
except  in  a  few  instances,  there  is  no  connexion  intended,  nor 
formed,  between  the  successive  sentences.  The  nine  first  chapters, 
the  book  of  Job,  and  Ecclesiastes,  are  examples  of  the  nearest 
approximation  to  this  unconnected  manner  of  writing,  in  continued 
discourses,  which  the  Scriptures  exhibit.  In  all  these,  although  a 
particular  subject  is  pursued  through  a  considerable  length,  yet  the 
connexion  will  be  found,  almost  invariably,  to  lie  in  the  thought 
only.  The  transitions  are,  accordingly,  bold,  and  abrupt;  and 
frequently  demand  no  small  degree  of  attention,  in  order  to  under- 
stand them.  Probably,  they  are  more  obscure  to  us,  than  they 
were  to  the  Asiatic  nations,  to  whom  this  mode  of  writing  was  fa- 
miliar :  since  we  have  learned  from  the  Greeks  to  exhibit  the  con- 
nexions, and  transitions  of  thought,  universally,  in  words  ;  and  to 
indicate  them  clearly  in  the  forms  of  expression.  The  wisdom  of 
the  son  of  Sirach,  is  another  example  of  the  same  nature,  which 
may  be  fairly  classed  with  those  already  mentioned;  as  may  alsO 
the  prophecy  of  Hosea.  Every  person,  in  reading  these  writings, 
must  perceive  a  degree  of  obscurity,  arising,  not  only  from  the 
concise  and  figurative  language,  but  from  the  abruptness  of  the 
transitions  also,  which  at  times  renders  it  extremely  difficult  to  trace 
the  connexion  of  the  thoughts. 


350  IN  WHAT  SENSE  MANKINk)  [SER.  LXVUI. 

St.  James  approaches  nearer  to  this  manner  of  writing,  than  any 
other  prosaic  writer  in  the  Old  or  New  Testament.  He  is  bolder, 
more  figurative,  more  concise,  and  more  abrupt.  That  there  should 
be  some  difficulty  in  understanding  him  satisfactorily  ought  to  be 
expected  as  a  thing  of  course.  We  cannot  wonder,  then,  that  dif- 
ferent meanings  should  be  annexed  to  the  writings  of  this  Apostle: 
and  from  this  source  only,  as  I  believe,  arc  these  ditferent  interpre- 
tations derived. 

Having  premised  these  observations,  of  which  the  use  may  easi- 
ly be  perceived,  I  now  assert,  that  both  .Apostles  speak  of  the  same 
justification  j  that  which  is  before  God;  and  that  they  are  perfectly 
harmonious  in  holding  the  doctrine  of  justification  by  faith  without 
works. 

To  elucidate  the  truth  of  this  assertion,  it  will  be  necessary  to 
remark,  that  there  are  two  totally  different  kinds  of  faith  spoken 
of  in  the  Scriptures  ;  one,  a  speculative  belief,  or  mere  assent  to 
probable  evidence  ;  the  other,  the  confidence,  which  has  been  al- 
ready described  in  these  discourses.  From  the  former  of  these, 
obedience  to  God  never  sprang,  and  cannot  spring.  The  latter  is 
the  source  of  all  obedience.  As  both,  however,  are  called  by  the 
same  name,  each  has,  in  its  turn,  been  declared  to  be  the  faith  to 
which  justification  is  annexed.  To  both,  this  character  was  chal- 
lenged in  the  days  of  the  Apostles.  That  doctrine  oi  Antinomian- 
ism,,  from  which  the  name  is  derived,  began  in  the  days  of  the  Apos- 
tles ;  viz.  that  zue  are  released  by  the  Gospel  from  obedience  to  the 
Law.  Of  course,  whoever  embraced  this  doctrine  believed  his 
feith  to  be  sufficient  for  his  justification,  without  any  works  of  right- 
eousness. Against  this  error,  I  believe  with  Doddridge  and  others, 
the  Apostle  James  directed  this  discourse.  The  question  which  he 
discusses,  was  not  whether  we  were  justified  by  evangelical  faith  on- 
ly ;  or,  partially  by  that  faith,  and  partially  by  the  works  which  it 
produces  ;  but  whether  we  are  justified  by  faith,  in  its  nature  unpro- 
ductive  of  works  ;  viz.  mere  speculative  belief;  or,  whether  we  are 
justified  by  faith  of  the  Gospel,  from  which  all  works  of  righteous- 
ness flow,  of  course.  That  this  account  of  the  subject  is  true,  I 
shall  now  attempt  to  prove. 

St.  James  introduces  his  discussion  of  this  subject  with  these 
questions :  What  doth  it  profit,  my  brethren,  though  a  man  say  he 
hath  faith,  and  have  not  works  ?  Can  faith  save  him  ?  In  the 
original  it  is  »j  iritfTig ;  the  faith,  which  the  man  declares  himself  to 
have ;  or,  as  it  is  correctly  rendered  by  Macknight,  and  various 
other  commentators,  this  faith,  can  this  faith  save  him  ?  Undoubt- 
edly it  can,  if  it  can  justify  him ;  but  this  is  no  where  asserted  in 
the  Scriptures.  The  justifying  faith  of  St.  Paul  is  the  faith  which 
worketh  by  love ;  the  faith  of  the  heart,  with  which  alone  man  be- 
lieveih  unto  righteousness. 

The  uselessness  of  this  faith  St.  James  then  elucidates  by  an  al- 
lusion to  that  inactive  and  worthless  benevolence,  so  celebrated,  in 


SER.  LXVIII.]  ARE  JUSTIFIED  BY  WORKS.  351 

modern  times,  by  Godwin  and  other  philosophers.  If  a  brother  or 
sister  be  naked,  and  destitute  of  daily  food,  and  one  of  you  say  unto 
them.  Depart  in  peace  :  be  ye  wirmcd  and  be  ye  filed:  notwith- 
standing, ye  give  them  not  those  things  rvhich  are  needful  to  the 
body  :  what  doth  it  proft  ?  As  this  philanthropy  is  not  only  of  no 
use,  and  therefore  of  no  value,  but  a  reproach  to  him  who  professes 
it,  because  his  conduct  gives  the  lie  to  his  professions  ;  so  the  faith 
of  him,  who  believes  the  Gospel,  and  whose  life  is  not  governed 
by  the  all-important  docti-ines  and  precepts,  which  it  contains,  is 
equally  destitute  of  worth,  and  equally  reproachful  to  his  charac- 
ter. In  the  words  of  the  Apostle  in  the  foilowmg  verse,  it  is  dead, 
being  alone  ;  or,  as  in  the  Greek,  by  itself 

In  the  18th  verse,  he  proves  in  the  strongest  manner,  that  such 
a  faith  is  not  the  faith  of  Christians.  Yea,  a  man,  that  is,  a  Chris- 
tian ;  may  say.  Thou  hast  faith,  and  I  have  zuorks :  shew  me  thy 
faith  without  thy  works,  and  I  will  shew  thee  my  faith  by  my  works. 
Christ  taught  the  great  doctrine,  that  Christians  were  to  be  known 
by  their  fruits  only ;  and  that  these  were  the  true,  regular,  and  in- 
variable, proofs  of  that  faith,  by  which  they  were  constituted  Chris- 
tians. But  the  faith,  which  is  without  works,  is  incapable  of 
having  its  existence  proved  at  all.  This,  therefore,  cannot  be  the 
faith  of  Christians. 

In  the  20th  verse  he  exhibits  this  subject  in  a  manner,  which  puts 
the  account  here  given  beyond  all  reasonable  controversy.  Thou 
bflievest  that  there  is  one  God ;  thou  doest  well :  the  devils  also,  be- 
lieve, and  tremble.  The  devils,  (ra  6ai(iovia,  the  daemons)  are,  and 
by  St.  James  are  declared  to  be,  the  subjects  of  speculative  belief; 
but  it  will  not  be  pretended,  that  they  can  be  the  subjects  of  justi- 
fying faith.  But  St.  James  teaches  us,  that  the  faith,  of  which  he  is 
speaking,  is  the  same  with  that  of  the  devils. 

With  the  same  precision  he  exhibits  the  same  thing  under  a  dif- 
ferent form,  in  the  20th  verse.  But  wilt  thou  know,  O  vain  man! 
that  faith  loithout  works  is  dead?  The  Greek  words  for  vain  man 
are  av^^wrs  xsve ;  properly  rendered  false  man,  or  hypocrite.  But 
surely  the  faith  of  the  hypocrite  is  not  the  faith  of  the  Gospel.  The 
last  part  of  this  verse  would  be  better  translated  a  faith  without 
works  is  dead,  that  is,  a  faith  which  is  without  works. 

In  the  four  following  verses,  St.  James  illustrates  this  subject  by 
a  comparison  of  this  faith  of  the  hyprocrite  with  that  of  Abraham. 
Was  not  Abraham,  our  father,  justified  by  works  when  he  had  offered 
Isaac,  his  son,  upon  the  Altar  ?  Seest  thou  how  faith  wrought  with 
his  works,  and  by  works  was  made  perfect  ?  And  the  Scripture 
was  fulfilled,  which  saith,  Abraham  believed  God :  and  it  was  im- 
puted unto  him  for  righteousness.  And  he  was  called  the  Friend  of 
God.  Ye  see,  then,  how  that  by  works  a  man  is  justified,  and  not 
by  faith  only. 

In  this  part  of  the  chapter  all  the  real  difficulty  lies.  To  explain 
the  true  import  of  it,  let  St.  James  be  his  own  commentator.    After 


352  I^'  WHAT  SENSE  MANKIND  [SER.  LXVIII. 

having  given  us  the  declaration,  that  Abraham  was  justified  by 
works,  when  he  offered.,  or,  as  in  the  original,  lifted  iip,  Isaac  upon 
the  Altar,  and  taught  us,  that/c/f/A  co-operated  with  his  works  ;  and 
that  by  works  his  faith  was  perfected ;  he  says,  in  the  23d  verse, 
that  the  Scripture  was  fulfilled,  that  is,  confirmed,  which  saith, 
Abraham  believed  God,  and  it  was  counted  to  him  for  righteousness  : 
and  he  7vas  called  the  Friend  of  God.  This  passage  of  Scripture  is 
found  in  the  xv.  chapter,  and  the  6th  verse  of  Genesis.  That, 
which  he  believed,  was  these  two  declarations  :  This  shall  not  be 
thine  heir  ;  viz.  Eliezer  of  Damascus ;  but  he,  who  shall  come  forth 
out  of  thine  own  bowels,  shall  be  thine  heir  :  and  again  ;  Look  now 
toward  heaven,  and  tell  the  stars,  if  thou  be  able  to  number  them : 
and  he  said  unto  him.  So  shall  thy  seed  be.  Confiding  in  these 
promises  was  that  act  of  Abraham,  concerning  which  it  is  said,  in 
the  following  verse.  He  believed  in  Jehovah,  and  he  counted  it  to  him 
for  righteousness.  The  act  of  lifting  up  Isaac  on  the  Altar,  by 
which,  St.  James  says,  this  Scripture  was  fulfilled,  that  is,  confirm- 
ed, existed  more  than  twenty  years  afterwards.  In  what  sense, 
then,  did  that  act  confirm  this  declaration  of  Scripture?  Plainly 
in  this  :  it  showed,  that  the  faith  of  Abraham  was  the  genuine  faith 
of  the  Gospel ;  a  real,  operative  confidence  in  the  promises  of 
God.  This  it  showed  in  a  very  forcible  light,  because  the  obedi- 
ence was  singularly  great  and  self-denying.  Exclusively  of  this, 
it  will  be  difficult  to  find  any  sense,  in  which  the  declaration  can 
be  true.  That  Abraham  was  justified  by  faith,  and  by  that  very 
act  of  faith  here  recited,  is  expressly  declared  by  St.  Paul,  Ro- 
mans iv.  and  Galatians  iii. ;  and  therefore  cannot  be  disputed.  It 
is  of  no  significance,  here,  to  say,  that  Abrahani's  justification  was 
not  completed  in  this  world,  but  will  be  completed  at  the  final  trial ; 
or  that  it  was  completed,  when  he  entered  the  future  zvorld.  It  is 
sufficient  for  the  present  purpose,  that  his  title  to  justification  was 
complete,  and  certain,  when  his  faith  was  counted  to  him  for  right- 
eousness. Had  he  then  died,  he  would  have  been  accepted  of 
God ;  his  sins  would  have  been  forgiven  ;  and  his  soul  made  happy 
for  ever.  He,  to  whom  all  things  are  present,  makes  no  new  de- 
terminations concerning  this  subject,  it  is  plain,  then,  that  an  act 
of  obedience,  existing  a  long  time  afterwards,  could  not  alter  that, 
which  was  past ;  nor  afi'ect  in  any  manner  the  justification  of  Abra- 
ham, which  was  already  made  certain. 

From  these  observations  it  is,  1  trust,  sufficiently  evident,  that 
this  very  case  put  by  St.  James,  is  a  clear  proof,  unless  we  are  wil- 
ling to  deny  an  express  declaration  of  Scripture,  as  quoted  by  him, 
and  written  by  Moses,  that  we  are  not  justified,  either  partially  or 
wholly,  by  works,  in  the  common  meaning  of  that  phraseology ; 
and  that  the  true  doctrine  of  8/.  James  is  no  other,  than  that  we  are 
not  justified  by  a  speculative  belief  which  is  without  works;  but 
by  the  faith  of  the  Gospel  which  worketh  by  love. 


SER.  LXVIII]  ARE  JUSTIFIED  BY  WORKS.  353 

This  is  further  evident  from  the  last  clause  of  the  23d  verse  : 
And  he  was  called  the  friend  of  God.  That,  which  made  him  the 
friend  of  God,  was  his  faith,  his  confidence  in  God.  The  act  of 
oiFering  Isaac  could  in  no  sense  make  him  the  friend  of  God ;  but 
was  merely  a  signal  and  glorious  proof  of  this  confidence,  and  the 
friendship,  which  it  involved,  and  produced. 

If  these  observations  be  admitted  as  just,  it  will  be  unnecessary 
to  dwell  on  the  two  remaining  verses.  The  case  of  Rahab,  in  the 
following  verse,  is  perfectly  explained  by  that  of  Abraham.  In  the 
concluding  verse,  St.  James  solemnly  repeats  the  great  doctrine  of 
this  passage,  which,  by  repeating  it  in  three  different  instances,  he 
clearly  proves  to  be  the  main  thing,  on  which  he  meant  to  insist, 
in  these  concise  and  emphatical  words  :  For  as  the  body  wUhout  the 
spirit  is  dead,  so  faith  without  works  is  dead  also  ;  or  as  I  should 
render  it,  a  faith  without  works,  that  is,  such  a  faith,  as  is  without 
works.  The  meaning  of  St.  James  is  not  that  Evangelical  faith, 
when  it  is  without  works,  is  dead  ;  for  it  cannot  exist  without  pro- 
ducing good  works ;  but  that  such  a  faith,  as  is  unproductive  of 
good  works  ;  viz.  a  mere,  speculative  belief;  is  dead ;  and  like  a 
corpse,  from  which  the  soul  has  fled,  is  absolutely  useless,  and 
loathsome  to  every  beholder. 

Having  finished  the  remarks,  which  I  proposed  to  make  on  this 
passage  of  St.  James,  I  shall  now  proceed  to  show  the  real  influence 
of  good  works  on  the  justif  cation  of  mankind. 

1st.  When  we  confide  ourselves  to  Christ,  we  do  it  according  to 
his  own  terms. 

Among  these,  he  has  required  us  to  do  all  things  whatsoever  he 
has  commanded  us  ;  and  to  walk  as  he  also  walked.  But  his  com- 
mands involve  every  good  work;  and  his  example  has  presented 
to  us  an  universal  system  of  good  works,  actually  done  by  himself. 
To  obey  him,  and  to  be  like  him,  is  therefore  to  perform  every 
good  work. 

All  this,  also,  he  has  required  us  to  do  voluntarily,  faithfully,  and 
alway.  When,  therefore,  we  confide  in  Christ,  we  surrender  our- 
selves into  his  hands  with  a  fixed  intention,  a  cordial  choice,  of 
universal  obedience,  as  our  whole  future  conduct. 

2dly.    The  faith  of  the  Gospel  cannot  exist  without  good  works. 

To  the  11th  chapter  of  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews  I  appeal  as 
complete  proof  of  this  position.  That  principle  in  the  soul,  which 
produced  the  many,  various,  difficult,  and  exalted  acts  of  obe- 
dience, recorded  in  this  chapter,  is  beyond  a  debate  the  well- 
spring  of  all  obedience.  The  connexion  between  these  things  is 
inseparable  ;  and  where  the  one  does  not  exist,  the  other  cannot. 
In  this  sense,  then,  a  man  is  truly  said  to  be  justified  by  works ; 
that  he,  who  has  the  good  works,  which  spring  from  the  faith  of  the 
Gospel,  will  be  justified ;  and  he,  who  has  them  not,  will  not  be 
justified.  The  title  of  the  believer  to  justification  is  certain,  and 
complete,  so  soon  as  he  believes;  because  he  will  never  cease 

Vol.  II.  43 


354  '"^   WHAT  SENSE  MANKIND  [SER.  LXVIII. 

to  believe  ;  and  his  faith  will  never  cease  to  operate  in  univer- 
sal obedience.  But  were  we  to  suppose  a  case,  which  never 
existed,  and  cannot  exist;  viz.  that  a  man  should  believe  with 
the  faith  of  the  Gospel,  and  should  afterwards  cease  to  per- 
form good  works ;  that  man,  undoubtedly,  would  never  obtain 
justification.  On  the  contrary,  he  would  become  a  final  apostate, 
and  an  outcast  from  the  Kingdom  of  God.  Thus  have  I  express- 
ed my  own  views  of  the  doctrine,  contained  in  this  discourse  of  St. 
James ^  and  shall  only  add,  that  this  is  equally  the  doctrine  of  St* 
Paul,  of  Christ,  and  of  the  whole  Bible. 

The  observations,  made  in  this  discourse,  naturally  suggest  the 
following 

REMARKS. 

1st.  Ft  is  evident  from  this  discourse  of  St.  James,  that  no  attri- 
bute, or  principle,  is  of  any  value,  except  as  it  produces  good  works. 

By  good  works  I  intend  here,  and  throughout  this  sermon,  all 
acts  of  piety,  benevolence,  and  self-government.  Two  of  these, 
faith  and  benevolence,  or  things  which  claim  to  be  faith  and  bene- 
volence, are  examined  in  form  by  St.  James ;  viz.  the  faith  of  An- 
tinomians,  and  the  philanthropy  of  modern  Infidels  ;  and  both  arc 
proved,  irresistibly,  to  be  useless,  and  worthless.  What  is  true  of 
these  is  true  of  all  other  principles,  and  opinions,  sustaining  the 
same  general  character.  The  end  of  all  thinking,  and  feeling,  is 
action.  Whatever  terminates  not  in  this  is  a  mere  cheat ;  a  mass 
of  rubbish ;  a  nuisance  to  ourselves,  and  to  mankind.  All  the 
good,  done  in  the  Universe,  is  done  by  action.  The  most  perfect 
and  glorious  principles,  which  belong  to  the  Intelligent  character; 
those,  which  constituted  the  bliss  of  paradise  ;  those,  which  con- 
stitute the  superior  bliss  of  heaven ;  would  be  shorn  of  almost  all 
their  radiance,  were  they  to  cease  from  their  activity.  There  is,  I 
acknowledge,  in  the  reception  of  truth,  and  the  indulgence  of  vir- 
tuous aftections,  an  inherent  value  ;  a  delightfulness,  inwoven  in 
their  own  nature.  The  subject  of  them,  if  he  were  prevented  by 
accidental  circumstances  from  doing  good,  would,  1  acknowledge, 
still  find  real  delight  in  the  things  themselves.  But,  were  he  to 
cease  from  doing  good,  when  it  was  in  his  power,  he  would  be 
stripped  of  all  his  virtue,  and  glory,  and  of  almost  all  his  enjoyment. 
To  him,  says  St.  James,  that  knoweth  to  do  good,  and  doeth  it  not, 
to  him  it  is  sin.  Good  actions,  only,  are  blessings  to  the  Kingdom 
of  God,  and  the  only  proofs  of  excellence  of  character. 

In  this  great  particular  the  Scriptures  differ,  boundlessly,  from 
the  favourite  philosophy  of  modern  times.  Philosophy  is  satisfied 
with  good  words,  and  good  wishes.  The  Scriptures,  while  they 
require  these,  demand  vvith  infinite  authority,  and  indispensably  to 
our  acceptance  with  God,  what  is  inestimably  more  valuable: 
good  actions.  Philosophy  is  satisfied  to  say,  with  coolness  and 
composure,  to  the  naked,  starving  wretch :   Depart  in  peace :  be 


SER.  LXVIIL]  ARE  JUSTIFIED  BY  WORKS.  355 

thou  warmed;  and  be  thou  filed.  The  Scriptures,  with  a  divine 
compassion  for  the  sufterer,  and  with  an  equal  concern  for  the  true 
interest  of  him  who  possesses  the  means  of  relief,  compel  us,  by 
infinite  authority,  and  an  infinite  example,  to  clothe,  to  feed,  and  to 
bless,  so  far  as  is  within  our  power,  all  the  children  of  want  and 
wo.  Beyond  this,  they  require  all  useful  conduct,  whether  it  im- 
mediately respects  God,  our  fellow-creatures,  or  ourselves  ;  and  in 
this  manner  provide  effectually  for  the  happiness  of  mankind  in 
the  present  world,  and  for  their  immortal  good  in  the  world  to 
come. 

2dly.  We  here  see,  that  the  Scriptures,  and  the  Scriptures  only, 
furnish  us  with  an  effectual  source  of  good  works. 

No  obedience  is  of  any  worth  in  the  sight  of  God,  or  man,  ex- 
cept that  which  is  voluntary.  God loveth  the  cheerfid  giver;  and 
with  his  views  those  of  mankind  perfectly  coincide.  No  obedience 
of  our  children  or  servants,  no  offices  of  our  friends  or  neighbours, 
are  of  any  value  in  our  estimation,  besides  those  which  spring  from 
the  heart. 

Of  this  obedience,  the  Scriptures  inform  us.  Evangelical  faith  is 
the  genuine  spring,  and  the  only  spring,  in  the  present  world.  The 
faith  of  the  Gospel,  as  I  have  frequently  had  occasion  to  observe, 
is  an  affectionate  confidence  in  the  character  of  Christ ;  in  which  it 
surrenders  itself  to  him  on  his  own  conditions,  to  be  his,  and  to  be 
employed  wholly,  and  for  ever,  in  his  service.  To  the  mind,  under 
the  influence  of  this  spirit,  Christ,  together  with  all  his  pleasui'e, 
commands,  ordinances,  and  mstructions,  becomes  supremely  de- 
lightful. Obedience  to  his  commands  is  to  such  a  mind,  of  course, 
voluntary,  cheerful,  and  perpetual.  Its  faith  is  the  commence- 
ment, and  in  a  fallen  creature  the  only  commencement,  as  well  as 
the  future  support,  and  soul,  of  the  virtuous  character. 

In  the  experience  of  mankind  this  great  truth  has  been  abun- 
dantly proved.  The  faith  of  the  Gospel,  and  that  alone,  trans- 
formed the  first  Christians  from  idolaters  into  saints  ;  beautified 
their  minds  with  every  grace  ;  and  adorned  their  lives  with  every 
amiable  action.  Faith  alone  induced  them  boldly  to  renounce 
idols,  and  to  worship  the  only  living  and  eternal  God.  Faith  with- 
drew them  from  impiety,  deceit,  fraud,  cruelty,  revenge,  intemper- 
ance, and  impurity ;  and  rendered  them  pious,  sincere,  just,  kind, 
forgiving,  temperate,  and  chaste.  Faith,  finally,  enabled  them  to 
overcome  all  worldly  considerations,  and  affections ;  and  to  meet 
the  rack,  the  faggot,  and  the  cross,  in  the  lively  hope,  the  support- 
ing assurance,  of  being  approved  by  their  Maker,  and  receiving 
from  his  hand  a  crown  of  immortal  glory.  In  faith,  and  its  effects, 
all  real  goodness  of  character  in  the  race  of  man,  all  that  is  pleas- 
ing in  the  sight  of  God,  has  from  that  time,  nay,  from  the  begin- 
ning of  the  world  to  the  present  hour,  been  found.  Nor  is  there 
any  other  entrance  upon  a  life  of  virtue,  nor  any  other  foundation 
of  persevering  in  real  excellence. 


35G  ^^  WHAT  SENSE  MANKIiND  [SER.  LXVIII. 

In  this  all-imporlant  particular  the  Scriptures  differ,  infinitely, 
from  the  efforts  of  philosophy.  Philosopliy  never  made  a  single 
man  really  virtuous,  or  really  amiable  in  the  sight  of  God.  Cicero^ 
who  was  himself  one  of  the  greatest  and  most  learned  of  the 
heathen  philosophers,  declares,  in  an  unqualified  manner,  that  they, 
so  far  as  lie  knew,  had  never,  even  in  a  single  instance,  reformed 
either  themselves  or  their  disciples.  Those,  who  are  extensively 
acquainted  with  modern  infidels,  perfectly  know,  that  their  princi- 
ples have  been  equally  unproductive  of  any  proofs  of  a  virtuous 
character. 

But  the  Scriptures,  in  the  hands  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  have,  in 
an  endless  multitude  of  instances,  effectuated  this  glorious  reforma- 
tion of  man.  Long  before  the  Canon  was  begun  by  Moses,  a  vast 
number  of  the  human  race,  by  embracing  the  doctrines  and  pre- 
cepts, now  published  in  the  Scriptures,  and  then  communicated  by 
occasional  Revelations,  became  the  subjects  of  holiness,  and  the 
heirs  of  endless  life.  In  all  these,  through  every  age,  and  every 
country,  the  same  faith  was  the  sole  source  of  all  their  excellent 
and  honourable  conduct  towards  God,  and  towards  mankind.  By 
faith,  says  St.  Paul,  Abel  offered  a  more  acceptable  sacrifice  than 
Cain.  By  faith  Enoch  xoas  translated,  that  he  should  not  see  death. 
By  faith  J^oah,  moved  with  fear,  prepared  an  ark.  By  faith  Abra- 
ham, being  called  of  God  to  go  out  into  a  place,  which  he  should  after 
receive  as  an  inheritance,  went  out,  not  knowing  whither  he  went. 
This  is  the  testimony  of  God  himself  concerning  these  worthies ; 
and  they  in  this  respect  are  representatives  of  all  the  good  men, 
whom  the  world  has  ever  seen.  Their  faith  was  the  faith  of  all 
such  men  ;  and  all  the  virtuous  conduct  of  such  men  sprang  from 
the  same  source  whence  theirs  was  derived. 

3dly.  From  these  things  it  is  evident,  that  no  religion,  except 
Christianity,  is  of  any  value. 

The  end  of  all  doctrines  and  systems,  which  profess  to  be  use- 
ful, is  no  other,  than  to  make  men  virtuous.  This  end  Christianity 
accomplishes  ;  but  it  has  been  accomplished  by  no  religion  beside. 
While  the  religion  of  the  Old  Testament  continued  to  be  the  only  re- 
ligion, established  by  God ;  it  was  in  substance,  and,  as  understood 
by  the  saints  of  that  period,  the  same  with  the  religion  of  the  New. 
The  chief  difference  was,  that  they  believed  in  a  Messiah,  then  fu- 
ture ;  and  Christians  believe  in  a  Messiah,  who  has  actually  ap- 
peared. To  them  the  Gospel  was  preached,  as  well  as  to  Abraham  ; 
and  they  all  believed  in  the  Lord,  who  appeared  unto  Abraham;  and 
it  was  counted  to  them  for  righteousness.  With  Abraham  they  re- 
joiced to  see  the  day  of  Christ  afar  off,  and  sa7o  it,  and  were  glad. 
With  Job,  they  knew  that  their  Redeemer  lived,  and  that  he  woxdd 
stand  at  the  latter  day  upoyi  the  earth :  and  that,  though,  aft(r  their 
skin,  worms  would  destroy  their  bodies,  yet  in  their  fesh  they  should 
see  God. 

But  there  is  not  the  least  reason  to  believe,  that  any  other  reli- 


3ER.  LXVIII]  ARE  JUSTIFIED  BY  WORKS.  357 

gion  has  contributed,  at  all,  to  make  men  virtuous.  Some  truths 
have  been  found  in  every  religion ;  but  they  have  universally  so 
abounded  in  falsehoods,  and  those  falsehoods  have  been  so  abso- 
lutely believed,  and  obeyed,  that  no  moral  good  appears  to  have 
been  produced  by  them.  On  the  contrary,  they  have  warrant- 
ed, and  effectuated,  evils,  which  cannot  be  measured  ;  sins  with 
out  bounds,  and  miseries  without  number.  Those,  who  believed 
them  most  sincerely,  and  obeyed  them  with  the  greatest  zeal,  were 
among  the  most  profligate  of  their  votaries. 

4thly.  It  is  evident  from  this  discourse  of  St.  James,  that  the  reli- 
gious character  of  all  men  is  to  be  estimated  by  their  works. 

Shew  me  thy  faith  without  thy  works  ;  that  is,  if  thou  canst ;  and 
I  will  shew  thee  my  faith  by  my  works.  A  faith  without  works  is 
nothing  in  the  Christian  scheme ;  and  can  be  shown  neither  to  our- 
selves nor  to  others.  Let  us,  then,  be  just  to  ourselves,  and  try 
ourselves  as  God  will  try  us  hereafter.  Let  us  place  no  confi- 
dence, no  hope,  in  a  faith,  which  is  without  works;  nor  ever  dream 
that  it  is  the  faith  of  the  Gospel.  By  our  fruits,  he  who  searcheth 
the  hearts,  and  trieth  the  reins,  has  declared,  our  characters  are  to 
be  known.  By  this  great  rule  of  decision,  then,  ought  every  one 
to  examine  himself.  If  our  faith  worketh  by  love;  if  li  hath  its 
fruit  unto  holiness;  its  end  will  be  everlasting  life:  if  not,  it  will 
only  become  the  way  to  hell,  going  down  to  the  chambers  of  death. 
In  what  a  dreadful  manner  will  the  speculative  believer  be  disap- 
pointed, to  find  that  the  foundation,  on  which  he  built,  was  nothing 
but  sand !  and  how  will  he  feel,  when  he  sees  that  building  swept 
away  by  the  final  tempest !  How  will  it  embitter  even  perdition 
itself,  to  have  been  in  this  world  secure  of  eternal  life,  to  have 
gone  to  the  grave  with  peace  and  hope,  believing  ourselves  to  be 
true  disciples  of  Christ,  children  of  the  covenant,  and  heirs  of  a 
blessed  immortality ;  and  to  be  first  awakened  out  of  this  pleasing, 
flattering,  delusive  dream,  by  the  condemning  voice  of  the  Judge ! 
Oh,  that  we  were  wise ;  that  we  understood  these  things ;  that  we 
would  consider  our  latter  end  ! 


SERMON  LXIX. 


JUSTIFICATION. JUSTIFICATION   BY   FAITH   DOES  NOT   LESSEN   THE 

OBLIGATIONS,    OR    THE    MOTIVES,    TO    OBEDIENCE. 


Romans  Hi.  31. — Do  we  then  make  void  (he  law  through  faith  ?  God  forbid:  yea, 
we  establish  the  law. 

In  a  series  of  discourses,  I  have  endeavoured  to  explain  and 
prove  the  doctrine  of  Justification  by  faith  without  works. 

Beside  the  direct  opposition  made  to  this  doctrine,  it  has  been 
opposed  on  account  of  its  apprehended  consequences,  particularly, 
on  account  of  this  important  consequence  :  that  it  renders  the  Law 
of  God  useless,  as  a  ride  of  obedience.  This  objection  St.  Paul 
foresaw,  and  thought  proper  to  anticipate,  in  this  passage  of  Scrip- 
ture :  Do  roe  then  make  void  the  law  through  faith  ?  God  forbid: 
yea,  roe  establish  the  law.  As  if  he  had  said.  From  the  doctrine  of 
justification  by  faith  without  works,  which  I  have  here  asserted  to 
be  the  true  doctrine  of  the  Gospel,  I  foresee  it  will  be  objected, 
that  I  render  the  law  of  God,  as  a  rule  of  obedience,  useless.  This, 
however,  is  so  far  from  being  true,  that  the  doctrine  which  I  have 
taught,  in  reality  establishes  the  law. 

So  peremptory  a  declaration  of  the  Apostle  might,  one  would 
think,  have  been  amply  sufficient  to  silence  the  objectors ;  and 
to  have  persuaded  them,  that  this  opinion  of  theirs  was  totally  un- 
founded, and  precluded  the  necessity  of  any  future  effort  to  estab- 
lish the  doctrine.  The  fact,  however,  has  been  otherwise.  The 
objection  has  been  maintained  ever  since  the  Apostle  wrote. 
Even  at  the  present  time,  it  is  a  favourite  and  popular  objection  in 
the  mouths  of  multitudes  ;  and  is  alleged  with  triumphant  confi- 
dence, in  defiance,  as  I  apprehend,  of  both  reason  and  revelation. 

It  is  remarkable,  that  the  doctrine,  contained  in  the  objection, 
has  been  strenuously  holden  by  men  of  totally  opposite  principles: 
those  who  assert,  and  those  who  deny,  justification  by  faith.  The 
former  class  are  called  Antinomians  ;  the  latter  Arminians ;  with 
whom  are  united,  in  this  particular,  Arians,  Socinians,  Pelagians, 
and  many  others.  It  ought,  however,  to  be  observed,  th?Lt  Arminius 
himself,  and  many  of  his  followers,  have  agreed  in  admitting  with- 
out hesitation  the  doctrine  of  justification  by  faith. 

As  the  scheme,  opposed  in  the  text,  has  been  adopted  by  these 
two  opposite  classes  of  men  ;  so  it  has  been  adopted  with  precisely 
contrary  views.  The  former  admit  the  doctrine  that  the  law  is  made 
void  by  faith,  as  truth  ;  and  yet  hold,  that  we  are  justified  by  faith. 
Of  course,  they  consider  it  as  a  part  of  the  design  of  God  to  make 


SER.  LXIX]  OBEDIENCE  OBLIGATORY,  Sic.  359 

the  law  void ;  and  hold  themselves  to  be  under  no  obligations  to 
obey  its  precepts.  In  their  view,  the  fact,  that  the  doctrine  of  jus- 
tification by  faith  makes  void  the  law,  is  so  far  from  being  an  objec- 
tion to  it,  that  it  is  an  original  part  of  the  E^angehcal  system;  a 
thing,  in  itself  proper,  right,  and  good.  The  latter  class  bring  this 
consequence  as  a  direct,  and  formidable  objection  against  the  doc- 
trine of  justification  by  faith,  from  which,  they  suppose,  the  conse- 
quence certainly,  and  necessarily,  flows.  Were  they  right  in  this 
supposition,  I  cannot,  1  confess,  answer  the  objection  ;  nor  should  I 
know  how,  consistently  with  the  Scriptures,  to  admit  any  doctrine, 
which  renders  the  law  of  God  useless,  or  in  the  least  degree  im- 
pairs its  authority. 

These  two  different  modes  of  considering  this  subject,  demand 
different  answers.  These  I  shall  give  under  the  following  scheme : 
viz.  that  the  doctrine  of  justif  cation  by  faith  lessens  not  in  any  de- 
gree, but  establishes  in  the  most  effectual  manner, 

I.  The  Obligations,  and, 

II.  The  Motives,  to  Obedience. 

Under  the  fu'st  of  these  heads,  I  shall  direct  my  arguments  against 
the  Antinomian,  and  under  the  second,  against  the  Arminian  scheme 
concerning  this  subject. 

I.  This  doctrine  does  not  lessen,  but  establishes,  the  Obligations 
which  mankind  are  under  to  obey  the  law  of  God. 

In  proof  of  this  position,  I  observe, 

1st.   The  law  is  a  transcript  of  the  Divine  character. 

By  this  I  intend,  that  to  love  God  with  all  the  heart,  and  our  neigh- 
bour as  ourselves,  is  to  love  God,  and  our  neighbour,  in  the  very 
manner  in  which  He  loves  both  :  that  is,  so  far  as  creatures  are 
capable  of  resembling  their  Creator.  In  other  words,  it  is  to  be 
perfectly  benevolent.  Beloved,  says  the  Apostle  John,  let  us  love 
one  another :  for  love  is  of  God :  and  every  one  that  loveth  is  born 
of  God,  and  knozoeth  God.  He  that  loveth  not,  knoweth  not  God:  for 
God  is  love.  In  this  passage,  St.  John  refers,  as  he  does  also  in  the 
12th  and  13th  verses  of  the  first  chapter  of  his  Gospel,  to  two  ob- 
servations of  Christ :  Except  a  man  be  born  of  water,  and  of  the 
Spirit,  he  cannot  enter  into  the  Kingdom  of  God :  and  this  is  life 
eternal ;  that  they  might  knoiu  thee,  the  only  true  God,  and  Jesus 
Christ,  whom  thou  hast  sent.  Every  one  that  loveth,  he  here  in- 
forms us,  is  thus  born  of  God,  and  knows  God,  in  such  a  sense  as  is 
life  eternal.  On  the  other  hand,  he  further  declares,  that  he  who 
loveth  not  knows  not  God,  in  this  sense.  Hence  it  is  plain,  that  he 
who  is  not  the  subject  of  this  love,  is  not  a  child  of  God,  nor  an 
heir  of  eternal  life.  Of  course,  he  is  not  the  subject  of  justifica- 
tion, nor  of  the  faith,  to  which  it  is  annexed.  Finally,  St.  John  as- 
serts, that  God  is  love ;  or  that  love  is  his  whole  moral  character, 
and  essence.  He,  therefore,  who  is  not  the  subject  of  this  love,  is 
not  like  God;  has  not  the  same  moral  character;  or,  in  other 
words,  is  not  renewed  after  the  image  of  God, 


360  OBEDIENCE  OBLIGATORY  IN  [SER.  LXIX- 

Again  ;  the  Apostle  observes,  in  the  16th  verse,  He  who  dwellethy 
or  continueth,  in  love,  diocllelh  in  God,  and  God  in  him.  Of  course, 
he  who  does  not  dwell,  or  continue,  in  love,  does  not  dwell  in  God, 
nor  God  in  him. 

But  love  is  the  fuljilling  of  the  law.  To  fulfil  the  law,  then,  is 
to  be  born  of  God,  to  know  God,  to  dwell  in  God,  and  to  have  God 
dwell  in  us.  Not  to  fulfil  the  law  is,  of  course,  to  be  destitute  of 
all  these  characteristics,  and  blessings.  Thus  the  law  expresses  to 
us,  and  requires  in  us,  the  very  same  moral  character,  which  is  the 
essence,  and  glory,  of  God.  That  such  a  law  should  cease  from 
any  part  of  its  obligatory  force  is  plainly  impossible. 

2dly.   The  law  is  a  perfect  ride  of  righteousjiess. 

It  is  perfect,  as  it  requires  riothing  but  righteous7iess.  To  love 
God  with  all  the  heart,  and  our  neighbour  as  ourselves,  can  never 
be  in  any  degree,  or  manner,  wrong.     This  will  not  be  disputed. 

It  is  perfect,  as  it  requires  all  possible  acts  of  righteousness.  How- 
ever high,  however  low,  any  moral  being  is,  the  law  of  God  reach- 
es, and  controls,  all  his  possible  moral  conduct.  Angels  on  the 
one  hand,  and  little  children  on  the  other,  can  do  nothing  which  is 
good,  which  at  the  same  time  is  not  required  by  this  boundless  rule 
of  rectitude. 

It  is  perfect,  as  it  prohibits  every  thing  sinful  ;  that  is,  every 
thing  of  the  nature  of  moral  evil.  Sin,  says  the  Apostle,  is  a  ti-ajis- 
gression  of  the  laiv.  in  this  declaration  is  involved  not  only  that 
every  transgression  of  the  law  is  sin,  but  that  the  commandment  js 
so  exceedingly  broad,  as  to  prohibit  every  thing,  which  is  of  the 
nature  of  moral  evil.  But  we  need  no  testimonies  on  this  subject. 
A  little  consideration  will  make  it  evident,  that  to  love  God  with 
all  the  heart,  and  our  neighbour  as  ourselves,  is  necessarily  incom- 
patible with  the  existence  of  sin  in  the  heart,  or  life,  of  him,  in 
whom  this  love  is  found  ;  and  that  as  love  workefh  no  ill  to  his 
neighbour,  so  it  works  no  ill  towards  God. 

If,  then,  we  are  released  by  the  doctrine  of  justification  by  faith 
from  our  obligations  to  obey  the  law,  we  are  released  from  our  ob- 
ligations to  conform  to  a  perfect  rule  of  righteousness  ;  to  a  law, 
a  commandment,  which  is  absolutely  holy,  just,  and  good.  Can 
God  be  supposed  to  consent  to  this  iclease  ?  Can  it  be  rationally 
wished  by  man  ?  Must  it  not  be  regarded  as  a  dreadful  calamity 
by  every  good  man?  To  what  would  it  amount?  To  nothing 
more,  nor  less,  than  being  released  from  all  obligations  to  be  vir- 
tuous. 

3dly.   This  doctrine  is  completely  disproved  by  Christ. 

He  denied  it  to  be  any  part  of  the  end  of  his  mission.  Think 
not,  that  I  am  come  to  destroy  the  laio,  or  the  prophets.  I  am  not 
come  to  destroy,  but  to  fulfil.  That  there  may  be  no  doubt  concern- 
ing the  connexion  between  the  phrase,  the  lazo  and  the  prophets, 
and  the  object  here  in  view,  let  it  be  observed,  that  Christ,  havin<! 
recited  the  two  great  commands  which  1  have  mentioned,  says,  O. 


3ER.  LXIX]  JUSTIFICATION  BY  FAITH.  361 

these  two  hang  all  the  law  and  the  prophets.  If,  then,  he  came  not  to 
destroy  the  law,  and  the  prophets,  but  to  fulfil  them,  it  was  cer- 
tainly no  part  of  the  end  of  his  mission  to  destroy,  in  any  degree, 
the  two  commands,  on  which  they  are  entirely  suspended.  He  has 
declared  the  thing  to  be  impossible.  Sooner,  saith  he,  shall  heav- 
en and  earth  pass  away,  than  one  jot  or  one  tittle,  of  the  law  shall 
pass,  mUil  all  be  fulfilled.  This  is  no  other  than  a  declaration, 
that  God  will  sooner  annihilate  the  whole  creation,  than  consent 
to  give  up  his  law.  Nor  is  this  doctrine  at  all  unbecoming  the  Di- 
vine character.  To  create  new  heavens  and  a  new  earth  is  a  thing 
easy  to  him,  and  can  be  accomplished  by  a  command.  But  were 
he  to  give  up  his  law  in  any  instance,  and  witU  respect  to  any  be- 
ing, he  must  recede  from  governing  the  Universe  by  a  perfect  rule, 
and  in  a  perfect  manner.  This  would  be  to  deny  himself:  for  it 
would  be  no  other  than  declaring  by  a  most  solemn  act,  that  he 
was  willing,  that  the  Universe  should  iio  longer  be  governed  by  a 
perfect  rule  ;  and  that  he  would,  henceforth,  either  not  govern  it 
at  all,  or  govern  it  by  an  imperfect  rule.  The  injury  thus  done  to 
his  character  would  be  infinite  ;  nor  can  any  bounds  be  set  to  the 
mischiefs,  which  in  such  a  case  would  accrue  to  the  Universe. 

4thly.    This  doctrine  is  every  where  denied  by  St.  Paul. 

In  the  6th  chapter  of  the  Epistle  to  the  Romans,  St.  Paul  de- 
clares, that  Christians  are  not  under  law,  but  under  grace.  The 
Antinomians,  totally  mistaking  the  meaning  of  this  declaration, 
have  supposed,  that  Christians  are  not  under  the  law,  as  a  rule  of 
obedience  ;  whereas  the  Apostle  meant  only,  that  they  are  not  un- 
der the  law,  as  a  sentence  of  condemnation.  In  the  very  next  verse 
he  says.  What  then?  shall  we  sin,  because  we  are  not  under  the 
law,  but  under  grace?  God  forbid.  But  not  to  obey  the  law  is  to 
sin.  Again,  in  the  1st  verse  of  the  same  chapter,  he  asks,  What 
shall  zoe  say  then?  shall  we  continue  in  sin,  that  grace  may  abound? 
God  forbid.  How  shall  we  that  are  dead  to  sin  live  any  longer 
therein  ?  Let  not  sin,  therefore,  reign  in  your  mortal  body.  Of 
himself,  he  says,  I  delight  in  the  law  of  God  after  the  inward  man  j 
and  with  the  mind  I  myself  serve  the  law  of  God.  He  also  declares 
it  to  be  the  great  end,  for  which  God  sent  his  own  Son  in  the  like- 
ness of  sinful  flesh,  and  as  a  sin-offtring,  to  condemn  sin  in  thefiesh, 
that  the  righteousness  of  the  law  might  be  fulfilled  in  Christians, 
who  walk  not  after  the  flesh,  but  after  the  Spirit.  If,  then,  Chris- 
tians do  not  fulfil  the  righteousness  of  the  law,  that  is,  obey  it, 
this  great  end  of  Christ's  mediation  must  be  frustrated.  The  same 
Apostle  declares,  that  Circumcision  is  nothing,  and  uncircumcision 
is  nothing  ;  but  keeping  the  commandments  of  God:  and  that  cir- 
cumcision is  nothing,  and  uncircumcision  is  nothing;  but  faith  which 
worketh  by  love  :  and  that  circumcision  is  nothing,  and  uncircumcis-> 
ion  is  nothing  ;  but  a  new  creature.  From  these  three  passages  it 
is  evident,  among  other  things,  that  he,  who  keepeth  the  command- 
ments of  God,  is  the  same  person,  in  all  instances,  with  him,  who 

Vol.  II.  46 


S62  OBEDIENCE  OBLKiATORY  IN  [SER.  LXIX 

is  possessed  ot  the  faith,  which  worketh  by  love,  and  who  is  a  new 
creature.  So  far,  then,  is  faith  from  making  void  the  law,  that  it 
is  exhibited  by  the  Apostle  as  the  very  spirit,  with  which  its  com- 
mandments are  kept,  and  which  thus  becomes  the  means  of  estab- 
lishing the  law. 

Finally  ;  the  same  Apostle  says,  Without  holiness  no  man  shall 
see  the  Lord.  Holiness,  every  jierson  at  all  acquainted  with  the 
Scriptures  knows,  is  nothing  but  obedience  to  the  law.  Without 
this  obedience,  then,  a  person,  who  is  the  subject  of  faith,  and  of 
consequent  justification,  if  we  were  to  suppose  such  a  case,  would 
never  see  the  Lord.  These  passages,  which  I  have  selected  with- 
out any  labour,  are  ample  proof  of  the  falsity  of  this  doctrine. 
Without  any  labour  also,  many  more  might  be  easily  added,  which 
are  equally  explicit,  and  unambiguous,  from  every  part  of  the 
New  Testament.  The  decision  of  St.  James  has  been  heretofore 
recited,  as  it  exists  in  one  passage  ;  but  his  whole  Epistle,  and  the 
whole  united  voice  of  the  Scriptures,  is  against  this  scheme.  In 
truth,  I  am  astonished,  that  it  should  have  been  adopted  by  any 
sober  man,  who  has  read  his  Bible. 

Let  me  ask  the  Antinomian,  from  which  part  of  the  law  he  con- 
siders himself  as  released  ;  or  whether  from  the  whole.  Is  he  re- 
leased from  his  obligation  to  love  God  ?  or  to  love  mankind  ?  or 
from  restraining  those  passions,  which,  if  indulged,  will  prevent 
him  from  loving  either  ?  Or  is  he  released  from  them  all  ?  In  the 
former  case  he  is  released  from  being  virtuous  in  part.  In  the  lat- 
ter he  is  released  from  all  virtue.  In  other  words,  the  doctrine  ol 
justification  by  faith  has  become,  to  him,  a  license  to  hate,  or  for- 
get, the  God  that  made  him  ;  to  hate,  or  disregard,  his  neighbour  ; 
and  to  give  the  reins  to  those  passions,  which,  thus  indulged,  will 
conduct  him  to  absolute  profligacy. 

II.  The  doctrine  of  justification  by  faith  does  not  destroy,  or  les- 
sen, the  Motives  to  obedience. 

Those,  with  whom  we  have  hitherto  contended,  it  will  be  re- 
membered, hold  the  doctrine  of  justification  by  faith  ;  and  admit 
this  objection  in  its  full  force  ;  while  they  believe  that,  instead  ol 
lessening  the  evidence  of  the  doctrine,  the  objection,  as  well  as 
the  doctrine,  is  an  original  part  of  the  Evangelical  system.  Those 
with  whom  we  are  now  to  contend,  on  the  contrary,  deny  the  doc- 
trine of  justification  by  faith;  and  allege  this  objection,  as  primary 
evidence  of  its  falsehood.  The  argumentation,  therefore,  must 
now  take  a  different  course  from  that  which  has  been  already  adopt- 
ed ;  and,  in  most  respects,  proceed  on  different  principles.  The 
chief  design,  hitherto,  has  been,  to  take  the  doctrine  of  justifica- 
tion by  faith  as  granted  ;  because  it  is  in  fact  granted  by  our  an- 
tagonists ;  and  with  this  admission,  to  show,  that  the  law  remains 
in  full  foi'ce,  as  an  obligatory  rule  of  obedience.  The  design  will 
now  be  to  show,  that  the  objections  against  the  doctrine,  that  it 


bER.  LXIX.]  JUSTIFICATION  BY  FAITH.  3^.3 

lessens  the  Motives  to  obedience^  is  destitute  of  validity,  because   it 
is  destitute  of  truth.     For  this  purpose,  I  observe, 

1st.  That  the  obedience^  which  precedes  the  existence  of  faith,  is 
destitute  of  any  virtuous  character. 

Without  faith  it  is  impossible  to  please  God.  The  external  acts 
of  conformity  to  the  law  of  God  are  frequently  called  by  the  name 
of  obedience  ;  and  for  this  reason  only  have  I  given  them  that 
name.  But,  in  my  own  view,  the  Gospel  considers  them  as  utter- 
ly undeserving  of  such  a  title.  They  are,  there,  always  exhibited 
as  proceeding  from  an  evil  heart  of  unbelief ;  and  we  are  decisive- 
ly taught,  that  out  of  the  evil  treasure  of  sxich  a  heart  evil  things 
only  proceed. 

It  is  undoubtedly  our  duty  to  lay  hold  on  eternal  life,  and  a  gross 
sin  to  be  negligent  of  this  duty.  But  it  cannot  be  pretended,  that 
the  mere  pursuit  of  this  good,  without  any  relish  for  its  moral  na- 
ture, and  without  any  voluntary  conformity  to  the  will  of  God  con- 
cerning it,  is  virtuous.  In  this  case,  it  is  pursued  with  the  same 
spirit,  and  the  same  views,  with  which  we  labour  to  obtain  proper- 
ty, office,  or  reputation ;  and  the  mind  is  no  less  selfish  in  the  one 
case,  than  in  the  other.  No  man  is  more  scrupulous,  or  more  ex- 
act, in  external  religious  observances,  than  the  superstitious  man. 
Yet  no  other  person,  beside  himself,  dreams  that  his  observances 
are  virtuous.  The  Pharisees  with  great  care  tithed  mint,  anise^ 
and  cummin  ;  and  this  they  did  with  an  intention  to  procure  immor- 
tal life  by  what  they  esteemed  obedience.  For  the  same  end  they 
washed  their  hands,  cups,  pots,  and  other  vessels  ;  made  long  prayers, 
gave  alms  ^  fasted  often  ;  and  did  many  other  things  of  an  exter- 
nal nature  with  great  care,  and  exactness.  So  exact,  so  scrupu- 
lous, were  they  in  their  outward  religious  conduct,  that  they  were 
highly  respected  by  the  people  at  large,  as  good  men.  Still,  they 
are  pronounced  by  our  Lord  to  be  a  generation  of  Vipers,  and  chil- 
dren of  hell.  All  their  external  offices  of  religion,  then,  though 
directed,  generally,  at  least,  to  the  attainment  of  eternal  life,  and 
performed  with  the  strong  expectation  of  securing  it  to  themselves, 
were  utterly  destitute  of  virtue  ;  and  failed,  altogether,  of  render- 
ing them  acceptable  to  God. 

The  young  man,  who  came  to  Christ  to  know  what  good  thing  he 
should  do  to  inherit  eternal  life,  appears,  in  his  original  character, 
to  have  been  more  than  usually  amiable  :  for  Jesus,  beholding  him, 
loved  him.  The  account  which  he  gave  of  his  own  external  obe- 
dience, appears  to  me  to  have  been  sincerely  given.  There  is  good 
reason  to  believe,  that  he  really,  and  with  uncommon  care,  had,  in 
the  external  sense,  obeyed  the  commands  of  the  decalogue.  Still, 
he  lacked  one  thing  ;  and  that  was  the  one  thing  needful  ^  viz.  real, 
or  evangelical  virtue. 

From  these  examples,  thus  considered,  it  is  evident,  that  men 
may  proceed  far,  (it  isdifficult  to  say  how  far)  in  external  obedience; 
and  yet  be  destitute  of  the  evangelical  character,  and  of  every 


364'  OBEDIENCE  OBLIGATORY  IN  [SER.  LXIX. 

recommeii'latioii  to  God.  Hf^nce  it  cannol  but  be  f:ecn,  that  external 
religious  observances,  existing  in  the  highest  degree,  and  perform- 
ed, primarily,  for  the  purpose  of  obtaining  eternal  life,  are  not  in 
themselves,  nor  lor  this  reason,  virtuous,  nor  recommendation''  to 
the  Divine  favour.  If,  then,  the  doctrine  of  justification  by  faith 
should  in  fact  lessen  the  motives  to  this  kind  of  obedience,  as  per- 
formed merely  "with  these  views,  it  cannot,  therefore,  with  any  truth 
be  said  to  make  void  the  law ;  or  to  lessen  the  motives  to  evangeli- 
cal obedience. 

The  dictates  of  reason  perfectly  accord  with  those  of  the  Scrip- 
tures conci  r  ,'ng  this  subject.  That  service,  which  is  emphatically 
called  mercanry,  or  which,  in  other  words,  is  performed  solely  for 
the  sake  of  a  [)ersonal  reward,  is  never  considerod  by  mankind  as 
being  virtuous,  however  exactly  performed.  Hence  the  very  f-rm 
mercenarij^  though  originally  indicating  nothing  immoral,  has,  in  the 
most  common  use,  acquired  a  bad  signification  ;  and  is  customari- 
ly used,  and  regarded,  as  a  term  of  reproach.  Voluntary  service, 
only,  in  which  good-will  is  exercised  about  the  employment,  and 
towards  the  object,  which  it  respects,  is  acknowledged  by  mankind 
to  be  virtuous.  Those,  who  love  us,  merely  because  we  love  them,^ 
An<\who  do  good  to  us,  merely  because  wc  do  good  to  them,  are  con- 
sidered by  common  sense,  as  well  as  by  Christ,  as  no  better  than 
publicans  and  sinners.  They  may  be,  they  usually  are,  convenient 
to  us ;  and  we  may  love  them  with  the  same  spirit,  with  which  they 
love  us  ;  but  it  is  impossible  for  us  rationally  to  esteem  them  virtu- 
ous in  this  conduct. 

2Hy.  The  Obligations  of  the  Law  are  not  lessened  by  this  doctrine  ; 
and  therefore,  the  Motives  to  obedience,  derived  from  this  source, 
continue  the  same. 

The  nature  of  the  law,  its  rewards  and  penalties,  and  the  char- 
acter and  authority  of  the  Lawgiver,  the  relations  which  we  sustain 
towards  him,  as  creatures,  and  as  subjects  of  law,  are  certainly  in 
no  respect  changed  by  the  scheme  of  Evangelical  justification.  If 
there  is  a  hint  of  this  nature  contained  in  the  Gospel,  I  have  never 
been  able  to  find  it.  Untd  such  a  hint  shall  be  produced,  I  shall 
take  it  for  granted,  that  there  is  none. 

I  know  of  nothing,  of  this  nature,  which  can  be  alleged,  even 
with  plausibility,  unless  it  is  this:  that  the  believer,  being  justifed 
by  faith,  and  having  his  title  to  justification  secured,  from  the  com- 
mencement of  faith  in  his  mind ;  the  penalty  of  the  law  becomes,  to 
him,  a  nullity.  As  1  suppose  this  to  be  the  chief  thing  aimed  at  by 
those  who  make  the  objection  under  consideration ;  and  that  in 
which  the  real  dilTiculty  is  supposed  to  lie  ;  1  shall  examine  it  with 
some  degree  of  attention. 

1st.  Thr  penally  of  the  lazo  exists  as  truly  against  the  Christian^ 
as  against  the  sinner^  although  in  a  different  sense. 

The  law  denounces  its  penalty  against  every  soul  of  man  that 
doeth  evil.      Without  holiness  tio  man  shall  see  the  Lord. 


SER.  LXIX]  JUSTIFICATION  BY  FAITH.  365 

But  it  will  be  said,  that  those,  who  hold  the  doctrine  of  justifica- 
tion by  faith,  hold,  also,  that  of  the  final  perseverance  of  the  saints ; 
and,  l)y  consequence  deny,  that  the  penalty  of  the  law  will  ever  be 
executed  on  any  of  those,  who  become  the  subjects  of  faith.  As 
this  is  fairly  said,  because  it  is  said  with  truth ;  particularly,  so  far 
as  I  am  concerned ;  I  feel  myself  bound  to  give  it  a  fair  consid- 
eration. 

Let  it  be  observed  then,  that  the  security,  which  those,  who  arc 
the  subjects  of  faith,  possess  of  eternal  life,  is  not,  in  my  view,  con- 
nected with  the  first  act  of  faith,  in  this  manner :  that  they  are  the 
subjects  of  this  single  act  of  faith,  and  will  afterwards  be  the  sub- 
jects of  habitual  and  characteristical  disobedience  ;  but  in  this  man- 
ner: that,  having  once  exercised  faith,  they  will  continue  thenceforth  to 
practice  an  habitual  and  characteristical  obedience,  to  the  end  of  life. 
If  a  man  abide  not  in  me,  saith  our  Saviour,  he  is  cast  forth  as  a  brunch, 
and  is  zoithered;  and  men  gather  them,  and  cast  them  into  the  fire  , 
and  they  arc  burned.  If  ye.  keep  my  commandments,  ye  shall  abide  in 
my  love;  even  as  I  have  kept  my  Father'' s  commandments,  and  abide 
in  his  love.  He  that  endureth  to  the  end,  the  same  shall  be  saved. 
For  we  are  made  partakers  of  Christ,  if  zoe  hold  the  beginning  of 
our  confidence  steadfast  unto  the  end.  In  every  one  of  these  pas- 
sages, the  doctrine,  which  I  have  specified,  is  declared  in  terms  so 
plain  and  unequivocal,  as  to  need  no  comment.  I  shall  only  add 
one  more,  although  multitudes  might  be  easily  added.  But  I  keep 
under  my  body,  and  bring  it  into  subjection  ;  lest  that  by  any  means, 
when  I  have  preached  to  others,  I  myself  should  be  a  castaway.  If 
St.  Paul,  whose  words  these  are,  felt  himself,  in  any  manner,  ex- 
posed to  be  finally  cast  away,  and  considered  it  as  absolutely  ne- 
cessary to  make  these  efforts,  in  order  to  avoid  this  dreadful  evil ; 
and  the  Spirit  of  Truth  dictated  to  him,  this  doctrine,  and  this  con- 
duct; nothing  can  be  necessary  to  prove  that  all  other  Christians 
are,  at  least  in  an  equal  degree,  exposed  to  the  same  evil;  and 
need  the  same  means,  to  ins\ire  their  escape. 

The  perseverance  of  Christians  is,  in  my  own  view,  completely 
secured  by  the  promise  of  God ;  but  it  is  not  secured  by  any  com- 
pulsory, or  coercive,  act  of  almighty  power.  It  is  accomplished  by 
means,  and  motives,  employed  for  this  purpose,  and  rendered 
effectual  by  their  own  effort,  and  the  sanctifying  energy  of  the  Di- 
vine Spirit.  If  they  were  not  to  act;  means  would  be  furnished, 
and  motives  addressed  to  them,  in  vain.  If  they  were  not  aided  by 
the  energy  of  the  Divine  Spirit ;  their  efforts  would  be  ineffectual. 

The  providence,  word,  and  ordinances,  of  God,  are  these  means. 
Among  the  motives,  addressed  to  them  for  this  purpose,  are  the 
promises  of  the  Gospel,  and  the  threatenings  of  the  law;  by  which 
I  intend  every  thing,  contained  in  the  word  of  God,  calculated 
either  to  encourage  or  to  alarm.  The  promises  assure  the  Chris- 
tian, that  he  shall  persevere ;  but  they  do  not  assure  him  of  this 
blessing,  on  the  supposition  that  he  ceases  to  obey,  and  yields 


366  OBEDIENCE  OBLIGATORY  IN  [3ER.  LXIX- 

himself  again  a  servant  to  corruption.  On  the  contrary,  they  make 
it  secure  to  him,  conditionally  in  this  sense:  that  he  never  turns 
back,  and  refuses,  or  neglects,  to  walk  any  more  with  Christ :  that, 
on  the  contrary,  he  yields  himself  a  living  sacrijice  to  God,  and 
thenceforth  zoalks  in  ncrvness  of  life  ;  not  perfectly,  but  habitually, 
and  per^everingly  unto  the  end.  At  the  same  time,  they  give  him 
certain  assurance,  that  by  the  grace  of  God  he  will  be  enabled 
thus  to  persevere.  The  threatenings,  on  the  other  hand,  con- 
tinually hold  out  to  him  the  most  awful  denunciations  against  apos- 
tacy ;  the  most  solemn  alarms  concerning  sloth,  worldliness,  and 
backsliding ;  and  the  most  terrifying  assurance,  that,  if  he  does  not 
endure  in  his  duty  unto  the  end,  in  the  manner  specified,  he  cannot 
be  saved.  Thus  while  the  event  is  made  certain  on  the  one  hand, 
the  means  are  made  indispensable  to  it  on  the  other.  A  well- 
known  passage  of  Scripture  will  sufficiently  illustrate  this  position. 
The  Angel  of  the  Lord  assured  Paid,  that  no  one  of  his  compan- 
ions in  the  ship  should  perish.  Yet  Paul,  afterwards,  declared  to 
the  Centurion,  and  to  the  soldiers,  that  except  the  seamen  abode  in 
the  ship,  they  could  not  be  saved.  In  this  part  of  the  subject,  thus 
explained,  it  will,  I  think,  be  impossible  to  find  any  thing,  which 
lessens,  in  the  view  of  a  Christian,  his  motives  to  obedience. 

In  the  mean  time,  it  is  to  be  remembered,  the  Christian  is  very 
rarely  assured  of  his  own  salvation,  because  he  is  very  rarely 
assured,  that  he  is  a  Christian.  Did  he  know,  from  the  commence- 
ment of  his  Christianity,  that  he  was  certainly  a  Christian  ;  1  freely 
confess,  that,  in  my  own  view,  he  would,  in  ordinary  cases,  be  in 
no  small  danger  of  the  evils,  intended  in  this  objection.  In  the 
infant  state  of  Christianity  in  the  mind,  there  is  usually  so  little 
religious  knowledge,  so  little  strength  of  affection,  so  infirm  a  state 
of  virtuous  habits,  and  consequently  so  little  stability  of  religious 
character;  while  there  is  also  so  much  remaining  sin,  so  riveted  a 
predominance  of  evil  habits,  and  so  imperfect  a  prevalence  of 
Divine  grace  over  them ;  that  this  interesting  discovery  might,  in 
my  own  view,  prove,  in  no  small  degree,  detrimental  to  him,  by 
producing  in  his  mind  a  dangerous  quiet,  and  a  mischievous,  if  not 
a  fatal,  security. 

Such,  however,  is  not  the  fact.  The  state  of  the  Christian, 
either  by  the  nature  of  things,  or  by  the  Divine  constitution,  or  by 
both,  is  such,  that  in  ordinary  cases,  though  I  acknowledge  not  al- 
ways, the  evidence,  which  he  possesses  of  being  a  Christian,  is  in 
a  good  measure  proportioned  to  the  degree  of  his  Christianity. 
When  religion  is  feeble  in  the  mind;  when  it  is  interrupted;  when 
it  is  intruded  upon  by  passion,  appetite,  temptation,  care,  error, 
or  perplexity ;  its  proofs  become  of  course  few,  scattered,  dim, 
and  doubtful;  and  not  unfrequendy  disappear.  In  the  contrary 
circumstances,  luminous  seasons  are  enjoyed  ;  evidences  of  grace 
multiply ;  and  the  soul  is  refreshed  with  alternations  of  hope,  and 
peace,  and  joy.     In  his  ordinary  state,  the  utmost,  of  wliich  the 


5ER.  LXIX]  JUSTIFICATION  BY  FAITH.  367 

Christian  can  boast,  if  I  may  rely  upon  the  testimony  of  such  Chris- 
tians, as  I  have  conversed  with,  is  a  prevailing  hope,  or  a  comfort- 
able persuasion,  that  he  is  a  disciple  of  Christ.  In  this  situation, 
the  hope,  which  he  enjoys,  allures,  and  encourages,  him  to  obedi- 
ence ;  while  it  also  prevents  him  from  despondency.  Numerous 
fears  at  the  same  time  intervene,  alarm  him  concerning  the  uncer- 
tainty of  his  condition,  and  compel  him  to  new  and  more  vigorous 
exertions  for  the  performance  of  his  duty.  Thus  he  is  preserved 
alike  from  the  dangers  of  both  despondency  and  security  ;  and  is 
kept,  so  far  as  such  a  being  can  be  supposed  to  be  kept,  in  a  pro- 
gressive and  improving  course  of  obedience.  His  path  is  like  the 
shining  light,  which,  however  dim  and  dusky,  still  shines  more  and 
more  unto  the  perfect  day. 

Whenever  a  Christian  becomes  possessed  of  the  faith,  or  hope, 
of  assurance  ;  he  is  also  so  far  advanced  in  virtue,  that  he  is  pre- 
pared to  feel  the  influence  of  virtuous  motives ;  to  realize  the  glory 
and  excellency  of  his  Creator  and  Redeemer ;  the  loveliness  of 
virtuous  affections  and  conduct,  and  the  hatefulness  of  sin ;  suffi- 
ciently to  need  little  assistance  from  the  influence  of  fear.  Perfect 
love  casteth  out  fear  ;  and,  in  this  state,  a  moral  being  is  perfectly 
safe,  without  the  aid  of  fear;  perfectly  inclined  to  do  his  duty  ;  and 
perfectly  guarded  against  the  danger  of  backsliding.  The  assured 
Christian  approximates  towards  this  state ;  and  is  proportionally 
safe  from  the  moral  dangers  of  the  present  life. 

In  the  like  manner,  the  inhabitants  of  heaven  are  unalterably  as- 
sured of  their  eternal  perseverance  in  obedience ;  and  in  the  same 
general  manner  are  enabled  to  persevere.  They  love  God  too 
intensely,  they  delight  too  absolutely  in  virtuous  conduct,  they 
hate  sin  too  cordially,  and  are  too  efficaciously  influenced  by  the 
Spirit  of  grace,  ever  to  forsake  holiness,  and  relapse  into  sin.  The 
assured  Christian  is  chiefly  kept  alive  in  his  obedience,  in  the  same 
manner;  and  differs  from  them,  principally,  in  the  degree  of  his 
sanctification. 

3dly.  The  scheme  of  justification  by  faith  in  Christ  furnishes  new, 
peculiar,  and  very  powerful  motives  to  obedience. 

This  position  will  not  be  questioned.  The  whole  purpose,  for 
which  man  is  redeemed,  is,  so  far  as  himself  is  concerned,  that  he 
should  walk  in  newness  of  life ;  or  that  he  should  obey,  anew,  the 
law  of  God.  To  this  great  end  he  is  now  urged  by  motives,  of 
which  the  law  knew  nothing.  God,  unasked  and  undesired,  has 
sent  his  Son  into  the  world,  to  redeem  him.  That  glorious  person 
became  incarnate,  lived,  died,  rose  again,  and  ascended  to  heaven, 
where  he  reigns,  and  intercedes,  to  accomplish  his  Salvation.  The 
Spirit  of  grace  has  sanctified  him ;  the  Father  of  all  mercies  has 
forgiven  his  sins.  He  has  become  a  child  of  mercy;  an  heir  of 
the  Divine  favour  ;  a  member  of  the  family,  which  is  named  after 
Christ ;  has  his  name  written  in  the  LamPs  book  of  life  ;  and  is 
entitled  to  a  glorious  immortality.     When  he  remembers  what  he 


368  OBEDIENCE  OBLIGATORY  LN  [SER.  LXIX. 

was,  and  to  what  he  was  doomed  ;  considers  what  he  now  is,  and 
to  what  he  is  destined ;  and  reahzes  these  wonderful  efforts,  by 
which  the  infinitely  happy  change,  made  both  in  his  ciiaracter,  and 
in  his  destiny,  is  accomplished  5  he  cannot,  as  a  Christian ;  the 
subject  of  an  ingenuous,  virtuous,  and  a  grateful  disposition ;  fail 
to  feel,  that  motives  wholly  new,  entirely  peculiar,  and  wonderfully 
great,  demand  of  him  the  most  constant  and  exact  obedience  to  the 
law  of  God.  In  this  great  particular  iht  law,  instead  of  being  made 
void,  is,  according  to  the  language  of  the  Apostle,  established  by 
the  scheme  of  justification  by  faith. 

4thly.  The  Faith  of  the  Christian  is  the  real  source  of  Evangelical 
Obedience. 

The  truth  of  this  assertion  has  been  already  sufficiently  proved ; 
and  can  never  be  rationally  questioned,  while  the  1 1th  chapter  of 
the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews  remains  a  part  of  the  Word  of  God. 
There  it  is  shown,  that  faith  is  the  direct  source  of  obedience  in 
all  its  forms,  and  all  its  degrees;  of  great  attainments  in  Christian 
excellence,  and  of  all  attainments  of  this  nature  ;  of  working  right- 
eousness, and  inheriting  promises  ;  of  pleasing  God,  and  securing 
a  title  to  the  heavenly  country.  It  is  exhibited  as  the  energy,  by 
which  we  vigorously  act  in  the  service  of  God,  patiently  submit, 
and  firmly  endure.  It  is  exhibited  as  the  victory,  by  which  we 
overcome  the  world  ',  and  the  shield,  with  which  we  become  able  to 
quench  all  the  fiery  darts  of  the  adversary. 

Faith,  then,  is  the  spirit,  the  disposition,  with  which  the  Chris- 
tiah  feels,  and  without  which  he  cannot  feel,  the  various  motives 
to  obedience,  furnished  by  the  law  of  God  ;  motives  presented  by 
the  excellence  of  the  law  itself,  and  of  the  government  founded  on 
it,  the  greatness  of  its  sanction,  and  the  glory  of  its  Author.  In 
an  eminent  degree,  also,  is  it  the  spirit,  which  feels  the  peculiar 
motives,  presented  by  the  evangelical  scheme  of  justification,  and 
mentioned  under  the  last  head.  These,  it  hardly  needs  to  be 
observed,  can  be  realized  by  no  other  disposition.  The  mind, 
under  the  expectation  of  meriting  justification,  either  wholly  or 
partially,  by  its  own  righteousness,  proportionally  recedes  from 
just  and  affecting  views  of  the  excellency  of  Christ's  righteousness, 
and  its  infinite  importance  to  itself.  Its  sense  of  indebtedness,  and 
its  motives  to  gratitude,  are  proportionally  lessened  ;  and  in  the 
same  proportion  are  diminished  its  inducements  to  obey,  and  its 
actual  obedience.  In  this  all-important  sense,  also,  faith  is  the 
only  real  establishment  of  the  law. 

5thly.  Those  who  have  holden  this  doctrine  have  been  the  most 
exact,  and  exemplary,  observers  of  the  law. 

If  this  be  admitted,  it  must  be  allowed  to  put  the  question  out  of 
debate :  for  it  cannot  be  denied,  that  the  scheme  of  those,  who 
obey  the  law  most  faithfully  in  their  lives,  is  the  scheme  which 
most  influences,  and  encures,  obedience.  It  is  my  business,  then, 
to  prove  this  position.     For  this  purpose  I  refer  yon,  generally,  to 


SER.  LXIX.]  JUSTIFICATION  BY  FAITH.  369 

those  discourses,  in  which  I  impeached  the  doctrine,  and  the  con- 
duct, of  the  Unitarians^  and  to  the  letters  of  Dr.  Fuller  on  the 
moral  tendency  of  the  Calvinistic  and  Socinian  systems.  Your  at- 
tention, at  ilie  present  time,  is  requested,  particularly,  to  the  fol- 
lowing arguments  ;  which  I  shall  only  state,  and  leave  to  your 
consideration. 

1st.  Their  antagonists  have  extensively  acknowledged  this  position 
to  be  true.  The  confession  of  an  adversary,  in  a  practical  case, 
may  be  usually  assumed  as  decisive  evidence. 

2dly.  Those,  who  have  held  this  doctrine,  have  by  the  same  ad- 
versaries been  censured,  despised,  and  ridiculed,  as  being  unneces- 
sarily exact,  and  rigidly  scrupulous  in  their  observance  of  the  duties 
of  a  religious  life  :  While  their  adversaries  have  styled  themselves, 
by  way  of  distinction,  liberal  and  rational  Chrisiians.  This  could 
not  have  existed,  had  not  these  people,  thus  censured,  been  real- 
ly exact,  so  far  as  the  human  eye  could  judge,  in  obeying  the  com- 
mands of  God. 

3dly.  The  sermons  of  Ministers,  holding  this  doctrine,  have,  with 
scarcely  any  exception,  urged  a  stricter  morality  on  their  hearers, 
than  those  of  their  adversaries.  This  any  man  may  know,  who  will 
read  both,  even  to  a  moderate  extent.  But  this  could  not  have 
taken  place,  had  not  the  doctrine  itself  been  peculiarly  favourable 
to  obedience. 

4thly.  Those,  who  have  holden  this  doctrine,  have  much  more 
generally  and  punctiliously  frequented  the  house  of  God,  and  observ- 
ed the  duties  of  the  Sabbath,  than  their  adversaries.  This  fact  is 
acknowledged  by  both  pardes  ;  and  therefore  cannot  be  mistaken. 

5thly.  Those  who  have  holden  this  doctrine  have,  among  Protest- 
ants, been  almost  the  only  persons,  who  have  originated,  supported, 
and  executed,  missions,  for  the  purpose  of  sprcadirig  the  Gospel 
among  mankind. 

This  fact  cannot  be  questioned.  I  shall  leave  you  to  judge  of 
the  evidence,  which  it  contains ;  and  shall  only  observe,  that  the 
Papists  have,  indeed,  prosecuted  missions  with  great  zeal ;  but 
that  any  one,  who  will  read  the  histories  of  them,  will  readily  dis- 
cern the  end  of  their  efforts  to  have  been  the  extension  of  power, 
and  the  accumulation  of  wealth  ;  not  the  diffusion  of  religion. 

6thly.  The  Papists  have  very  generally  holden  the  doctrine  of 
justif  cation  by  works  ;  while  the  reformers,  almost  to  a  man,  hold 
that  of  justification  by  faith.  The  comparative  morality  of  these 
two  classes  of  men  cannot,  here,  need  any  illustration. 


Vol.  II.  47 


SERMON  L.XX. 


REGENERATION, THE    AGENT    IN    EFFECTING    IT. THE    HOLT 

GHOST. HIS    CHARACTER. 


TiTns  iii.  5. — J\''ot  bi/  works  of  righteousness  which  we  have  done,  but  according  to  his 
mercy  he  saved  us,  by  the  washing  of  regeneration,  and  the  reneioing  of  the  Holy 
Ghost. 

In  the  six  preceding  sermons,  I  have  considered  the  Manner,  in 
which  wc  become  interested  in  the  redemption  of  Christ,  through  free 
grace  on  the  part  of  God,  and  on  our  part  by  evangelical  faith. 
The  Manner,  in  which  we  become  possessed  of  this  faith,  is  the  next 
great  subject  of  investigation  in  a  system  of  Theology. 

The  text,  after  denying  that  we  are  saved  by  works  of  right- 
eousness, and  declaring  that  our  salvation  is  according  to  the  Mer- 
cy of  God,  or  through  his  free  grace,  asserts,  that  this  salvation  is 
accomplished  by  the  loashing  of  regeneration,  and  the  renewing  of 
the  Holy  Ghost. 

There  has  been  no  small  dispute  among  divines  about  the  mean- 
ing of  the  third  phrase  in  this  passage:  The  washing  of  regenera- 
tion. Some  have  supposed  it  to  denote  baptism  ;  and  some  to  de- 
note the  same  thing  with  the  following  phrase :  The  renewing  of  the 
Holy  Ghost.  Others  have  interpreted  it  in  other  manners.  The 
second  interpretation,  which  I  have  mentioned,  is,  in  my  apprehen- 
sion, the  true  one.  If  baptism  be  intended,  the  passage  is  equiva- 
lent to  the  declaration  of  our  Saviour  to  Nicodemus :  Except  a  man 
he  born  of  xoater,  and  of  the  Spirit,  he  cannot  sec  the  Kingdom  of 
God.  He  is  born  of  water,  or  baptized,  indispensably,  in  order  to 
his  admission  into  the  visible  Kingdom  of  God ;  and  of  the  Spirit, 
indispensably  also,  in  order  to  his  admission  into  the  invisible  and 
eternal  Kingdom  of  God.  As  his  admission  into  the  former  is  a 
symbol  of  his  admission  into  the  latter  ;  so  baptism,  the  means  of 
his  admission  into  the  former,  is  a  symbol  of  regeneration,  the 
means  of  his  admission  into  the  latter.  The  difference  between 
the  two  interpretations,  which  I  have  specified,  will,  therefore,  be 
found  ultimately  to  be  immaterial :  the  one  referring  the  phrase  to 
the  type,  and  the  other  to  the  thing  typified.  On  either  scheme,  it 
must  be  admitted,  that  the  Apostle  declares  mankind  to  be  saved  by 
regeneration.  Regeneration  is,  therefore,  that  event  in  the  gracious 
providence  of  God,  by  zvhichwe  become  the  subjects  of  faith,  entitled 
to  justification,  and  consequently  heirs  of  salvation. 

In  the  consideration  of  this  subject,  two  things  are,  in  the  text, 
presented  to  our  inquiry  : 


SER.  LXX]  REGENERATION,  &c.  371 

I.  The  A^ent  in  this  work  ;  and, 

II.  The  Work  itself. 

The  Agent  in  the  work  of  renewing  the  human  mind  is  declared 
in  this  passage,  to  be  the  Holy  Ghost.  Two  things  are  naturally 
presented  to  us  by  the  mention  of  a  person,  sustaining  so  important 
a  part  in  the  economy  of  salvation ;  a  part,  without  which,  all  that 
has  preceded  would  be  wholly  defective ;  and  exist  to  no  valuable 
purpose. 

I.  His  Character ;  and, 

II.  His  Agency. 

The  former  of  these  shall  now  engage  our  attention  ;  and  my 
own  views  concerningit  will  be  sufficiently  expressed  in  this  position. 

The  Holy  Ghost  is  a  Divine  Person. 

It  is  well  known  to  those  who  hear  me,  that  various  classes  of 
men,  who  profess  to  receive  the  Bible  as  the  rule  of  their  faith, 
have  denied  this  proposition:  viz.  those  who  deny  the  Deity  of  our 
Saviour.  The  scheme  of  denial,  however,  has,  in  this  case,  been 
materially  different  from  that  in  the  other.  In  that,  Deity  was  the 
object  denied  ;  in  this,  PersonaHty.  On  all  hands  it  is  agreed,  that 
the  Holy  Ghost  is  acknowledged  by  Trinitarians  to  be  a  Divine 
Person ;  but  by  Unitarians  only  a  Divine  Attribute  ;  asserted  some- 
times to  be  the  Wisdom,  but,  usually,  the  Pozoer,  of  God.  The 
chief  subject  of  debate,  therefore,  between  us  and  the  Unitarians^ 
that  is,  those  with  whom  we  have  the  chief  concern  :  viz.  the  Ari- 
ans  and  Socinians  ;  is  whether  the  Holy  Ghost  be  a  Person,  or  an 
Attribute. 

In  support  of  the  Trinitarian  doctrine  concerning  this  subject,  I 
observe, 

1st.  The  supposition  that  the  Spirit  of  God  is  an  Attribute  renders 
the  language  of  the  Scriptures  unintelligible  and  unmeaning. 

I  have  had  occasion  to  take  some  notice  of  this  fact  formerly :  it 
will  be  proper,  however,  to  bring  it  up  to  view  at  this  time.  For 
example,  then,  it  is  said  in  Acts  x.  38,  God  anointed  Jesus  with  the 
Holy  Ghost  and  with  power.  This  passage,  read  according  to  its 
real  meaning,  as  interpreted  by  the  Unitarians,  would  stand  thus  : 
God  anointed  Jesus  with  the  Holy  Power  of  God,  and  with  Power. 
Romans  xv.  13,  J^ow  the  God  of  peace  fill  you  with  all  joy,  and 
peace,  in  believing  ;  that  ye  may  abound  in  hope  through  the  power 
of  the  Holy  Ghost :  that  is,  that  ye  may  abound  in  hope  through  the 
power  of  the  Holy  Power  of  God.  Verse  1 9,  Through  mighty  signs j 
and  wonders,  by  the  power  of  the  Spirit  of  God  :  that  is,  mighty  signs, 
and  wonders,  by  the  power  of  the  Power  of  God.  1  Cor.  ii.  4,  In 
demonstration  of  the  Spirit  and  of  power  :  that  is,  in  demonstration 
of  power,  and  of  power. 

I  will  not  intrude  upon  your  patience  by  repeating  similar  pas- 
sages any  farther ;  as  these  are  abundantly  sufficient  for  my  pur- 
pose. It  cannot  be  necessary  to  bring  proofs,  that  the  infinitely 
wise  God  can  never  have  directed  his  own  Word  to  be  written  in 


372  REGENERATION.     THE  [SER.  LXX. 

this  manner.  No  sober  man  ever  wrote  in  this  manner.  Nay,  it 
may  be  confidently  asserted,  thiit  such  a  mode  of  writing  was  never 
adopted  by  any  man^  of  any  character  whatever. 

2dly.  This  scheme  renders  our  Saviour^s  account  of  the  Blasphemy 
against  the  Holy  Ghost  unmeaning  and  incredible. 

This  account  is  given  us  in  various  places;  particularly  JV/a«/<fa) 
xii.  31,  Jill  manner  of  sin  and  blasphemy  shall  be  forgiven  unto  men; 
but  the  blasphemy  against  the  Holy  Ghost  shall  not  be  forgiven  unto 
men. 

Concerning  this  I  observe, 

First,  that  blasphemy  cannot  be  directed  against  an  Attribute, 
Evil  speaking,  or  speaking  in  a  manner  derogatory  to  character, 
can  be  directed  only  aganist  a  percipient  being ;  because  such  a  be- 
ing, only,  is  capable  of  perccivmg,  or  being  in  any  way  affected 
by,  the  evil  intended.  When  mankind  speak  evil  against  the  word, 
sabbaths,  ordinances,  works,  names,  or  titles,  of  God,  the  evil  is 
nothing,  except  as  it  is  directed  against  God  himself;  because  he 
alone,  and  not  the  things  immediately  blasphemed,  can  perceive,  or 
be  affected  with,  the  evil  which  is  spoken.  In  this  manner  all  men 
have  understood  the  subject. 

It  cannot  be,  therefore,  that  the  Unitarians,  when  they  read  this 
passage,  suppose  the  blasphemy  in  (question  to  be  directed  against 
the  power  of  God.  They  undoubtedly  consider  it  as  directed  against 
God  himself,  through  the  medium  of  this  attribute.  I  observe, 
therefore, 

Secondly.  //  is  inconceivable,  that  blasphemy  against  God,  univer- 
sally, and  in  all  other  forms,  should  be  forgiven  ;  while  the  blasphe- 
my against  his  Power  can  never  be  forgiven. 

In  the  attribute  of  Power  there  is  plainly  nothing,  which  is  pe- 
culiarly sacred.  It  is  shared  alike  by  good  and  evil  beings;  and 
does  not  contribute  at  all  to  distinguish  their  character,  as  moral 
beings,  or  to  render  them  either  good  or  evil.  It  is,  in  no  sense,  the 
foundation,  nor  an  ingredient,  of  worth  or  moral  excellence.  It 
is  not,  and  cannot  be,  the  object  of  love,  nor  praise.  It  is, 
therefore,  incredible,  and  certainly  inexplicable,  that  all  manner  of 
blasphemy  against  the  whole  character  of  God,  particularly  against 
his  moral  character,  should  be  forgiven;  and  yet  that  blasphemy 
against  this  single  natural  attribute  should  never  be  forgiven.  So 
far  as  the  human  understanding  can  discern,  blasphemy  agamst  the 
holiness,  faithfulness,  truth,  goodness,  and  mercy,  of  God,  would  be 
more  expressive  of  malignant  opposition,  and  of  guilt,  in  the  blas- 
phemer, than  blasphemy  merely  against  his  power.  St.  John  has 
declared,  that  God  is  Love.  That  is.  Love  is  the  essence,  sum, 
and  glory  of  his  moral  character,  and  of  himself.  Blasphemy  against 
this  perfection,  we  should,  I  think,  irresistibly  conclude  to  be  more 
heinous,  than  against  any  other  attribute.  But,  according  to  this 
scheme,  blasphemy  against  the  power  of  God,  a  natural  attribute, 
is  so  much  more  heinous  than  that,  which  is  directed  against  all 


SER.  LXX.]      HOLY  GHOST.  HIS  CHARACTER  373 

the  other  divine  attributes ;  nay,  than  that,  which  is  directed  against 
God,  himself,  and  his  whole  character,  including  this  very  attribute 
of  power,  together  with  all  others;  as  to  be  absolutely  unpardona- 
ble ;  while  all  other  blasphemy  can,  and  will  be  forgiven.  This, 
10  say  the  least,  is  incredible. 

If  the  Holy  Ghost  be  a  Divine  Person,  it  would  seem  probable, 
that,  if  any  sin  is  incapable  of  being  forgiven,  blasphemy  against 
the  Holy  Ghost  would  be  that  sin.  The  Holy  Ghost  is  God,  em- 
ployed in  his  most  benevolent  and  wonderful  work;  that  of 
restoring  holiness  to  the  soul  of  man;  in  his  most  glorious  charac- 
ter, that  of  the  Sanctifier;  in  a  work,  demanding  the  supreme 
gratitude  of  mankind ;  in  a  character,  demanding  their  supreme 
reverence  and  love. 

3dly.  That  the  Holy  Ghost  is  not  an  attribute  is  evident  front  Acts 
V.  3.  But  Peter  said,  Ananias,  why  hath  Satan  filled  thy  heart,  to 
lie  unto  the  Holy  Ghost  ? 

A  lie  is  a  wilful  deception ;  and  can  be  told  only  to  intelligent 
beings ;  because  such  beings  only  can  perceive  the  meaning  of  the 
declaration,  with  which  the  liar  intends  to  deceive ;  or,  in  other 
words,  because  such  beings  only  can  receive  the  lie  at  his  mouth. 
A  child  perfectly  knows,  that  he  cannot  lie  to  a  tree  or  an  ox ; 
because  they  must  be  unconscious  of  what  he  says.  But  an  at- 
tribute is  as  unconscious  as  a  tree,  or  an  ox ;  and,  although  God 
perceives  all  things,  yet  his  power  perceives  nothing.  A  lie,  there- 
fore, cannot,  in  the  physical  sense  of  possibility,  be  told  to  the 
power  of  God. 

4thly.  All  the  Attributes  and  Actions  of  a  person  are  ascribed  to 
the  Holy  Spirit. 

These  are  so  numerous,  and  the  varieties  in  which  they  are 
mentioned  are  so  numerous  also,  that  I  shall  only  specify  them  in 
the  most  summary  manner. 

The  Spirit  of  God  is  said  to  strive.  My  Spirit  shall  not  always 
strive  with  man.  Gen.  vi.  3. 

To  be  sent  forth. 

Thou  sendest  forth  thy  Spirit,  and  they  are  created.  Psalm  civ. 
30.  God  has  sent  forth  the  Spirit  of  his  S071.  Gal.  iv.  6.  TTie  Com- 
forter, whom  I  will  send  unto  you  from  the  Father.  John  xv.  26. 

To  move. 

The  Spirit  of  God  moved  upon  the  face  of  the  waters.  Gen.  i.  2. 

To  know. 

The  Spirit  searcheth  all  things,  even  the  deep  things  of  God.  For 
what  mian  knoweth  the  things  of  a  man,  save  the  spirit  of  a  man 
which  is  within  him  ?  Fven  so  the  things  of  God  knoweth  no  one 
but  the  Spirit  of  God.   1  Cor.  ii.  10,  11. 

Here  let  me  ask,  whether  any  man  can  conceive,  that  Knowl- 
edge, one  essential  attribute  of  God,  can  with  any  meaning  be  said 
to  be  an  attribute  of  Power,  which  is  another  ?  Or  whether  power 
can,  in  any  wox'ds  that  have  meaning,  be  said  to  know  any  thing? 


374  REGENEKATION.     THE  [SER.  LXX. 

The  Spirit  of  God  is  said  to  speak.  He  shall  not  speak  of  him- 
self; but  70  hat  soever  he  shall  hear,  that  shall  he  speak.  John  xvi.  13. 

Then  the  Spirit  said  to  Peter.  Acts  x.  19.  The  Spirit  said  to 
Philip.  Acts  viii.  20.  Let  him  that  hath  an  ear  hear  zvhat  the 
Spirit  saith  unto  the  Churches.  Rev.  ii.  7.  The  Spirit  and  the  bride 
sai^  come.  Rev.  xxii.  17. 

To  guide. 

He  will  guide  you  into  all  the  truth.    John  xvi.  13. 

To  lead. 

For  as  mani^  as  are  led  by  the  Spirit  of  God,  they  are  the  sons  of 
God.  Rom.  viii.  14. 

To  help. 

The  Spirit  helpelh  oxer  infirmities.  Rom.  viii.  26. 

To  testify. 

The  Spirit  itself  beareth  witness  with  our  Spirit,  that  we  are  the 
children  of  God.  Rom.  viii.  16.  But  zohcn  the  Comforter  is  come, 
even  the  Spirit  of  truth,  he  shall  testify  of  me.  John  xv.  26. 

To  reveal. 

As  it  is  now  revealed  unto  his  holy  Prophets  and  Apostles  by  the 
Spirit.  Eph.  iii.  5.  But  the  Comforter  shall  teach  you  all  things, 
and  bring  all  things  to  your  remembrance,  whatsoever  I  have  said 
unto  you.   John  xiv.  26. 

To  search. 

The  Spirit  iearcheth  all  things.    I  Cor.  ii.  10. 

To  have  a  mind,  or  pleasure. 

He  that  searchcth  the  hearts  knoweth  what  is  the  mind  of  the  Spirit, 
Rom.  viii.  27. 

To  prophesy. 

He  shall  shew  you  things  to  come.  John  xvi.  13.  Kow  the  Spirit 
spcaketh  expressly  that  in  the  latter  times  some  shall  depart  from  the 
faith.   1  Tim.  iv.  1. 

To  intercede. 

The  Spirit  maketh  intercession  for  us  with  groanings,  which  cannot 
he  uttered.  Rom.  viii.  26. 

To  give  gifts. 

For  to  one  is  given  by  his  Spirit  the  word  of  wisdom  ;  to  another, 
the  joord  of  knowledge  ;  to  another,  faith  ;  to  another,  the  gifts  of 
healing  ;  to  another,  the  working  of  miracles,  «Sic.  1  Cor.  xii. 
8—10. 

To  work  in  the  soul  of  man. 

All  these  worketh  one  and  the  same  Spirit,  dividing  to  every  man 
as  he  will.   1  Cor.  xii.  11. 

To  work  miracles. 

Through  mighty  signs,  and  wonders,  by  the  power  of  the  Spirit  of 
God.  Rom.  XV.  19. 

To  sanctify. 

Ye  are  sanctified  by  the  Spirit  of  our  God.   1  Cor.  vi.  11. 

To  quicken,  or  giv%  life. 


SER.  LXX]  HOLY  GHOST.    HIS  CHARACTER.  375 

II  is  the  Spirit  that  qvickmeth.  John  vi.  63.  Put  to  death  in  the 
flesh,  but  quickened  by  the  Spirit.  This  is  spoken  of  Christ.  1 
Pet.  iii.  18. 

To  be  pleased. 

It  seemed  good  to  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  to  us.  Acts  xv.  28. 

To  be  vexed. 

They  rebelled,  and  vexed  his  Holy  Spirit.  Is.  Ixiii.  10. 

To  be  provoked,  to  be  resisted,  and  to  be  grieved. 

That  all  these  things  should  be  said  of  an  attribute,  particularly 
of  the  attribute  of  power,  will,  1  believe,  be  acknowledged  to  be 
incredible.  That  they  should  be  dictated  by  God  himself,  and  be 
the  common  language,  in  which  this  attribute,  or  any  attribute,  is 
described  in  his  Word,  is,  I  think,  impossible.  The  language  of 
the  Scriptures  is  in  all  other  cases,  except  those,  in  which  it  in- 
volves the  Deity  of  the  Son,  and  the  Spirit,  the  language  of  common 
sense;  the  plain,  artless  language  of  nature.  Why  should  it  not 
be  so  here?  Why  should  these  two  cases  be  uniformly,  and  solely, 
exceptions  to  that  law,  by  which  all  the  remaining  language  of 
Scripture  is  governed  ?  Why  should  the  Scriptural  writers,  when- 
ever these  subjects  come  before  them,  and  then  only,  desert  their 
native  style;  that  which  alone  they  use  on  all  other  occasions; 
and  adopt  one,  totally  new,  and  singular  ?  Why  should  this  be 
done  by  any  writer '?  Such  a  case,  it  is  presumed,  cannot  be  found 
in  the  world,  except  in  these  two  instances.  Why  should  it  be 
found  in  so  many  of  these  writers?  Why  should  it  be  found  in 
every  Scriptural  writer?  Why,  above  all,  should  it  be  found  in 
the  language  of  Christ  himself?  Still  more ;  whence  could  these 
writers  be  induced  to  depart  from  their  customary  style,  whenever 
they  had  occasion  to  speak  of  these  two  subjects,  and  adopt  such 
language,  as  renders  their  real  meaning  obscure;  and  not  only 
obscure,  but  unintelligible;  and  not  only  unintelligible,  but  so 
utterly  lost  in  the  strangeness  of  their  phraseology,  that  almost  all 
their  readers,  and  among  them  the  great  body  of  the  wisest  and 
best,  have  totally  mistaken  the  real  meaning,  and  derived  from  this 
very  phraseology  a  meaning  infinitely  different?  Can  this  be  sup- 
posed to  have  been  accomplished  by  the  immediate  Providence  of 
God  himself,  when  disclosing  his  will  to  mankind  concerning  sub- 
jects of  infinite  importance  ?  Yet  the  Unitarians  must  suppose  all 
this,  or  give  up  their  scheme. 

But,  it  is  replied,  that  "  the  language  of  the  Scriptures  is  highly 
figurative  ;  and  that,  among  the  Jigures  used,  bold  Personifications 
hold  a  distinguished  place.  Among  these,  we  find  the  attributes  of 
God  personified.  For  example,  in  the  Proverbs  of  Solomon,  par- 
ticularly in  the  8th  chapter,  we  find  the  Divine  Wisdom  represented 
as  a  living  Agent,  possessing  a  variety  of  other  attributes,  and 
performing  such  actions,  as  are  elsewhere  ascribed  to  the  Spirit  of 
God.'' 


376  HEGENERATION.     THE  [SER.  LXX. 

This  answer  is  tlic  only  specious  one,  which  has  been,  or,  it  is 
presumed,  can  be,  made  to  the  arguments  alleged  above.  I  shall, 
therefore,  consider  it  particularly  ;  and  reply, 

In  tlu"  first  place,  that  this  pcrsonijication  of  Wisdom  is  exhibited 
in  animated  and  sublime  Poetry. 

In  sue!)  poetry,  and  in  the  loftier  sti'ains  of  eloquence,  we  are  to 
look,  if  any  where,  for  bold  figurative  language.  The  whole  ten- 
our  of  the  discourse,  here,  proceeds  from  an  enkindled  imagination, 
and  ardent  feelings.  In  this  state  of  mind,  nature  instinctively 
adopts  figurative  language,  and  bold  images  ;  and  readily  imparts 
life,  thought,  and  action,  to  those  objecls,  the  contemplation  of 
which  has  excited  the  peculiar  elevation.  With  the  writer,  the 
reader,  in  all  such  cases,  readily  coincides.  The  dullest  man  in  the 
dullest  frame,  easily  catches  the  inspiration  ;  and  not  only  admits 
without  hesitation  the  propriety  of  this  language,  and  these  images, 
but  regards  them  as  the  only  things  which  are  proper,  natural,  and 
suited  to  the  train  of  thought. 

But  on  ordinary  occasions,  which  furnish  nothing  to  raise  the 
mind  above  its  common,  cool  level,  such  a  mode  of  writing  is  per- 
fectly unnatural;  is  at  war  with  the  whole  tenour  of  thought;  and 
can  be  the  result  of  nothing  but  an  inexplicable  determination  to 
write  extravagance,  and  produce  wonder.  Not  an  example  of  this 
nature  can  be  found  in  the  Scriptures,  unless  it  be  this,  which  is 
now  in  debate. 

Here,  this  language,  and  these  images,  are  adopted,  if  they  are 
in  fact  adopted  at  all,  on  the  most  ordinary  occasions  ;  inferring 
the  most  tranquil,  even,  uninterested,  state  of  the  writer;  in  the 
simplest  narratives,  and  the  most  (juiet  discussions.  Who  would 
look  for  a  personification  in  such  instances  as  the  following  :  The 
Spirit  said  wito  Peter -^  The  Spirit  said  unto  Philip;  The  Spirit 
caught  azvai/  Philip;  jVoto  the  Spirit  speaketh  cxprcssli/ ;  It  seemed 
good  to  the  Hol>j  Ghost,  and  to  ris  ;  together  with  a  vast  multitude 
of  others,  exactly  resembling  these  in  their  nature  ^  If  personifi- 
cations are  to  be  used  in  such  cases ;  in  what  cases  are  they  not  to 
be  used?     And  in  what  cases  are  we  to  use  simple  language? 

To  complete  the  strangeness  of  this  representation,  the  Greek 
masculine  pronouns  and  relatives  arc,  in  a  multitude  of  instances, 
made  to  agree  with  the  neuter  substantive,  llv.-ufAa,  Spirit;  a  mode 
of  personification,  in  all  other  cases,  absurd  ;  and  here,  to  say  the 
least,  inexplicable. 

Secondly.  The  zvisdom,  spoken  of  in  the  Proverbs,  is  also  a  real 
Person,  and  not  an  attribute  ;  viz.  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

This  has  been  the  unwavering  opinion  of  the  great  body  of  di- 
vines :  of  most,  I  believe,  if  not  all,  who  are  not  Unitarians. 
Christ,  as  I  apprehend,  challenges  this  character  to  him-elf,  jMat- 
thew  xi.  19  :  Wisdom  is  justified  of  her  children.  St.  Paul,  in  the 
1  Corinthians,  attributes  it  to  him  directly,  when  he  says,  Christ  the 
Wisdom  of  God  ;  verse  24,  and  in  verse  30,  when  he  says.  JVho  of 


SER.  LXX]  HOLY  GHOST.    HIS  CHARACTER.  377 

God  is  become  unto  us  Wisdom^  and  in  Col.  ii.  3,  where  he  says  of 
Christ,  In  whom  are  hid  all  the  treasures  of  Wisdom. 

That  the  attribute  wisdom  is  not  meant  by  Solomon^  in  this 
chapter,  is  completely  evident  from  the  14th  verse  :  Counsel  is 
mine,  and  sound  wisdom.  Now  it  is  impossible,  that  Wisdom 
should  possess  Wisdom :  the  possessor,  and  the  thing  possessed, 
being,  by  physical  necessity,  two  things,  distinct  from  each  other. 
It  is  also  evident,  from  the  whole  tenour  of  this  chapter,  as  well  as 
from  several  other  parts  of  the  discourse,  in  the  begiiming  of  this 
Book ;  particularly  Chap.  i.  20 — 33 ;  on  which,  however,  I  can 
dwell  no  longer  at  the  present  time. 

Thirdly.  Should  it  be  still  supposed,  that  the  attribute  of  Wisdom, 
and  not  Christ,  is  intended  by  Solomon  ;  the  passage,  even  if  it 
were  not  poetical,  woidd  not  involve  such  absurdities  and  difficulties, 
as  are  involved  in  the  supposition,  that  the  Holy  Ghost  is  an  attri- 
bute personified.  An  extensive  comparison  of  these  two  subjects 
cannot  be  expected  on  the  present  occasion.  Suffice  it  to  say, 
that  Wisdom  is  not  said  to  appear  in  a  bodily  shape  ;  is  not  intro- 
duced, in  form,  as  an  agent  in  the  common  concerns  of  life  ,•  is  not 
spoken  of  by  one  living  being,  when  discoursing  of  another  living 
being,  as  a  third  living  being  united  with  the  other  two  in  the  trans- 
action of  real  business  ^  is  never  introduced  in  the  Scriptures  in  plain 
prose,  as  speaking,  hearing,  commanding,  guiding,  sanclfyvng,  and 
universally  doing  such  things,  as  can  be  attributed  only  to  a  liv- 
ing person.  Yet  it  must  strike  every  person,  that,  as  Wisdom  is 
an  attribute,  involving  consciousness  and  perception,  all  these 
things,  and  others  like  them,  might  be  attributed  to  it  with  much 
more  propriety,  than  to  the  attribute  of  Power. 

5thly.   The  Holy  Ghost  is  a  Divine  Person. 

There  will  probably  be  little  dispute  concerning  this  declaration 
among  those  who  acknowledge  that  the  Holy  Ghost  is  a  Person. 
The  things,  which  are  said  concerning  the  Spirit  of  God,  are  so 
plainly  such  as  evince  infinite  perfection,  that  few  persons,  proba- 
bly none,  who  admit  the  Personality  of  the  Spirit,  will  deny  his 
Deity.  Still,  it  will  be  useful,  on  this  occasion,  to  exhibit  several 
proofs  of  this  truth. 

1st.  The  Names  of  God  are  given  to  the  Holy  Ghost  in  the  Scrip- 
tures. 

Jsfow  the  Lord  is  that  Spirit.  2  Cor.  viii.  17.  This  is  a  direct 
affirmation  of  St.  Paul,  that  the  Spirit  is  God. 

For  who  hath  known  the  mind  of  the  Lord  ?  and  xoho  has  been  his 
Counsellor  ?    Rom.  xi.  34. 

For  who  hath  known  the  mind  of  the  Lord,  that  he  may  instruct 
him?    1  Cor.  ii.  16. 

Both  these  passages  are  quoted  from /?a{aA  xl.  13,  Who  hath 
directed  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord?  or,  being  his  Counsellor,  hath 
taught  him? 

Vol.  II.  48 


378  RECJENERATIO.N.     THE  [SER.  LXX 

And  the  Lord  direct  your  hearts  into  the  love  of  God,  and  into  the 
patient  waiting  for  Christ.  2  Thess.  iii.  5.  Here  the  Person,  ad- 
dressed in  prayer,  is  plainly  a  distinct  person  from  those,  mention- 
ed by  the  names  of  God  and  Christ;  and  of  course  is  the  Spirit  of 
God  ;  to  whom,  throughout  the  Scriptures,  the  office  of  directing 
the  hearts  of  Christians  to  their  duty,  is  every  where  ascribed. 

Peter,  Acts  v.  3,  4,  says  to  Ananias,  Why  hath  Satan  filed  thine 
heart  to  lie  unto  the  Holy  Ghost  ?  Why  hast  thou  concaved  this  in 
thine  heart  /  Thou  hast  not  lied  unto  men,  but  unto  God.  Here  the 
Holy  Ghost  is  called  God  by  the  Apostle  in  as  direct  terms  as  are 
conceivable. 

Acts  iv.  24,  25,  They  lift  up  their  voice  to  God  with  one  accord, 
and  said,  Lord,  thou  art  God,  who  hast  made  heaven,  and  earth,  and 
the  sea,  and  all  that  in  them  is.  Who  by  the  mouth  of  thy  servant 
David  hast  said.  Why  did  the  heathen  rage  and  the  people  imagine 
a  vain  thing  ? 

Acts  i.  16,  Peter  says.  This  Scripture  must  needs  have  been  fulfill- 
ed, which  the  Holy  Ghost  spake  by  the  mouth  o/ David.  The  Ho- 
ly Ghost  is,  therefore,  the  Lord  God  who  spoke  by  the  mouth  of 
David. 

2dly.   The  Attributes  of  God  are  ascribed  to  the  Holy  Ghost. 

Eternity. — Christ,  who  through  the  eternal  Spirit  once  offered 
himself  to  God.    Heb.  ix.  14. 

Omnipresence. —  Whither  shall  I  go  from  thy  Spirit  ?  W^hithcr 
shall  I  flee  from  thy  presence  ?    Psalm  cxxxix.  7. 

Your  body  is  the  temple  of  the  Holy  Ghost ;  that  is,  the  bodies  of 
all  Christians.      1  Cor.  vi.  9. 

Omniscience. — The  Spirit  searcheth  all  things,  even  the  deep 
things  of  God.     1  Cor.  ii.  10. 

Eve}i  so  the  things  of  God  knoweth  no  one,  but  the  Spirit  of  God* 
1  Cor.  ii.  11. 

Holiness. — The  Holy  Ghost  ^  the  Holy  Spirit ;  the  Spirit  of  holi- 
ness.    Passim. 

Grace. — Hath  done  despite  to  the  Spirit  of  grace.  Heb.  x.  29. 
See  also  Zcchariah  xii.  10. 

Truth. — The  Comforter,  the  Spirit  of  truth.  John  xiv.  17. 

Glory. — The  Spirit  of  glory  and  of  God  resteth  on  you.  1  Pet. 
iv.  14. 

Goodness. — Thy  good  Spirit.  Neh.  ix.  20.  Thy  Spirit  is  good. 
Psalm  cxliii.  10. 

Power. —  The  power  of  God  as  exerted  in  working  signs  and 
wonders,  is  ascribed  to  the  Holy  Ghost  throughout  the  New  Tes- 
tament. 

3dly.   The  Actions  of  God  are  ascribed  to  the  Holy  Ghost. 

Creation. — By  his  Spirit  he  garnished  the  heavens.  Job  xxvi. 
13.  The  Spirit  of  God  hath  made  me.  Job  xxxiii.  4.  See  also 
Acts  i.  24,  25,  compared  with  Acts  i.  16. 


SER.  LXX.]  HOLY  GHOST.     HIS  CHARACTER.  379 

Working  Miracles ;  which,  as  you  know,  is  cither  a  suspension, 
or  counteraction,  of  the  laws  of  nature,  or  of  the  Divine  agency 
operating  conformably  to  those  laws;  and  is,  therefore,  with  pecul- 
iar evidence,  an  act  of  God  himself.  This,  as  I  have  already  re- 
marked concerning  the  power  exerted  in  it,  is  throughout  the  New 
Testament  ascribed  to  the  Holy  Ghost. 

Inspiration. — Holy  men  of  God  spake,  as  they  were  moved  by  the 
Holy  Ghost.  2  Peter  i.  21. 

Giving  life. — It  is  the  Spirit  that  quickeneth.  John  vi.  63.  Put 
to  death  in  the  flesh,  hut  quickened  by  the  Spirit.  1  Pet.  iii.  18.  He 
that  raised  up  Christ  from  the  dead  shall  also  quicken  your  mortal 
bodies  by  his  Spirit,  titat  dwelleth  in  you. 

Sanciification. — This  also  is  ascribed  to  the  Holy  Ghost,  appro- 
priately, throughout  the  New  Testament. 

Instances  of  the  same  general  nature  might  be  easily  increased  in 
numbers,  and  the  proofs  miglit  be  easily  multiplied  to  a  great  ex- 
tent ;  but.  a->  discourses,  so  extensively  made  up  of  detached  pas- 
sages of  Scripture,  are  apt  to  be  less  interesting  than  could  be 
wished,  I  shall  desist. 

4tiily.  The  Holy  Ghost  is  a  Divine  Person  because  he  is  united 
■with  the  Father  and  the  Son  in  the  Baptismal  service  and  in  the 
blessing,  pronounced  upon  Christians  by  St.  Paul. 

I  have  mentioned  these  subjects  together,  because  they  have 
some  things  in  common.  Yet  there  are,  also,  some  things  in  which 
they  differ.  Go,  and  teach  all  nations,  said  our  Saviour  to  his 
Apostles,  baptizing  them  m  the  name  of  the  Father,  and  of  the  Son, 
and  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 

The  grace  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  says  St.  Paul  to  the  Corin- 
thian Church,  and  through  them  to  all  Christians,  and  the  love  of 
God,  and  the  communion  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  be  with  you  all.    Amen. 

In  the  commission,  here  given  by  Christ  to  his  Apostles,  it  is  im- 
possible, that  an  attribute  should,  with  propriety  or  meaning,  be 
joined  with  persons  ;  or  a  creature  with  one  or  more  Divine  per- 
sons. No  absurdity  can  strike  the  mind  with  more  force,  than  that 
Christ  should  direct  the  Apostles  to  baptize  in  the  name  of  God  the 
Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Divine  Power.  Nothing  but  im- 
piety can,  so  far  as  I  see,  be  contained  in  a  direction  to  baptize 
in  the  name  of  God,  and  of  a  creature.  What  creature  would  dare 
to  associate  himself  with  God  in  such  an  act  of  authority,  and  thus 
presume  to  ascend  the  throne  of  his  Maker?  The  same  things  are 
equally  true  concerning  the  form  of  blessing,  above  recited.  Can 
St.  Paul  be  supposed  to  have  united  either  a  creature,  or  an  attri- 
bute, with  the  Eternal  God  in  this  solemn  service  ?  What  bless- 
ings could  either  of  these  bestow  ?  Both  the  creature  and  the  at- 
tribute, considered  by  themselves,  are  in  this  view,  nothing. 

But  this  form  of  blessing  is  a  prayer ;  and  is  addressed  equally 
to  the  Father,  the  Son,  and  the  Holy  Ghost.  Can  St.  Paul  have 
addressed  a  prayer  either  to  an  attribute,  or  to  a  creature  ? 


380  UEGENERATION.  <ic.  [SER.  LXX. 

Farther  ;  the  blessing  prayed  for  from  the  Holy  Ghost  is  com- 
munion, or  fellowship.  The  request  for  this  blessing  involves, 
therefore,  the  declaration,  that  the  Holy  Ghost  will,  if  the  prayer 
be  granted,  be  present  with  all  those,  for  whom  this  communion  is 
supplicated,  and  present  with  that  influence,  which  is  the  source  of 
spiritual  and  immortal  life.  In  other  words,  the  Holy  Ghost  is  here 
exhibited  as  Omnipresent ;  and  as  every  where  possessing,  and  at 
his  pleasure  communicating,  Ufe  here,  as  the  commencement  of  life 
hereafter. 

I  shall  conclude  this  discourse  with  observing,  that  the  Divinity 
of  the  Spirit  of  truth  furnishes  Christians  with  the  most  solid  foun- 
dation for  gratitude,  and  joy.  It  will  be  seen,  in  the  progress  of 
these  discourses,  that  He  is  the  sum  of  all  the  moral  blessings,  m- 
troduced  into  this  world  by  the  Mediation  of  Christ.  He  sanctifies 
the  soul;  brings  it  out  of  darkness  into  marvellous  light ;  improves 
it  in  holiness ;  conducts  it  through  the  temptations  and  dangers  of 
this  life  ;  furnishes  it  with  every  gift  and  grace  ;  prompts  it  to  all  vir- 
tue and  excellence  ;  and  fills  it  with  all  spiritual  enjoyment.  For 
this  great  work  he  is  abundantly  qualified  by  the  possession  of  in- 
finite perfection  ;  of  all  that  is  great,  and  all  that  is  good.  In  this 
world,  He  commences,  and  carries  it  on.  In  the  future  world,  He 
advances  it  to  absolute  perfection.  Through  the  ages  of  eternity 
He  will  supply,  enrich,  and  adorn,  the  soul  with  endless  virtue,  as 
the  means  of  endless  happiness  and  glory. 


SERMON  LXXl. 

TESTIMONIES    TO    THE    DOCTRINE    OF    THE    TRINITY,     FROM    THE 
ANCIENT    CHRISTIANS,    JEWS,    AND    HEATHENS. 


Isaiah  xlviii.  16. — Come  ye  near  unto  me;  hear  ye  this  :  I  have  not  spoken  in  secret 
from  the  beginning ;  from  the  time,  that  it  was,  there  am  I ;  and  now  the  Lord  God 
and  his  Spirit  hath  sent  me. 

1 N  the  last  discourse  I  considered  the  Personality  and  Divinity 
of  iht  Spirit  of  God.  In  a  series  of  discourses,  formerly  delivered, 
I  considered  the  Divinity  of  Christ.  If  the  arguments,  alleged  in 
those  discourses,  are  as  conclusive,  as  they  appear  to  me ;  they 
prove  the  existence  of  a  Trinity,  or  three  Persons  in  one  God. 

The  proof  of  this  doctrine  must  unquestionably  be  derived  from 
the  Scriptures  alone.  But.  when  a  doctrine  of  this  extraordinary 
nature  is  presented  to  the  mind,  we  naturally  feel  a  strong  curiosity 
to  know  the  manner,  in  which  the  same  doctrine  has  been  regarded 
by  others ;  particularly  by  such,  as  have  lived  before  us  ;  and  pe- 
culiarly by  the  Ancient  Members  of  the  Jewish  and  Christian 
Churches.  Nor  is  this  a  matter  of  mere  curiosity.  If  the  doctrine 
of  the  Trinity  were,  now,  first  discovered  by  mankind  to  be  con- 
tained in  the  Scriptures,  the  words  being  supposed  to  have  remain- 
ed always  the  same  ;  we  should  undoubtedly  be  surprised  to  find, 
that  those  passages,  which,  in  our  view,  clearly  contain  this  doc- 
trine, had  never  been  understood  by  others  in  the  same  manner,  as 
by  ourselves.  Particularly,  we  should  be  inclined  to  doubt  the 
soundness  of  our  own  interpretations,  if  we  found  the  Jews  con- 
struing such  passages  in  the  Old  Testament,  and  the  early  Chris- 
tians in  the  New,  in  a  manner,  totally  different  from  ours.  Were 
such  the  fact,  we  should,  I  think,  very  naturally  suspect  our  own 
mode  of  construction  :  for  we  could  not  easily  believe,  that  the 
Jewish  Church  was  always  ignorant  of  this  doctrine,  if  it  was  real- 
ly taught  by  the  Prophets  ;  nor  the  early  Christian  Church,  if  it 
was  decisively  communicated  by  the  Apostles.  It  will  be  easily 
seen,  that  the  time,  in  which  those  lived,  to  whom  an  appeal  of  this 
nature  is  made,  must  be  important,  as  well  as  the  character  of  the 
witnesses.  The  more  ancient  the  witnesses  are,  other  things  being 
equal,  the  more  valuable  must  be  their  testimony  ;  and  such  testi- 
mony, if  really  ancient,  and  at  the  same  time  explicit  and  decisive, 
cannot  fail  of  yielding  material  satisfaction  to  every  rational  inquirer. 

Nor  is  the  testimony  even  of  Heathens  concerning  this  subject, 
to  be  disregarded.  If  we  find  that  the  ancient  Heathen  nations, 
generally,  or  in  most  or  all  instances,  independently  of  any  ac- 


J82  TESTIM0ME3  TO  THE  [SER.  LXXI 

quaintancc  with  the  Scriptures,  have  holderi  the  doctrine  of  a  Triad 
constituting  a  JVIonad^  that  is,  a  Supreme  God,  who  was  One  in  one 
.sense,  and  Three  in  another;  we  cannot  easily  avoid  the  conclu- 
sion, that  they  derived  tliis  doctrine  from  a  single  source,  and,  that 
Ihat  source  was  Revelation.  The  doctrine  plainly  lies  wholly  out 
of  the  course,  I  think  I  may  say,  out  of  the  reach,  of  human 
thought.  There  is,  therefore,  no  reason,  why  we  should  believe  it 
to  hive  been  invented  by  man.  Much  less  is  there  any  reason, 
to  suppose  it  invented  by  men,  in  so  many  different  nations,  and  in 
such  circumstances  of  barbarism,  as  almost  preclude  the  invention 
of  any  philosophical  doctrine.  The  source  of  the  doctrine  must, 
therefore,  have  been  one  :  and  that  a  Revelation,  existing  before 
these  nations  were  sejiarated  from  each  other. 

In  the  text,  a  Person  declares  concerning  iiimsclf :  /  have  not 
spokoi  in  secret  from  the  beginning  ;  from  the  time  that  it  was,  there 
am  I:  and  now  the  Lord  God,  in  the  original  the  Lord  Jehovah, 
and  his  Spirit  hath  setit  me.  The  Person,  speaking  in  this  verse, 
is  in  the  second  verse  called  Jehovah  of  hosts ;  or  Jehovah  God  of 
hosts.  And  in  the  twelfth  verse  he  says,  I  am  he;  I  am  the  first : 
I  also  am  the  last.  Mine  hand  also  hath  laid  the  foundation  of  the 
earth,  mi/  right  hand  hath  spanned  the  heavens. 

When  I  call  unto  them,  they  stand  up  together.  The  person, 
speaking  in  the  text,  is,  then,  Jehovah  of  hosts;  the  first  and 
the  last ;  the  Creator  of  the  earth  and  the  heavens.  And  this  Per- 
son says,  And  now  the  Lord  Jehovah  and  his  Spirit  hath  sent  jiie  : 
or,  more  probably,  The  Lord  Jehovah  hath  sent  me  and  his  Spirit, 
Origen,  as  quoted  by  Bishop  Lowth,  comments  on  this  passage  in 
this  manner:  "Who  is  it  that  sailh,  in  Isaiah,  "And  now  the  Lord 
hath  sent  me  and  his  Spirit  ?"  in  which,  as  the  expression  is  ambi- 
guous, is  it  the  Father  and  the  Holy  Spirit,  who  have  sent  Jesus? 
or  the  Father,  who  hath  sent  both  Christ  and  the  Holy  Spirit  ? 
The  latter  is  the  true  interpretation."  This  opinion  of  Origen 
appears  to  be  just;  because  we  no  where  read  in  the  Scriptures, 
that  Christ  was  sent  by  the  Spirit ;  but,  every  where,  that  both 
Christ,  and  the  Spirit,  were  sent  by  the  Father,  called  in  the  text 
the  Lord  God.  To  the  present  purpose,  however,  this  difference 
of  interpretation  is  wholly  immaterial.  Whether  the  Spirit  send  or 
be  sent,  he  is  equally  determined  to  be  a  living  agent ;  since  in  the 
physical  sense  it  is  impossible,  that  any  other  being  should  either 
send,  or  be  sent.  In  the  text,  then,  the  doctrine  of  a  Trinity  is 
directly  declared  by  a  Person,  styled  Jehovah  of  hosts.  Let 
us  now  see  what  coimtenance  this  doctrine  receives  from  the 
sources  which  I  have  specified  above. 

It  will  not  be  imagined,  that  in  the  compass  of  such  a  discourse, 
any  thing  more  can  be  done  than  mei-ely  to  make  a  moderate  se- 
lection of  the  testimonies  referred  to.  For  those,  which  I  shall 
mention,  I  am  chiefly  indebted  to  Bishop  Bull,  Doctor  Jamieson, 
Mr.  Maurice,  and  the  Asiatic  Po'searches  :  and  it  is  Ijelieved,  that 


SI*.  LXXI  ]  DOCTRINE  OF  THE  TRINITY.  383 

they  will  be  sufficiently  numerous,  and  sufficiently  explicit,  to  sat- 
isfy a  mind  willing  to  receive  the  truth. 

I.  To  the  Prc-exhtpnce  of  Christ  the  following  testimonies  must, 
I  think,  be  regarded  us  complete, 

1st.  Justin  Martyr,  who  flourished  in  the  year  140,  and  was 
born  about  the  close  of  the  first  century,  declares  Christ  to  have 
been  the  person  who  appeared  to  Abraham,  under  the  Oak  of 
Mamre ;  and  asserts  that  the  person,  here  called  Lord  or  Jeho- 
vah, to  whom  Abraham  prays  for  Sodom,  and  who,  in  the  next 
chapter,  is  said  to  rain  fire  and  brimstone  on  the  Cities  of  the  plain, 
was  no  other  than  Christ.  He  also  asserts,  that  Christ  appeared 
to  Moses  in  the  bush. 

2dly.  Irencens,  who  flourished  in  the  year  178,  declares,  that 
Christ,  as  God,  was  adored  by  the  Prophets ;  was  the  God  of  the 
living;  and  the  living  God;  that  he  spoke  to  Moses  in  the  bush; 
and  that  afterwards,  the  same  Person  refuted  the  doctrine  of  the 
Sadducees  concerning  the  Resurrection  of  the  dead.  He  further 
says,  that  Abraham  learned  divine  truth  from  the  Logos,  or  Word 
of  God. 

3dly.  Theophilus  of  Antioch,  who  flourished  in  the  year  181, 
declares,  that  Clirist,  assuming  to  ir^oauvov  tou  itar^os,  the  character 
of  the  Father,  that  is,  the  Divine  character,  came  to  Paradise  in  the 
appearance  of  God,  and  conversed  with  Adam. 

4thly.  Clemens  Alexandrimis,  who  flourished  in  the  year  194, 
exhibits  Christ  as  the  Author  of  the  former  precepts,  and  of  the 
latter;  that  is,  of  the  Scriptures  of  the  Old  Testament,  and  of  the 
New;  deriving  both  from  one  fountain. 

5thly.  Tertrdlian  declares,  that  it  was  the  Son  of  God  who 
spoke  to  Moses,  and  who  appeared,  that  is,  as  God,  at  all  times; 
that  he  overthrew  the  Tower  of  Babel;  confounded  the  languages 
of  men;  and  rained  fire  and  brimstone  on  Sodom  and  Gomorrah, 
He  calls  him  Do  minus  a  Domino ;  and  says,  that  he  only,  and 
alway,  conversed  with  men,  from  Adam  down  to  the  Patriarchs  and 
Prophets,  in  visions  and  dreams  ;  and  that  no  other  God  conversed 
with  men,  beside  the  JVord,  who  was  afterward  to  be  made  flesh. 

II.  That  Christ  xoas  the  Creator  of  the  world,  in  the  view  of  the 
ancient  Church,  the  folloxoing  testimonies  satisfactorily  prove. 

1st.  Barnabas,  who,  as  you  well  know,  was  a  companion  of  the 
Apostles,  and  could  not  but  know  their  views  of  this  subject,  says, 
in  an  episde  of  his,  yet  remaining,  "  The  Sun  in  the  heavens  was 
the  work  of  the  Son  of  God." 

2dly.  Hernias,  also  a  companion  of  the  Apostles,  says,  that  "  the 
Son  of  God  was  more  ancient  than  any  creature ;  seeing  he  was 
present  with  the  Father  at  the  Creation  of  the  World." 

3dly.  Athenagoras,  who  flourished  in  the  year  1 78,  says,  that "  by 
Christ,  and  through  Christ,  all  things  were  created ;  since  the  Father 
and  the  Son  are  "sv;  one  thing;  one  substance." 


384  TESTIMONIES  TO  THE  [SER.  LXXI 

4thly.  Justin  Martyr  declares,  that  "  more  than  one  Divine  per- 
son are  denoted  by  the  phrase,  The  man  is  become  as  one  of  us ;  and 
that  one  of  these  is  Christ." 

5thly.  Clemens  Ale xandrimis  says,  "  The  Lo^os  is  the  universal 
Architect ;"  that  is,  the  Maker  of  all  things.  lie  further  says,  "  The 
Logos  is  the  Creator  of  men  and  of  the  world."  He  also  speaks  of 
the  Logos  as  the  universal  Ruler,  and  Instructer. 

III.  That  Christ  was  tndy  God,  in  the  view  of  the  ancient  Church, 
will  fully  appear  from  the  following  testimonies, 

1st.  Clement  oi  Rome,  who  was  a  companion  of  the  Apostles,  calls 
Christ  "  the  sceptre  of  the  greatness  of  God,"  and  says,  "  he  had 
it  in  his  power  to  have  come  with  pomp  and  magnificence,  but 
would  not." 

2dly.  Polycarp,  a  disciple  of  S/.  Johii,  when  at  the  stake,  address- 
ed a  prayer  to  God,  which  he  concluded  in  this  manner  :  "For  all 
things  I  praise  thee  ;  I  bless  thee  ;  I  glorify  thee ;  together  with  the 
eternal  and  heavenly  Jesus  Christ;  with  whom,  unto  thee,  and  the 
Holy  Spirit,  be  glory,  both  now  and  for  ever,  world  without  end. 
Amen." 

3dly.  Justin  Martyr  declares,  that  "  Christ,  the  frst  born  Word 
of  God,  existed  as  God ;  that  he  is  Lord  and  God,  as  being  the  Son 
of  God  ;  and  that  he  was  the  God  of  Israel.'''' 

He  also  says,  "  We  adore,  and  love,  the  JVord  of  the  unbegot- 
ten  and  invisible  God."  And  again,  "  Him  (the  Father  of  right- 
eousness) and  that  Son  who  hath  proceeded  from  him,  and  the 
Prophetical  Spirit,  (that  is,  the  Spirit  of  Inspiration)  we  worship 
and  adore." 

This  doctrine,  also,  Trypho,  his  Jewish  antagonist,  admits  as  the 
doctrine  of  the  Gentile  Christians,  generally. 

4thly.  The  Church  of  Smyrna,  in  their  Epistle  to  the  other 
Churches  concerning  the  Martyrdom  of  Polycarp,  in  which  the 
abovementioned  doxology  is  quoted,  says,  "  We  can  never  forsake 
Christ,  nor  worship  any  other :  for  we  worship  Him  as  being  the 
Son  of  God." 

5thly.  Athenagoras  says,  "  The  Nsg  xai  Ao/og,  Mind  and  Word  of 
God,  is  the  Son  of  God  ;"  and,  "  We  who  preach  God,  preach  God 
the  Father,  God  the  Son,  and  the  Holy  Ghost;  and  the  Father,  the 
Son,  and  the  Holy  Ghost,  are  One." 

6thly.  Tatian,  Bishop  of  Antioch,  who  flourished  in  the  year  172, 
says,  "We  declare,  that  God  was  born  in  human  form." 

7thly.  Melito,  Bishop  of  Sardis,  who  flourished  in  the  year  1 77, 
says,  "  We  are  worshippers  of  one  God,  who  is  before  all,  and  in  all, 
in  his  Christ,  who  is  truly  God  the  Eternal  Word." 

8thly.  Theophilus,  Bishop  of  Antioch,  says,  "  The  three  days  be- 
fore the  creation  of  the  heavenly  luminaries,  represent  the  Trinity ; 
God,  and  his  Word,  and  his  Wisdom." 

9thly.  Clemens  Alexandrinus  prays  to  Christ  to  be  propitious, 
and  says,  "Son  and  Father,  both  One  Lord,  grant,  that  we  may 


SER.  LXXL]  DOCTULNE  OF  THE  DIVINITV.  SSli 

praise  the  Son,  and  the  Father,  with  the  Holy  Ghost,  all  in  One  ;  in 
whom  are  all  things,  through  whom  are  all  things  in  One,  through 
whom  is  Eternity,  of  whom  we  are  all  members,  to  him,  who  is  in 
all  things  good,  in  all  things  beautiful,  universally  wise  and  just,  to 
whom  be  glory,  both  now  and  for  ever.  Amen."  He  also  says, 
"  Gather  together  thy  children,  to  praise  in  a  holy  manner,  to  cele- 
brate without  guile,  Christ,  Eternal  Logos,  infinite  age,  Eternal 
light,  fountain  of  mercy." 

lOthly.  Tertullian  says,  "  The  name  of  Christ  is  every  where 
believed,  and  every  where  worshipped,  by  all  the  nations  mentioned 
above.  He  reigns  every  where,  and  is  every  where  adored.  He 
is  alike  to  all  a  Kmg  and  to  all  a  Judge,  and  to  all  a  God  and  a 
Lord." 

Again ;  "  Behold  all  nations  henceforth  emerging  from  the 
gulph  of  error,  to  the  Lord  God  the  Creator,  and  to  God  his 
Christ." 

Tertullian  also  declares,  that  "  Tiberius  received  accounts  from 
Palestine,  of  the  things,  which  manifested  the  truth  of  Christ's 
Divinity." 

To  these  Christian  testimonies,  all  of  the  two  first  centuries,  I 
shall  subjoin  a  few  others,  out  of  multitudes,  which  belong  to  a  later 
period. 

The  testimony  of  Origen,  in  his  comment  on  the  text,  has  been 
already  seen.  He,  also,  says,  "  We  (Christians)  worship  One  God, 
the  Father,  and  the  Son." 

He  further  says,  "  Now,  that  you  may  know  the  Omnipotence  of 
the  Father  and  the  Son  to  be  one  and  the  same,  as  He  is  one  and 
the  same  God  and  Lord  with  the  Father  ;  hear  what  St.  John  hath 
said  in  the  Revelation.  These  things  saith  the  Lord,  which  is,  and 
which  was,  and  which  is  to  come,  the  Almighty.  For  who  is  the 
Almighty  that  is  to  come,  but  Christ?" 

He,  also,  mentions  the  Christians,  as  saying,  "  that  the  Father, 
the  Son,  and  the  Holy  Spirit,  are  One  God;  and  speaks  of  this  as 
a  difficult,  and  perplexing  doctrine,  to  such  as  hear  not  with  faith, 
or  are  not  Christians." 

Again  ;  he  says,  "  When  we  come  to  the  grace  of  Baptism,  we 
acknowledge  One  God  only,  the  Father,  the  Son,  and  the  Holy 
Ghost." 

Origen  flourished  in  the  year  230. 

Cyprian,  Bishop  of  Carthage,  who  flourished  in  the  year  248, 
says,  "  Christ  is  our  God ;  that  is,  not  of  all,  but  of  the  faithful,  and 
believing." 

The  Council  of  Antioch,  which  sat  about  the  year  264,  in  their 
Epistle,  say,  "  In  the  whole  Church,  he  is  believed  to  be  God,  who 
emptied  himself,  indeed,  of  a  state  of  equality  with  God  ;  and  man, 
of  the  seed  of  David,  acording  to  the  flesh." 

Eusebius,  the  celebrated  Ecclesiastical  historian,  who  flourished 
in  the  year  315,  declares,  that  Pilate,  in  his  letter  to  Tiberias  con- 

VoL.  II.  49 


386  TESTIMONIES  TO  THE  [SER.  LXXI. 

cerning  the  miracles  of  Christ,  says,  that  "  he  was  raised  from  the 
dead ;  and  that  he  was  ahxady  believed  by  the  body  of  the  People 
to  be  God." 

This  part  of  the  subject  I  shall  conclude  with  the  following  heath- 
en testimonies. 

Pliny  the  Younger,  in  his  letter  to  the  Emperor  Trajan  from  the 
province  of  Bithynia,  whither  he  went  with  Proconsular  authority, 
writes,  that  "•  certain  Christians,  whom  he  had  examined,  affirmed, 
that  they  were  wotit  to  meet  together  on  a  stated  day,  before  it  was 
light,  and  sing  among  themselves,  alternately,  a  kymn  to  Christ,  as 
to  some  God."  This  letter  is,  with  the  highest  probability,  placed 
in  the  year  107. 

Celsus,  an  eminent  Epicurean  Philosopher,  and  Adversary  of  the 
Christians,  charges  them  with  worshipping  Christ,  "  who,"  he  says, 
"has  appeared  of  late  ;"and  whom  he  culls,  "  The  Minister  of  God." 
Cc/5M5  flourished  in  the  year  176. 

At  the  same  time  flourished  Lucian,  the  celebrated  Writer  of  Dia- 
logues, and  a  Philosopher  of  the  same  sect.  In  the  Philoputris,  a 
dialogue  frequently  attributed  to  him,  Triphon  represents  the  Chris- 
tians as  "swearing  by  the  Most  high  God;  the  Great,  Immortal, 
Celestial  Son  of  the  Father ;  the  Si)irit,  proceeding  from  the  Fa- 
ther ;  One  of  three,  and  three  of  One." 

Hierocles,  who  flourished  about  the  year  303,  a  Heathen  Philos- 
opher also,  says,  that  "  the  Christians,  on  account  of  a  few  miracles, 
proclaim  Christ  to  be  God." 

On  these  testimonies  I  shall  only  ask  a  single  question.  Can 
any  person,  who  has  them  before  him,  doubt,  for  a  moment,  that 
the  Christian  Church,  in  its  earliest  ages,  acknowledged,  and  wor- 
shipped, the  Father,  the  Son,  and  the  Holy  Ghost,  as  the  only  liv- 
ing and  true  God  ? 

To  the  testimony  of  the  Christian  Church  I  shall  now  add  that  of 
the  Jexeish  Church. 

Philo,  the  celebrated  Jew  oi  Alexandria,  who  lived  before  the 
birth  of  our  Saviour,  calls  the  Logos  the  Eternal  Logos,  or  Word  ; 
and  says,  that  "  he  is  necessarily  eternal,  and  the  image  of  the 
invisible  God." 

Further  he  says,  "  He,  who  is,  is  on  each  side  attended  by  his 
nearest  Powers ;  of  which  one  is  Creative,  and  the  other  Kingly. 
The  Creative  is  God,  by  which  he  founded  and  adorned  the  Uni- 
verse. The  Kingly  is  Lord.  He  who  is  in  the  middle,  being  thus 
attended  by  both  his  Powers,  exhibits  to  the  discerning  mind,  the 
appearance,  sometimes  of  One,  and  sometimes  of  Three." 

Of  the  Logos  he  says,  "  He,  who  is  the  begotten,  imitating  the 
ways  of  his  Father,  and  observing  his  archetypal  patterns,  pro- 
duces forms  •,"  that  is,  material  things.  He  often  calls  the  Logos, 
the  Divine  Logos  ;  and  represents  him  as  the  Manager,  or  Ruler  of 
the  world.  He  further  says,  that  "  God  governs  all  things  accord- 
ing to  the  strictest  justice,  having  set  over  them  his  righteous  Lo- 


SER.  LXXI.]  DOCTRINE  OF  THE  TRINITY.  387 

gos,  his  first  begotten  Son."  The  duration  of  created  things  he 
ascribes  to  this  cause ;  that  they  were  framed  by  Him,  who  re- 
mains ;  and  who  is  never  in  any  respect  changed  ;  the  Divine  Lo- 
gos.''^ Finally ;  he  calls  the  Logos  an  Angel ;  the  Name  of  God  ; 
a  Man  ;  the  Beginning  ;  the  Eternal  Image  ;  the  most  ancient  An- 
gel ;  the  Archangel,  of  many  names;  and  the  High  Priest  of  this 
Avorld ;  and  says,  "  His  head  is  anointed  with  oil." 

The  Chaldee  Paraphrosts,  and  other  Jewish  commentators,  speak 
of  this  subject  in  a  similar  manner. 

They  speak  of  the  Mimra^  the  Hebrew  term,  rendered  in  the 
Greek  \oyos,  and  in  the  English  Word,  as  "  the  Word  from  before 
the  Lord,"  or  which  is  before  the  Lord;  as  a  Redeemer;  as  only 
begotten  ;  as  the  Creator.  They  say,  "  the  Word  of  the  Lord 
said,  "  Behold  Adam,  whom  I  have  created,  is  the  only  begotten  in 
the  world ;  as  I  am  the  only  begotten  in  the  highest  heavens." 
They  paraphrased  the  text.  Genesis  iii.  8,  And  they  heard  the  voice 
of  the  Lord  God,  walking  in  the  garden,  thus :  "  They  heard  the 
Word  of  the  Lord  God,'^'>  &c. 

Several  Jewish  commentators  say,  that  "  it  was  the  Voice  which 
was  walking." 

One  of  them  says,  that  "  Our  first  parents,  before  their  sin,  saw 
the  Glory  of  God  speaking  to  them ;  but  after  their  sin,  they  only 
heard  the  Voice  walking." 

Philo  and  Jonathan,  both  say,  that  "  it  was  the  Word  of  God, 
which  appeared  unto  HagarJ^^ 

Jonathan  says,  "  God  will  receive  the  prayer  of  Israel  by  his 
Word."  Paraphrasing  Jer.  xxix.  14,  he  says,  "I  will  be  sought 
by  you  in.  my  Word." 

The  Jerusalem  Targum,  or  Paraphrase,  says,  "  Abraham  prayed 
in  the  name  of  the  Word  of  the  Lord,  the  God  of  the  world." 

Jonathan  says  also,  "  God  will  atone  by  his  Word  for  his  land, 
and  for  his  people ;  even  a  people  saved  by  the  Word  of  the 
Lord." 

Psalm  ex.  1.  They  paraphrase,  "  The  Lord  said  unto  his  Word," 
instead  of  My  Lord,  as  in  the  original. 

The  Jewish  commentators  say,  "  there  are  three  Degrees  in  the 
Mystery  of  Aleim,  or  Elohim;  and  these  degrees  they  call  Persons, 
They  say,  "  They  are  all  one,  and  cannot  be  separated." 

Deut.  vi.  4.  Hear,  O  Israel !  Jehovah,  our  Aleim,  is  one  Jeho- 
vah, is  thus  rendered  by  the  Author  of  the  Jewish  Book  Zohar  ; 
"  The  Lord,  and  our  God,  and  the  Lord,  are  One."  In  his  com- 
ment on  this  passage  the  Author  says,  "  the  Lord,  or  Jehovah,  is 
the  beginning  of  all  things,  and  the  perfection  of  all  things;  and 
he  is  called  the  Father.  The  other,  or  our  God,  is  the  depth  or 
the  fountain  of  sciences;  and  is  called  the  Son.  The  other,  or 
Lord,  he  is  the  Holy  Ghost,  who  proceeds  from  them  both,  &c. 
Therefore  he  says.  Hear,  O  Israel !  that  is,  join  together  this  Fa- 
ther, the  Son,  and  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  make  him  One  Essence ; 


388  TtSTlMOMES  TO  THE  [SER.  LXXl. 

One  Substance ;  for  whatever  is  in  the  One  is  in  the  other.  He 
hath  been  the  whole  ;  he  is  the  whole ;  and  he  will  be  the  whole." 
Again  ;  "  What  is  the  name  of  King  Messiah  /  Rabbi  Akiba  hath 
said,  Jehovah  is  his  name.  As  it  is  declared,  Jer.  xxiii.  6,  And 
this  is  his  name,  by  which  they  shall  call  him,  Jehovah,  our  Right- 
eousness, 

Those  Commentators,  also,  call  him  the  Branch  ;  the  Comforter; 
Gracious;  Luminous;  &ic. 

And  again ;  "  The  Holy  God  calls  the  King  Messiah  by  his 
name:  Jehovah  is  his  name:  for  it  is  said,  Exodus  vii.  1,  The 
Lord  is  a  man  of  war  ;  Jehovah  is  his  name.''^ 

To  these  explicit,  and  uncjuostionable  testimonies  I  shall  now 
add  a  collection  of  others,  of  a  different  nature,  but  scarcely  less 
decisive. 

In  the  concise  history  of  the  Creation  Moses  says,  more  than 
thirty  times,  AUim,  that  is,  Gods,  created:  the  noun  being  plural, 
and  the  v^-b  singular,  in  every  instance.  These  the  Jewish  Para- 
phrasts  explain  by  Jehovah  ;  his  Word,  that  is,  his  Son  ;  and  his 
Wisdom,  or  Holy  Spirit  ;  which  they  call  three  Degrees.  These 
three,  they  assert,  are  One ;  and  declare  them  to  be  One,  insepa- 
rable Jehovah.  This  doctrine  the  Jews  have  exhibited  in  a  variety 
of  methods ;  clear,  convincing,  and  impressive.  These  I  shall 
now  proceed  to  exhibit,  after  having  premised  a  remarkable  sen- 
tence from  Rabbi  Judah  Ha/ikadosh,  or  Judah  the  Holy,  in  which 
the  doctiine  of  the  Jewish  Church  is  declared  in  the  most  explicit 
manner.  ''  God  the  Father,  God  the  Son,  God  the  Holy  Spirit, 
Three  in  Unity,  One  in  Trinity."  This  Rabbi  flourished  in  the 
second  century. 

With  this  jjreface  I  observe, 

1st.  That  the  Form  of  blcssiiig,  %tsed  by  the  Jewish  Priests,  and 
the  mode  of  administering  it,  when  they  blessed  the  congregation, 
strongly  exhibited  the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity. 

This  form  of  blessing  is  prescribed  in  Numbers  vi.  24 — 26,  Je- 
hovah bless  thee,  and  keep  thee.  Jehovah  make  his  face  to  shine 
upon  thee,  and  be  gracious  to  thee.  Jehovah  lift  up  his  countenance 
upon  thee,  and  give  thee  peace. 

This  blessing,  according  to  Rabbi  Menachen,  was  pronounced  in 
a  different  accent,  during  the  utterance  of  each  part;  and,  accord- 
ing to  an  account  given  by  two  other  Rabbis,  with  the  hand  lifted 
up,  and  the  three  first  fingers  of  the  hand  extended  ;  the  little  finger 
being  at  the  same  time  closed.  This,  they  say,  was  done  to  ex- 
press a  Triad,  or  Trinity,  in  the  Godhead. 

2dly.  The  Jews  anciently  used  a  solemn  symbol  of  the  Deity, 
which  they  called  Sephiroth  ;  a  word  commonly  signifying  Enume- 
rations, but  used  by  their  learned  men  to  denote  Splendours. 
These  are  sometimes  exhibited  in  the  form  of  a  tree,  with  its 
branches  extended;  arul  sometimes  by  ten  concentric  circles: 
that  figure  being  the  symbol  of  perfection.     All  these  splendours 


SER.  LXXI.3  DOCTRINE  OF  THE  TRINITY.  389 

are  represented  as  issuing  from  the  supreme  and  infinite  Source,  as 
li<jht  from  the  Sun. 

Of  this  tree  Rabbi  Schabte  says,  "  There  are  three  degrees  ;  the 
root,  the  stem,  and  the  branches ;  and  these  three  are  one."  By 
this  he  intends,  that  the  infinite  Source,  and  the  other  two  Degrees, 
are  one,  and  inseparable. 

In  the  symbol  of  the  circles,  the  three  superior  circles  are  called 
the  Crown,  Wisdom,  and  Understanding.  "  These,"  Rabbi  Isaac, 
a  famous  and  learned  Jew,  says,  "  are  the  highest  Numerations, 
which  possess  one  throne,  on  which  sits  the  holy,  holy,  holy.  Lord 
God  of  hosts."  Two  other  celebrated  Jewish  Doctors  say, 
"  These  are  the  Voice,  the  Spirit,  ?ind  the  Word ;  and  these  are 
One."  And  Rambam,  the  most  celebrated  of  them  all,  says, 
"  The  Crown  is  the  primordial  Spirit  of  the  living  Aleim ;  and  his 
Wisdom  is  a  Spirit  from  the  Spirit  ;  and  the  Understanding,  Waters 
from  the  Spirit ;  and  between  these,  though  thus  distinguished, 
there  is  no  distinction  in  essence ;  because  the  end  is  annexed  to 
the  beginning,  and  the  beginning  to  the  end,  and  the  middle  is 
comprehended  by  them." 

The  remaining  Sephiroth  denoted  the  attributes  of  God. 

The  ancient  Jews  applied  the  three  first  letters  of  the  incommu- 
nicable name,  Jehovah,  to  denote  the  three  superior  Splendours, 
viz.  Jod,  He,  Vau ;  and  the  second  He,  or  the  last  letter,  denoted, 
according  to  them,  the  two  natures  of  the  second  Splendour,  or 
person. 

3dly.  The  ancient  Jews  wrote  the  name  of  God  symbolically,  by 
including  three  Jods  within  a  circle,  and  subscribing  under  the  Jods, 
and  within  the  circle,  the  vowel  Kametz. 

The  circle  was  the  figure  denoting  perfection.  The  three  Jods 
were  the  beginning  letter  of  the  word  Jehovah,  thrice  repeated, 
to  denote  the  three  persons  in  the  Godhead.  The  Kametz  was 
the  point  of  perfection,  and  denoted  the  same  thing  with  the  circle, 
and  the  Unity,  of  the  Divine  Essence. 

4thly.  Another  method,  used  by  the  Jews  to  denote  God,  was 
to  include  in  a  square  three  radii,  or  points,  disposed  in  the  form  of 
a  crown.  The  crown  seems  to  have  denoted  the  dignity  and  su- 
premacy of  the  object  designed,  and  the  number  three,  the  three 
Persons  of  the  Godhead. 

5thly.  The  letter  Schin  was  another  emblem  of  the  Most  High, 
in  use  among  the  Jews, 

This  letter,  which  is  the  first  in  the  word  Shaddai,  the  Almighty ; 
one  of  the  Scriptural  names  of  God  ;  is  formed  of  three  branches, 
ahke  in  size  and  figure,  especially  as  written  in  the  ancient  or  Sa- 
maritan  character,  and  united  in  one  stem.  This  letter  was 
distincdy  written  on  those  phylacteries,  which  the  Jews  wore  upon 
their  heads. 

6thly.  The  Equilateral  triangle,  with  three  small  circles  at  the 
angles,  and  the  letter  Jod  inscribed  aver  against  the  upper  angle,  was 


390  TESTIMONIES  TO  THE  [SER.  LXXI. 

another  Jewish  xymbol  of  the  Deity.  The  three  sides  indicated  the 
three  persons  of  the  Godhead;  and  the  equal  length  of  the  sides 
their  equality;  while  the  Jod  was  a  direct  proof  that  Jehovah  was 
intended  by  the  emblem.  The  three  circles  probably  denoted  the 
perfection  of  the  three  Persons. 

7lhly.  The  Jews  also  delineated  the  sphere,  or  representation  of 
the  Universe,  as  holden  by  three  hands;  two  at  the  sides,  and  one 
at  the  bottom.  Near  the  hands  were  inscribed  the  three  Hebrew 
letters,  Aleph,  Daleth,  and  Schin ;  the  initials  of  the  three  Hebrew 
words  for  truth,  judgment,  and  peace.  The  same  letters  were  also 
inscribed  immediately  above  the  sphere. 

Such  is  the  testimony  of  the  Jewish  Church  concerning  this  sub- 
ject, composed  on  the  one  hand  of  direct  declarations,  and  on  the 
other  of  symbols  equally  definite  and  certain  ;  especially  as  explain- 
ed by  their  own  commentators.  These  prove,  beyond  a  reason- 
able debate,  that  the  ancient  Jewish  Church  held,  uniformly,  the 
doctrine  of  the  Trinity.  The  later  Jews  have,  indeed,  denied  it ; 
but  to  this  denial  they  have  been  led,  merely  by  their  hatred  to 
Christianity. 

I  shai.'  now  proceed  to  mention  the  opinion  of  the  Heathen  na- 
tions coni^ffniag  this  subject. 

Isi.  Thr  rlindoos  huvc,  from  the  most  remote  antiquity,  holden  a 
Triad  ,??  the  Divine  nature. 

7  he  I'^me  of  tiie  Godhead  among  these  people  is  Brahme.  The 
names  of  the  three  persons  in  the  Godhead  are  Brahma,  Veeshnu, 
and  Siiva,  Brahma  they  considered  as  the  Father,  or  supreme 
Source  ;  V^eeshnu  as  the  Mediator,  whom  they  assert  to  have  been 
incaraai!' ;  and  Seeva  as  the  Destroyer,  and  Regenerator :  destruc- 
tion benig  in  their  view  nothing  but  the  dissolution  of  preceding 
forms.  I'-r  tiie  purpose  of  reviving  the  same  being  in  new  ones. 

Ti'.e  three  laces  of  Brahma,  Vecshnu,  and  Seeva,  they  always 
formed  on  one  body,  having  six  hands  ;  or  two  to  each  person. 
This  riethod  of  delineating  the  Godhead  is  ancient  beyond  tradi- 
tion, universal,  uncontroverted,  and  carved  every  where  in  their 
places  of  worship ;  particularly  in  the  celebrated  cavern  in  the 
Island  of  Elcphanta. 

2dly.  Equally  well  known  is  the  Persian  Triad ;  the  names  of 
which  were  ORMUsn,  Mithr,  and  Ahriman  ;  called  by  the  Greeks 
Oromasdes,  Mithras,  and  Arimanius.  Mithras  was  commonly 
styled  Tgi'irXatfiog.  y\niong  //(.e?n,  as  well  as  among  the  Hindoos,  the 
second  person  m  the  Triad  was  called  the  Mediator,  and  regarded 
as  the  great  Agent  in  the  present  world. 

In  the  Oracles  ascribed  to  Zerdusht,  or  Zoroaster,  the  famous 
Persian  Philosopher,  are  the  following  declarations. 

"Where  the  Eternal  Monad  is,  it  amplifies  itself,  and  generates 
a  Duality." 

"  A  Triad  of  Deity  shines  forth  throughout  the  whole  world,  of 
which  a  Monad  is  the  head." 


3ER.  LXXI]  DOCTRINE  OF  THE  TRINITY.  391 

"  For  the  mind  of  the  Father  said,  that  all  things  should  be  di- 
vided into  Thi-ee ;  whose  will  assented,  and  all  things  were  di- 
vided." 

"  And  there  appeared  in  this  Triad,  Virtue,  Wisdom,  and  Truth, 
who  knew  all  things." 

"  The  Father  performed  all  things,  and  delivered  them  over  to 
the  Second  mind,  whom  the  nations  of  men  commonly  suppose  to 
be  the  First." 

The  third  Person,  speaking  of  himself,  says,  "  I  Psyche,  or  Soul, 
dwell  next  to  the  Paternal  mind,  animating  all  things." 

3dly.  The  Egyptians,  also,  acknowledged  a  Triad,  from  the  ear- 
liest antiquity,  whom  they  named  originally  Osiris,  Cneph,  and 
Phtha  ;  and  afterwards  Osiris,  Isis,  and  Typhon.  These  Persons 
they  denoted  by  the  symbols  Light,  Fire,  and  Spirit.  They  repre- 
sented them,  also,  on  the  doors,  and  other  parts  of  their  sacred 
buildings,  in  the  three  figures  of  a  Globe,  a  IVing,  and  a  Serpent. 
Abenephius,  an  Arabian  Writer,  says,  that  "  by  these  the  Egyptians 
shadowed  ©sov  T^ifjio^cpov ;  or  God  in  three  forms. 

One  of  the  Egyptian  fundamental  axioms  of  Theology,  as  given 
by  Damascius,  and  cited  by  Cudworth,  is,  "■  There  is  one  Principle 
of  all  things,  praised  under  the  name  of  the  Unknown  Darkness, 
and  this  thrice  repeated." 

In  the  Books,  attributed  to  Hermes  Trismegistus  is  the  following 
passage. 

"  There  hath  ever  been  one  great,  intelligent  Light,  which  has 
always  illumined  the  Mind  ;  and  their  union  is  nothing  else  but  the 
Spirit,  which  is  the  Bond  of  all  things." 

Here  light  and  mind  are  spoken  of  as  two  Persons,  and  the 
Spirit  as  the  third ;  all  declared  to  be  eternal. 

Jamblichus,  a  Platonic  Philosopher,  styled  by  Proclus  the  Divine, 
declares,  that  "  Hermes  speaks  of  Eicton  as  the  first  of  intelli- 
gences, and  the  first  intelligible;  and  o(  Cneph,  or  Emeph,  as  the 
Prince  of  the  Celestial  Gods ;  and  of  the  Demiurgic,  or  creating, 
Mind,  as  a  third  to  these.  Jamblichus  calls  these  the  Demiurgic 
Mind,  the  Guardian  of  Truth,  and  Wisdom. 

4thly.  The  Orphic  Theology,  the  most  ancient  recorded  in  Grecian 
history,  taught  the  same  doctrine. 

In  the  abridgment  of  this  Theology  by  Timotheus,  the  Chrono- 
grapher,  are  found  its  most  important  and  characteristical  doctrines. 
Of  these  the  fundamental  one  is,  that  an  Eternal,  Incomprehensi- 
ble Being  exists,  who  is  the  Creator  of  all  things.  This  supreme 
and  eternal  Being  is  styled  in  this  Theology,  ^uSiBaXij,  Zw*] ;  Light, 
Counsel,  Life. 

Suidas,  speaking  of  these  three,  says,  "  they  express  only  one 
and  the  same  power."  Timotheus  says  further,  that  Orpheus  de- 
clared "  All  things  to  have  been  made  by  One  Godhead  in  three 
names  ;  op  rather  by  these  names  of  One  Godhead  ;  and  that  this 
Godhead  is  all  things." 


392  lESTlMOMKS  TO  THE  [SER.  LXXf. 

Proclus,  a  Platonic  Philosopher,  already  mentioned,  says,  that 
Orphexis  taught  "  the  existeiicc  of  One  God,  who  is  the  ruler  over 
all  things  ;  and  that  this  One  God  is  three  Minds,  three  Kings  ;  He 
who  is ;  He  who  has,  or  possesses  ;  and  He  who  beholds.  These 
three  Minds  he  declares  to  be  the  same  with  the  Triad  of  Orpheus ; 
viz.  Phancs,  Uranus,  and  Chronus. 

5thly.  The  Greek  Philosophers,  also,  extensively  acknowledged  a 
Triad. 

Particularly,  P(/<A«gora5  styled  God  ro 'ev,  or  the  Unity;  and 
fiovag,  or  that  which  is  alone  ;  and  also  to  ayadm,  or  the  good. 

"From  this  Eternal  Monad,"  says  Pythagoras,  "  there  sprang  an 
infinite  Duality  ;  that  is,  from  Him,  who  existed  alone,  two  pro- 
ceeded, who  were  infinite. 

Plato  also  held  a  Triad ;  and  named  them  to  Aya^ov,  the  Good  ; 
Noug,  or  Aoj'og,  Mind,  or  Word  ;  and  Yu^ii  "ogfAx,  the  Soul  of  the 
World.     Tiic  TO  Aya^ov  he  also  calls  -ir^wTog  ©sog,  and  /AsyitfTog  ©sog. 

Parmenides,  the  founder  of  the  Eleatic  Philosophy,  says,  The 
Deity  is  'ev  xai  iroXXa  ;  One  and  Many.  Simplicius,  commenting  on 
Plato's  exhibition  of  the  doctrines  of  Parmenides,  says,  that  "  these 
words  were  a  description  of  the  avm  OvTog,"  the  true  or  original  ex- 
istence ;  and  Plotinus  says,  that  Parmenides  acknowledged  three 
Divine  Unities  subordinated.  The  first  Unity  he  calls  the  most 
perfectly  and  propr  I'ly  One  ;  the  second,  One  niany  ;  and  the  third, 
One  and  many.  Plotinus  further  says,  that  Parmenides  acknowl- 
edged a  Triad  of  original  Persons.  Plutimts  speaks  of  God  as  be- 
ing "  the  One,  the  Mind,  and  the  Soul ;"  which  he  calls  the  original 
or  principal  persons,  .^melius  calls  these  Persons  three  Kings,  and 
three  Creators. 

Mimenius,  a  famous  Pythagorean,  acknowledged  a  Triad.  The 
second  Person  he  calls  the  Son  of  the  first;  and  the  third  he  speaks 
of,  as  proceeding  also  fi-om  the  first. 

6lhly.  In  the  Empires  of  Thibet  and  Tangut,a  triune  God  is  con- 
stantly acknowledged  in  the  popular  religion.  Medals,  having  the 
image  of  such  a  God  stamped  on  them,  are  given  to  the  people  by 
the  Delai  Lama,  to  be  suspended,  as  holy,  around  their  necks,  or 
otherwise  used  in  their  worship.  These  people  also  worshipped 
an  idol,  which  was  the  representation  of  a  three-fold  God. 

7thly.  A  medal,  now  in  the  Cabinet  of  the  Emperor  of  Russia, 
was  found  near  the  River  Kemptschyk,  a  branch  of  the  Jenisea,  in 
Siberia,  of  the  following  description. 

A  human  figure  is  formed  on  one  side,  having  one  body  and 
three  heads.  This  person  sits  upon  the  cup  of  the  Lotos  ^  the 
common  accompaniment  of  the  Godhead  in  various  Eastern  coun- 
tries ;  and  on  a  sofa,  in  the  manner  of  Eastern  Kings.  On  the 
other  side  is  the  following  inscription.  "The  bright  and  sacred 
image  of  the  Deity,  conspicuous  in  three  figures.  Gather  the  holy 
purpose  of  God  from  them:  love  him.^^  A  Heathen  could  not 
more  justly,  or  strongly,  describe  a  Trinity. 


aER.  LXXI.]  DOCTRINE  OF  THE  TRINITT.  393 

Stilly.  The  ancient  Scandinavians  acknowledged  a  Triad  j  whom 
they  styled  Odin,  Frea,  and  Thor.  In  the  Edda,  the  most  remark- 
able monument  of  Scandinavian  Theology,  Gangler,  a  Prince  of 
Szvedeii,  is  exhibited  as  being  introduced  into  the  hall,  or  palace, 
of  the  Gods.  Here  he  saw  three  thrones  raised  one  above  another, 
and  on  each  throne  a  sacred  person.  These  persons  were  thus 
described  to  him  by  his  guide  :  *•'  He,  who  sits  on  the  lowest  throne, 
is  Har,  or  the  Lofty  One.  The  second  is  Jafn  Har,  or  Equal  to  the 
Lofty  One.  He,  who  sits  on  the  highest  throne,  is  Thridi,  or  the 
Third. 

9thly.  The  Romans,  Germans,  and  Gauls,  acknowledged  a  Triad, 
and  worshipped  a  Triad,  in  various  manners. 

The  Roinans  and  Germans,  worshipped  the  Mairioe  j  three  God- 
desses inseparable,  and  always  united  in  their  worship,  temples, 
and  honours. 

The  Romans  also,  together  with  the  Greeks  and  Egyptians,  wor- 
shipped the  Cahiri,  or  three  Mighty  Ones. 

The  Diana  of  the  Romans  is  stamped  on  a  Medal,  as  having 
three  faces  on  three  distinct  heads,  united  to  one  form.  On  the 
reverse  is  the  image  of  a  man,  holding  his  hand  to  his  lips;  under 
whom  is  this  inscription  :  "  Be  silent ;  it  is  a  mystery." 

The  German  Goddess,  Trygla,  was  drawn  in  the  same  manner. 

The  Gauls,  also,  united  their  Gods  in  triple  groups,  in  a  man- 
ner generally  similar,  as  is  evident  from  sculptures,  either  now, 
or  lately,  remaining. 

lOthly.  The  Japanese  and  Chinese  anciently  acknowledged  a 
Triad. 

The  great  image  of  the  Japanese  is  One  form,  with  three  heads ; 
generally  resembling  that  of  Brahma,  Veeshmi,  and  Seeva,  already 
described  as  worshipped  by  the  Hindoos.  The  Chinese  worship- 
ped in  ancient  times  One  Supreme  God,  without  Images,  or  sym- 
bols of  any  kind.  This  worship  lasted  until  after  the  death  of  Con- 
fucius, about  500  years  before  the  birth  of  Christ. 

Lao-Kiun,  the  celebrated  founder  of  one  of  the  philosophical, 
or  religious,  sects  in  China,  delivered  this,  as  the  great  leading 
doctrine  of  his  Philosophy  :  "  That  the  Eternal  Reason  produced 
One  ;  One  produced  Two ;  Two  produced  Three  ;  and  Three 
produced  All  things." 

llthly.  The  American  Nations,  also,  have  in  several  instances 
acknoxcledged  a  Triad. 

The  Iroquois  hold,  that  before  the  creation  three  Spirits  existed ; 
all  of  whom  were  employed  in  creating  mankind. 

The  Peruvians  adored  a  Triad,  whom  they  styled  the  Father 
and  Lord  Sun,  the  Son  Sun,  and  the  Brother  Sun. 

In  Cuquisaco,  a  province  of  Peru,  the  inhabitants  worshipped 
an  image,  named  Tangatanga ;  which  in  their  language  signifies 
One  in  Three,  and  Three  in  one. 

Vol.  II.  50 


394  TESTIMONIES  TO  THE,  &ic.  [SER.  LXXI. 

Thus  have  I  finished  this  numerous  collection  of  testimonies  to 
the  great  Scriptural  doctrine  of  the  Trinity.  The  labour,  employ- 
ed in  making  it,  has,  I  hope,  not  been  useless.  In  a  serious  mind 
it  cannot,  I  think,  fail  to  produce,  not  conviction  only,  but  aston- 
ishment, and  delight,  to  see  the  wonderful  manner,  in  which  God 
has  diffused,  and  perpetuated,  the  evidence  of  this  doctrine  through- 
out the  successive  periods  of  time.  The  testimonies  of  the  Jewish 
and  Christian  Churches  are  complete  and  irresistible.  We  are  not 
to  expect,  that,  amid  all  the  ignorance  of  Heathenism,  correct  and 
unobjectionable  ideas  of  God  should  be  found  in  any  nation. 

But  when  we  consider,  that  the  doctrine  of  a  Triad  has  been  so 
eviatiitly  received,  without  a  question,  in  all  the  four  quarters  of 
the  Globe,  and  by  so  many  different  nations ;  that  it  was  received 
among  almost  all  those  who  were  ancient ;  that  it  was  received  inde- 
pendently of  the  Scriptures;  that  it  was  expressed  in  so  many  forms, 
and  those  completely  decisive  as  to  the  real  meaning  ;  that  the 
scheme  in  all  these  forms  was,  unanswerably,  the  union  of  Three 
Divine  Beings,  or  Persons,  in  One  ;  and  that  this  scheme  was  so 
often,  and  so  definitely,  explained  in  multiplied  and  very  various 
modes  of  expression  ;  modes  of  expression  too,  which  are  incapa- 
ble of  being  misconstrued ;  we  cannot,  I  think,  fail  to  determine, 
that  the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity  was  originally  revealed  to  the  hu- 
man race  ;  and  has  almost  every  where  been  conveyed  down,  both 
in  their  worship,  and  their  sacred  traditions. 


SERMON  LXXII, 


REGENERATION. THE  AGENT. HIS  AGENCY. 


TiTus  iii.  5. — JVof  by  works  of  righteousness  which  we  have  done,  but  according  to  his 
mercy  he  saved  us,  by  the  washing  of  regeneration,  and  the  renewing  of  the  Holy 
Ghost. 

IN  a  preceding  discourse,  I  proposed  to  enter  upon  an  inquiry 
into  the  great  subject  of  Regeneration  under  two  principal  heads : 

I.  The  Agent  in  this  zvork  ;  and, 

II.  The  Work  itself. 

The  former  of  these  subjects  I  proposed  to  discuss  under  these 
heads  : 

I.  The  Character  of  the  Agent  ;  and, 

II.  His  Agency. 

The  Character  of  the  Agent  I  have  already  examined. 
In  investigating  his  Agency  I  propose  to  consider, 

I.  The  Fact; 

II.  Its  Nature  ; 

III.  Its  Necessity  j  and, 

IV.  The  Objections  to  it. 

It  will  be  observed,  that  I  here  take  it  for  granted,  that  mankind 
are,  in  some  instances,  really  regenerated  ;  reserving  the  proof  of 
this  doctrine  to  a  future  occasion,  when  I  shall  come  to  the  dis- 
cussion of  the  second  thing  originally  proposed  ;  viz.  The  Work  of 
Regeneration.  In  discoursing  on  collateral  subjects  of  Theology, 
or  of  any  other  science,  it  is,  not  very  unfrequently,  necessary  to 
suppose  one  or  more  of  them,  for  the  time,  allowed  ;  to  preclude 
useless  embarrassment  in  the  discussion  of  the  others.  This, 
however,  is  to  be  done  only  for  the  time  ;  and  only  for  the  pur- 
pose, which  has  been  specified.  It  is  no  part  of  my  design,  in 
this  system,  to  take  any  point  in  Theology  for  granted  ;  nor  to  ex- 
pect the  belief  of  any  doctrine,  alleged  by  me,  unless  the  argu- 
ments, adduced  to  support  it,  shall  be  found  solid  and  convincing. 
Nor  do  I  ever  intend  to  consider  any  thing  as  granted  by  those, 
who  difi'c-  from  me,  unless  1  suppose  it  to  be  really  granted  by 
them.  If  there  be  found  in  this  system  of  discourses  any  thing, 
contrary  to  these  principles,  I  hope  it  will  be  considered  as  the 
result  of  inattention,  and  error,  on  my  own  part ;  for  no  departure 
from  them  will  receive  any  justification  from  me. 

With  these  things  premised,  I  shall  now  proceed  to  a  consider- 
ation of 

The  Fart,  that  the  Holy  Ghost  is  the  Agent  in  the  Regeneration  of 
Man. 


39G  REGENERATION.  [SER.  LXXIJ 

It  will  be  easily  seen,  that  the  proof  of  this  position  must  be  de- 
rived from  the  Scriptures  ;  and  that  all  the  evidence  concerning  it, 
furnished  by  reason  and  experience,  must  be  merely  auxiliary  ; 
and  cannot,  in  the  nature  of  the  case,  be  decisive.  From  the 
Scriptures,  then,  I  shall  proceed  to  allege  such  proofs  of  this  doc- 
trine, as  to  me  appear  satisfactory. 

1st.  I  argue  this  doctrine  from  Declarations  of  the  Scriptures. 

The  text  is  one  of  these  declarations. 

In  this  passage  we  are  said  to  be  savr.d  hy  the  washing  of  regen- 
eration and  the  reneioing  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  The  word  renewing  is 
an  exact  translation  of  the  original  word  in  this  place.  To  renew 
signifies,  as  you  well  know,  to  make  new,  or  to  make  over  again. 
This  operation  is  here  ascribed  to  the  Holy  Ghost  in  as  simple  and 
unambiguous  terms,  as  are  possible. 

John  i.  12,  13,  is  another  example  of  the  same  nature.  But 
to  as  many  as  received  him,  to  them  gave  he  power  to  become  the  sons 
of  God  ^  even  to  them  that  believe  on  his  name.  Which  were  born, 
not  of  blood,  nor  of  the  will  of  the  flesh,  7ior  of  the  will  of  Man,  but 
of  God. 

In  this  passage  of  Scripture  it  is  asserted,  that  the  birth,  by 
which  mankind  become  the  sons  of  God,  is  derived  not  from  blood, 
or  natural  descent ;  nor,  from  the  will  of  the  flesh ;  nor,  from  the 
will  of  man ;  that  is,  not  from  human  contrivance  and  determina- 
tion in  any  form ;  but  from  God.  It  is  difficult  to  conceive  how 
this  doctrine  could  be  more  clearly  asserted.  But  if  those  who 
sustain  this  character  are  born  of  God,  they  are  born  of  the  Spirit 
of  God.  For  our  Saviour,  discoursing  on  this  subject  in  the  third 
chapter,  says.  Except  a  Man  be  born  of  tvater,  and  of  the  Spirit,  he 
cannot  see  the  kingdom  of  God.  That,  which  is  born  of  the  flesh,  is 
flesh;  and  that,  which  is  born  of  the  Spirit,  is  spirit.  Here  the 
Persons,  said  in  the  former  passage  to  be  born  of  God,  are  declar- 
ed by  our  Saviour  to  be  born  of  the  Spirit ;  and  that  which  is  born 
of  the  Spirit  is  declared  alone  to  be  spiritual.  So  far  as  I  can  see, 
these  passages  in  the  most  decisive  manner  assert  Regeneration  to 
be,  exclusively,  the  work  of  the  Spirit  of  God. 

In  this  passage,  also,  that  which  is  born  of  the  flesh  is  declared  to 
he  flesh ;  that  is,  whatever  proceeds  from  a  fleshly  source  partakes 
of  its  fleshly  nature.  The  word  flesh  is  customarily  used  in  the 
Scriptures  to  denote  the  native  character  of  man.  in  this  sense 
the  carnal,  or  fleshly,  mind  is  declared  by  St.  Paul  to  be  enmity 
against  God,  not  subject  to  his  law,  neither  indeed  capable  of  being 
subject  to  it.  In  the  same  sense,  the  same  Apostle  says.  In  me,  that 
is,  in  my  flesh,  or  natural  character,  dwelleth  no  good  thing. 

A  contrast  is  studiously  run  between  that,  which  proceeds  from 
the  Spirit,  and  that  which  proceeds  from  the  flesh;  or,  to  use  the 
words  of  our  Saviour  in  the  passage  above  quoted,  between  that 
which  is  flesh,  and  that  which  is  spirit ;  in  several  passages  of 
Scripture.     To  be  carnally  minded,  says  St.  Paul,  is  death  ;  but  t9 


SEtl.  LXXII]  THE  AGENT.     HIS  AGENCY.  397 

be  spiritually  minded  is  life  and  peace.  Rom.  viii.  6.  In  the  origi- 
nal, the  minding  of  the  jiesh  is  death  ;  but  the  minding  of  the  Spirit 
is  life  and  peace.  And  again;  Gal.  v.  19 — 23.  J^ow  the  zvorks  of 
the  fesh  are  manifest.,  which  are  these  :  Adultery,  fornication.,  un- 
cleanness,  lasciviousness,  idolatry,  witchcraft,  hatred,  variance, 
emxdations,  rorath,  strife,  seditions,  heresies,  envyings,  murders, 
drunkenness,  revellings,  and  such  like  :  of  the  which  I  tell  you  be- 
fore, as  I  have  also  told  you  in  time  past,  that  they,  which  do  such 
things,  shall  not  inherit  the  kingdom  of  God.  But  the  fruit  of  the 
Spirit  is  love,  joy,  peace,  long-suffering,  gentleness,  goodness,  faith, 
meekness,  temperance.  In  these  passages,  the  diflerent  natures  of 
the  fleshly  and  spiritual  character  are  too  strongly  marked  to  need 
a  comment.  All  that  is  sinful,  odious  to  God,  and  the  object  of  his 
wrath,  plainly  belongs  to  the  former  ;  and  all  that  is  holy,  lovely  in 
the  sight  of  God,  and  the  object  of  his  favour,  belongs  to  the  latter. 
But  that,  which  is  born  of  the  flesh  is  flesh  ;  is  of  this  odious  guilty 
nature ;  whde  that  which  is  born  of  the  Spirit  is  alone  Spirit.  In 
other  words,  whatever  is  good  and  acceptable  before  God  in  the 
character  of  man  is  produced  by  the  Holy  Ghost. 

In  2  Thess.  ii.  13,  St.  Paid  says,  God  hath  from  the  beginning 
chose?!  you  to  salvation,  through  the  sanctification  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 
The  Thessalonian  Church,  then,  was  chosen  to  salvation  :  How  ? 
Through  the  sanctification  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  The  sanctification 
of  these  persons,  then,  was  a  part  of  the  original  purpose  of  God, 
and  a  pre-requisite  to  their  salvation.  The  Thessalonians,  there- 
fore, were  renewed,  or  regenerated,  by  the  Holy  Ghost ;  and,  by 
necessary  conclusion,  all  others,  who  become  the  subjects  of  re- 
generation. 

1  Cor.  vi.  11.  But  ye  are  sanctified  by  the  Spirit  of  God. 

In  the  two  preceding  verses,  St.  Paul  mentions  several  classes 
ofmen,  who,  he  declares,  shall  not  inherit  the  kingdom  of  God. 
Then  he  subjoins.  Such  were  some  of  you.  But,  he  adds.  Ye  are 
sanctified  by  the  Spirit  of  God.  Formerly  these  Corinthians  were 
of  the  number  of  those,  who,  continuing  in  their  proper  character, 
could  not  inherit  the  kingdom  of  God.  That,  which  now  made 
them  of  a  new  and  opposite  character,  was,  that  they  were  sancti- 
fied by  the  Spi7-it  of  God. 

In  Ezekiel  xxxvi.  26,  27,  God  says,  A  new  heart  also  will  I  give 
you,  and  a  new  spirit  will  I  put  within  you  :  and  1  will  take  away  the 
stony  heart  out  of  your  flesh,  and  I  will  give  you  an  heart  of  flesh. 
And  I  will  put  my  Spirit  within  you,  and  cause  you  to  walk  in  my 
statutes  ;  and  ye.  shall  keep  my  judgments  and  do  them.  Here  giv- 
ing these  Israelites  a  new  heart,  and  a  new  spirit,  is  plainly,  and 
exactly,  equivalent  to  the  import  of  this  declaration,  Ixoill  put  my 
spirit  within  you;  as  the  consequence  of  which,  it  is  declared,  that 
they  shall  walk  in  the  statutes  of  God,  and  keep  his  judgments.  The 
disposition  therefore,  -with  which  mankind  keep  the   statutes,  ov 


398  REGENERATION.  [SER.  LXXII. 

obey  ihc  law  of  God.  is  produced  in  them  by  God  himself,  and  is 
cfrrctiiatcd  by  his  Spirit. 

In  the  following  chapter  God  says,  verses  13,  14,  to  the  house  of 
Israel,  represented  as  spiritualty  dead,  Ye  shall  knozo  that  I  am  the 
Lord,  lohni  I  skull  put  my  Spirit  in  you,  and  ye  shall  live.  Here 
Spiritual  life  is  exhibited  as  the  immediate  etfcct  of  the  agency  of 
the  Spirit  of  God. 

To  these  passages  of  Scripture  I  shall  subjoin  a  few  more,  out  of 
a  great  multitude  to  the  same  purpose.  For  the  love  of  God  is  shed 
abroad  in  your  hearts  by  the  Holy  Ghost.  Rom.  v.  5. 

Your  body  is  the  temple  of  the  Holy  Ghost.   1  Cor.  vi.  19. 

.Yo  man  can  say  that  Jesus  is  Lord,  but  by  the  Holy  Ghost.  1  Cor. 
xii.  3. 

For  as  many  as  are  led  by  the  Spirit  of  God,  they  are  the  Sons 
of  God.  Rom.  viii.  14. 

/  will  pour  my  Spirit  upon  thy  seed,  and  my  blessing  upon  thine 
offspring.  Isai.  xliv.  3.  The  direct  consequence  of  this  effusion  of 
the  Spirit  is  declared  in  verse  5th.  One  shall  say,  lam  the  Lord's, 
and  another  shall  call  himself  by  the  name  of  Jacob. 

2dly.  The  same  doctrine  is  taught  7is  by  facts,  contained  in  thi- 
Scripiures, 

Our  Saviour  preached  to  the  .Jewish  nation  at  least  three  years 
and  a  half;  if  not  more  than  four  years.  It  will  be  admitted,  that 
he  was  the  best  of  all  preachers;  and  that  his  preaching  was  more 
perfectly  calculated,  than  any  other,  to  produce  holiness  in  the 
hearts  of  those  who  heard  him.  Yet  it  will  also  be  admitted,  that 
he  was  not  a  very  successful  preacher.  We  naturally  ask,  Why 
was  he  not  successful  ?  The  Apostles,  on  the  contrary,  though 
certainly  and  greatly  inferior  to  Christ  in  wisdom  and  persuasive- 
ness, preached,  still,  with  wonderful  success.  St.  Peter  by  the 
first  sermon,  which  he  delivered  to  the  Jews,  probably  converted 
more  to  the  faith  and  obedience  of  the  Gospel,  than  Christ,  during 
the  whole  of  his  ministry.  We  naturally  ask,  also.  Whence  arose 
this  wonderfully  different  efficacy  in  the  preaching  of  St.  Peter  and 
that  of  his  Master.  The  persons,  whom  they  both  addressed,  were 
the  same.  They  had  been  witnesses  of  the  miracles  of  both. 
Why  then  were  they  perfectly  dead  to  the  preaching  of  Christ ; 
and  pricked  to  the  heart,  and  turned  to  God,  by  that  of  St.  Peter? 
The  cause  was  not  in  the  preaching.  It  was  not  in  the  hearers  : 
for  they  were  the  very  same  persons.  It  was,  then,  an  extraneous 
cause.  The  event  was  not  derived  from  the  will  of  the  flesh,  nor 
from  the  zvill  of  man,  but  from  God. 

St.  Paul  preached  at  Philippi  many  days.  It  seems  clear,  that 
the  Jailer  must  frequently  have  heard  him.  Yet  his  words  made 
no  impression  upon  the  Jailer's  heart,  until  that  night  in  which  he 
was  converted.  Yet  then  in  a  moment,  upon  PauVs  calling  to  him 
to  do  himself  no  harm  ;  he  hastened  into  the  prison,  and  cried  out 
to  Paul  and  Silas,  Sirs,  jvhat  must  I  do  tn  he  xared  ?      A  rause,  ad- 


3ER.  LXXII.]  THE  AGENT.    HIS  AGENCY.  399 

equate  to  this  change  in  the  Jailer,  must  be  admitted  here  :  and 
this  can  have  been  no  other,  than  that  the  Lord  opened  his  hearty 
as  he  had  before  done  that  of  Lydia,  in  the  same  place. 

Generally,  to  what  other  cause  can  be  assigned  the  universal 
success  of  the  Apostles  in  preaching  the  Gospel  ?  St.  Peter  has 
taught  us  to  attribute  this  wonderful  event  to  the  peculiar  and  re- 
markable ell'usion  of  the  Holy  Ghost  m  the  last  days,  or  days  of  the 
Gospel,  predicted  by  the  Prophet  Joel,  and  begun  to  be  accom- 
plished on  the  day  of  Pentecost.  If  this  be  not  admitted  as  the 
true  cause,  it  will,  I  apprehend,  be  very  difficult  to  assign  another, 
which  will  be  found  adequate  to  the  effect,  or  which  will  in  any 
measure  satisfy  a  sober  inquirer. 

II.   The  J^atii)-e  of  (his  Agency  next  demands  our  consideration. 

Concerning  this  I  observe, 

1st.  That  it  is  the  result  of  the  mere  good  pleasure  of  God.  What- 
ever other  reasons  may  exist  for  the  communication  of  this  essen- 
tial blessing,  (and  that  the  best  reasons  do  exist  can  never  be 
seriously  questioned)  it  is  plainly  impossible,  that  it  should  be 
merited  by  any  child  of  Adam.  The  very  supposition,  that  we 
are  regenerated,  involves  the  necessity  of  our  regeneration.  But 
this  necessity  is  the  result  of  our  sinfulness  only  ;  and  this  charac- 
ter plainly  precludes,  wherever  it  is  found,  the  possibility  of 
meriting  to  be  i-egenerated.  The  agency  of  the  Divine  Spirit  in 
this  work  is  therefore,  on  the  one  hand,  sovereign,  and  on  the  other, 
gracious ;  or,  in  other  words,  flows  from  the  sovereign  and  unmer- 
ited mercy  of  our  Divine  Benefactor. 

2dly.  //  is  unresisted. 

It  has  often  been  called  irresistible.  This  language  has  given 
rise  to  very  extensive,  and,  as  I  apprehend,  to  very  unwarrantable, 
controversies  in  the  Christian  Church.  Others,  and  among  them 
men  of  great  respectability,  have  more  sanguine  expectations  con- 
cerning the  issue  of  debates  about  metaphysical  subjects,  than  I 
am  able  to  form ;  and,  perhaps,  I  should  be  unwarranted  in  saying 
that  they  are  not  more  just.  But,  so  far  as  my  acquaintance  with 
the  views,  and  reasonings,  of  men  extends,  I  entertain  very  faint 
hopes  of  seeing  any  solid  good  spring  from  speculations  concern- 
ing <Ae  nature  of  causes,  and  the  modes  of  their  operation.  The 
facts,  that  such  and  such  causes  exist ;  and  that  they  operate  to 
the  production  of  such  and  such  effects,  we,  in  many  instances, 
well  understand.  But  the  nature  of  the  cause  itself,  and  the  nature 
and  manner  of  its  efficiency,  are,  in  most  instances,  too  subtile,  or 
too  entirely  hidden  from  our  view,  either  to  be  perceived  at  all,  or 
to  be  so  perceived,  as  to  become  the  materials  of  real  and  useful 
knowledge.  Hence,  probably,  has  been  derived  the  fact,  that 
speculations  on  such  subjects,  though  often  satisfactory  to  the  Phi- 
losopher himself,  and  to  his  own  immediate  friends  and  followers, 
have  rarely  satisfied  others,  or  produced  any  lasting  effects  on  man- 
kind.   The  schoolmen  were,  perhaps,  as  able  investigators  of  such 


400  REGENERATION.  [SER.  LXXII. 

subjects,  as  the  world  has  ever  seen  ;  and  their  speculations  were, 
at  times,  proofs  of  sagacity,  and  discrimination,  not  inferior  to  what 
has  been  displayed  in  the  most  boasted  efforts  of  succeeding  ages. 
Yet  how  little  are  they  studied,  or  remembered,  at  the  present  time  I 
Scarcely  are  they  mentioned,  unless  with  pity  or  contempt ;  or  as 
sources  of  astonishment,  awakened  by  the  sight  of  talents  misap- 
plied. 

The  success  of  these  men  should,  one  would  think,  furnish  a  les- 
son to  such  as  follow  after  them.  They  too,  had  their  day  of  repu- 
tation and  splendour :  of  splendour,  far  superior  to  any  thing, 
which  modern  writers  can  boast,  or  modern  times  will  ever  be  dis- 
posed to  give.  But  it  was  a  vapour,  which  appeared  for  a  little 
time,  and  then  vanished  away.  The  morning  clouds  of  the  present 
day  will  appear  for  a  period  still  less;  and  the  system,  which  for 
the  moment  attracts  many  eyes,  will  in  another  moment  be  forgot- 
ten. Neither  the  fame,  acquired  by  the  author,  nor  the  stability, 
attributed  to  his  system  by  his  followers,  should,  therefore,  in- 
duce us  to  rely  on  the  desert  of  the  one,  or  the  permanency  of  the 
other. 

When  it  is  said,  that  the  Agency  of  the  Divine  Spirit  in  renew- 
ing the  heart  of  man  is  irresistible,  it  is  probably  said,  because  this 
agency  being  an  exertion  of  Omnipotence,  is  concluded,  of  course, 
to  be  irresistible  by  human  power.  This  seems  not,  however,  to 
be  said  on  solid  grounds.  That  agency  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  which, 
St.  Stephen  informs  us,  was  resisted  by  the  Jews,  and  by  their 
fathers,  was  an  exertion  of  the  same  Omnipotence ;  and  was  yet 
resisted  by  human  power.  I  know  of  nothing  in  the  regenerating 
agency  of  the  same  Spirit,  except  the  fact,  that  it  is  never  resisted, 
which  proves  it  to  be  irresistible,  any  more  than  that,  which  the 
Jews  actually  resisted.  That  the  Spirit  of  God  can  do  any  thing 
with  man,  and  constitute  man  any  thing,  which  He  pleases,  cannot 
be  questioned.  But  that  he  will  exert  a  regenerating  agency  on 
the  human  mind,  which  man  has  not  a  natural  power  to  resist,  or 
which  man  could  not  resist,  if  he  would,  is  far  from  being  satisfac- 
torily evident  to  me.  Indeed,  I  am  ready  to  question  whether  this 
very  language  does  not  lead  the  mind  to  views  concerning  this 
subject,  which  are  radically  erroneous. 

In  the  110th  Psalm,  in  which  we  have  an  account  of  Christ's  be- 
ing constituted  a  Priest  for  ever  after  the  order  q/"  Melchisedek, 
we  have,  in  the  3d  verse,  this  remarkable  promise  made  to  Christ: 
Thy  people  shall  be  zoilling  in  the  day  of  thy  power.  This  promise 
respects  the  very  subject,  now  under  consideration  ;  and  is,  1  suspect, 
a  more  accurate  account  of  it,  than  can  be  found  in  the  language, 
which  I  am  opposing.  In  the  day  of  Christ's  power  his  people  are 
willing.  The  influence,  which  he  exerts  on  them  by  his  Spirit,  is 
of  such  a  nature,  that  their  wills,  instead  of  attempting  any  resist- 
ance to  it,  coincide  with  it  readily  and  cheerfully  ;  without  any 
force  or  constraint  on  his  part,  or  any  opposition  on  their  own. 


SER.  LXXII]  THE  AGENT.     HIS  AGENCY.  401 

That  it  is  anunresisted  Agency^  in  all  cases,  is  unquestionable  ;  that 
it  is  irresistible,  in  any,  does  not  appear. 

III.   The  Necessity  of  this  Agency,  will,  if  I  mistake  not,  be  evident 
from  the  following  considerations  : 
1st.  It  is  declared  m  the  Scriptures, 

No  man,  saith  our  Saviour,  can  come  unto  me,  except  the  Father 
who  hath  sent  me  drazo  him.  This  declaration  will,  1  suppose,  be 
allowed  by  the  warmest  opposers  of  this  doctrine  to  have  a  mean- 
ing. There  are  but  two  meanings,  which  it  can  possibly  have. 
One  is,  that  it  is  physically  impossible  for  any  man  to  come  to  Christ, 
unless  drawn  by  the  Father :  the  other  is,  that  it  is  morally  impossi- 
ble. The  former  of  these  will  be  denied  by  both  parties  ;  the  lat- 
ter must,  therefore,  be  conceded.  In  other  words,  it  must  be  ac- 
knowledged, that  mankind  are  so  opposed  to  Christ  in  their  incli- 
nations, that  they  will  never  come  to  him,  that  is,  believe  on  him, 
unless  drawn  by  the  Father ;  or,  which  is  the  same  thing,  renewed 
by  his  Spirit.  It  will  be  remembered,  that  God  is  no  where  in  the 
Scriptures  exhibited  as  drawing  mankind  to  Christ  in  any  other 
manner,  than  by  the  influence  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 

Except  a  man  be  born  of  the  Spirit,  says  our  Saviour,  he  cannot 
see  the  kingdom  of  God.  Here  it  is  obvious,  that  to  be  horn  of  the 
Spirit  is  declared  to  be  an  event,  without  which  it  is  impossible  for 
men  to  see  the  kingdom  of  God.  The  necessity  of  the  agency  of 
the  Spirit  cannot  be  more  strongly  exhibited,  than  in  the  declara- 
tion, that  without  it,  it  is  impossible  to  see  the  kingdom  of  God. 

The  natural  man  receiveth  not  the  things  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  for 
they  are  foolishness  unto  him  j  neither  can  he  know  them,  because 
they  are  spiritually  discerned.  If  the  natural  man  cannot  receive 
the  things  of  the  Spirit  of  God  ;  if  he  cannot  know  them  ;  if  they 
are  foolishness  to  him  ;  so  long  as  he  continues  in  his  natiu-al  state  : 
if  they  are  spiritually  discerned,  and  therefore  incapable  of  being 
discerned  without  a  spiritual  taste,  and  character ;  if,  at  the  same 
time,  the  discernment  and  knowledge  of  spiritual  things  is  indis- 
pensably necessary  to  our  attainment  of  salvation ;  then  the  agen- 
cy of  the  Spirit  of  God  in  our  Regeneration  is  absolutely  necessa- 
ry to  us,  in  the  same  sense,  and  degree,  in  which  our  salvation  is 
necessary.  Our  Saviour  declares  to  Nicodemus,  that  that  only 
which  is  born  of  the  Spirit  is  spirit,  or  spiritual;  while  that  which 
is  born  of  the  flesh  ;  viz.  all  that  is  in  man,  and  all  that  belongs  to 
his  natural  character;  is  flesh  ;  that  is,  of  this  very  natural  charac- 
ter, which  receiveth  not  the  things  of  the  Spirit  of  God. 
2dly.  Reason  teaches  the  same  doctrine. 

The  question  has  been  often  asked,  "  Why,  since  a  holy  mind 
can  become  sinful,  a  sinful  mind  may  not  also  become  holy  ?  No  pre- 
ternatural agency,"  it  is  observed,  "  is  necessary  to  accomplish  the 
former  change  :  why  is  any  such  agency  necessary  to  accomplish 
the  latter?  The  extent  of  the  change  in  both  Instances  is  exactly 
the  same ;  the  one  being  merely  the  converse  of  the  other.  It 
Vol.  II.  51 


^QO  RlUiENKUATION.  [5ER.  LXXIf. 

would  seem,  then,  that  the  same  physical  powers,  which  are  suffi- 
cient for  the  accomphshmcnt  of  the  former,  must  be  sufficient,  also, 
for  the  accomplishment  of  the  latter.  But  by  most  men  it  is  ac- 
knowledged, that  the  physical  powers  of  the  same  being,  when 
holy,  are  exactly  the  same,  as  when  sinful  ;  both  the  understanding 
and  the  will  remaining,  in  the  physical  sense,  unaltered.  Where, 
then,  lies  the  impossibility,  or  even  the  difficulty,  of  the  supposi- 
tion, that  man  can  regenerate  himself;  or,  which  is  the  same  thing, 
turn,  of  his  own  accord,  from  sin  to  holiness  ?" 

All  these  questions  are  in  my  view  fairly  asked  ;  and  all  the  prin- 
ciples, suggested,  true.  Still  the  conclusion  is  unsound,  and  will 
not  follow.  This,  however,  I  am  bound  to  prove  in  a  manner 
equally  fair;  and  the  more  especially  as  a  great  multitude  of  seri- 
ous, and,  1  hope,  good  men  have  found,  and  still  find,  no  little  diffi- 
culty in  their  contemplations  on  this  subject. 

That  a  holy  being  should  be  capable  of  sinning  seems  not,  in  the 
nature  of  the  case,  to  be  a  supposition,  attended  with  any  great  dif- 
ficulty. All  beings,  holy  and  sinful  alike,  relish  and  desire  natural 
good,  or  happiness.  This  can  be  found  in  an  endless  multitude  of 
objects.  Of  these  some  may  be  enjoyed  lawfully,  or  consistently 
with  the  will  of  God:  while  others  cannot.  These  however,  so 
far  as  they  are  supposed  capable  of  communicating  iiappiness,  are, 
still,  naturally  the  objects  of  desire  to  holy  beings,  as  truly  as  to 
sinful  ones.  All  natural  good,  when  perceived,  is,  by  itself  con- 
sidered, desired  of  course  by  every  percipient  being.  Now  it  is 
plain,  that  this  good  may,  in  a  given  case,  appear  so  great  to  a  holy 
being;  may  so  engross  his  whole  attention;  may  so  far  exclude 
from  his  mind  other  considerations,  and  among  them  those  of  his 
duty  ;  as  to  induce  him  to  seek  the  good  in  view  at  the  expense  of 
his  duty.  In  this  manner,  1  apprehend,  the  Angels,  who  fell,  vio- 
lated their  duty;  and  our  first  parents,  theirs.  Noi'  do  I  see  how 
holy  beings,  so  long  as  they  love  natural  good,  and  are  placed  in  a 
world,  where  it  is  variously  and  amply  provided,  can  fail  of  being 
exposed  to  temptations  from  this  source ;  nor,  if  these  tempta- 
tions be  supposed  to  j)ossess  a  given  degree  of  power,  or,  which 
is  the  same  thing,  to  contain  a  given  degree  of  natural  good,  and  to 
be  set  fully  and  exclusively  before  the  mind,  how  such  beings  can 
fail,  without  peculiar  divine  assistance,  of  being  exposed  to  fall. 

In  all  this,  however,  there  is  nothing  to  countenance  the  suppo 
sition,  that  a  sinner  will  in  the  same  manner  turn  from  sin  to  holi- 
ness. A  sinner  has  no  relish  for  spiritual  good  ;  tiiat  is,  for  the 
enjoyment  furnished  by  virtuous  affections  and  virtuous  conduct. 
To  apply  the  words  of  Isaiah  concerning  Christ,  as  regarded  by 
the  Jews,  to  this  good,  as  regarded  by  sinners,  JVhen  ihey  see  it, 
there  is  no  beauty  in  it,  that  they  should  desire  it.  Is.  liii.  2.  When- 
ever this  good,  therefore,  becomes  an  object  of  the  sinner's  con- 
templation, as  his  mind  is  wholly  destitute  of  any  relish  for  it,  he 
will  never  desire  it  for  its  own  sake;  and  will  never  make  any  such 


SER.  LXXII]  THE  AGENT.     HIS  AGENCY.  403 

efforts  to  gain  it,  as  arc  absolutely  necessary  to  accomplish  the  ren- 
ovation of  his  heart.  The  relish  for  spiritual  good  is  that  state  of 
mind,  out  of  which  all  virtuous  volitions  spring.  No  volition  is 
ever  excited  but  by  good  ;  and  by  good,  actually  perceived,  and 
relished.  As  spiritual  good  is  never  thus  perceived  by  a  sinner  ; 
it  will  not  excite  a  single  volition  in  his  mind  towards  the  attainment 
of  it  ;  but  will  operate  upon  him  as  little,  as  harmony  upon  the 
deaf,  or  beautiful  colours  upon  the  bUnd. 

But,  the  relish  for  spiritual  good  is  the  characteristical  distinction 
of  holy  beings  ;  their  essential  characteristic;  without  which  they 
would  cease  to  be  holy.  The  want  of  it,  on  the  contrary,  is  a  pri- 
mary characteristic  of  sinful  beings.  In  this  lies  the  real  difficulty 
of  regenerating  ourselves,  and  not  in  the  want  of  sufficient  natural 
powers:  and,  so  long  as  this  continues,  an  extraneous  agency  must 
be  absolutely  necessary  for  our  regeneration. 

IV.  The  Objections  to  the  agency  of  the  Divine  Spirit  in  this  work 
shall  now  be  briefly  considered. 

1st.  It  is  objected,  that  this  doctrine  infers  partiality  in  the  coridttct 
of  God. 

That  in  the  conduct  of  God,  in  this  case,  there  are  mysterious 
and  difficult  things,  which  I  cannot  explain,  I  readily  acknowledge. 
What  the  particular  reasons  are,  by  which  God  is  influenced  in  this 
dispensation,  he  has  not  been  pleased  to  reveal ;  and  we,  therefore, 
are  wholly  unable  to  determine.  It  is  sufficient  for  us,  that  we  know 
all  his  conduct,  in  this  and  every  other  case,  to  be  directed  by  the 
best  reasons. 

But  this  case  presents  no  more  difficulty,  than  a  thousand  others, 
in  which  we  do  not  even  think  of  starting  this  objection.  We  might 
as  well  complain  of  the  common  dispensations  of  God's  providence, 
as  of  this.  "  Why,"  we  might  ask,  "  was  one  child  born  of  Pop- 
ish parents,  and  educated  in  all  the  ignorance  and  superstition  of 
the  Romish  religion  ;  and  another  born  of  Protestant  parents,  and 
educated  under  the  light  and  blessings  of  the  Reformed  religion  ? 
Why  is  one  man  destined  by  his  birth  to  be  a  savage ;  and  another 
to  be  a  member  of  civilized,  enlightened,  and  religious  society  ? 
Why  is  one  man  a  native  of  Sennaar ;  and  another  of  J^ezo  Eng- 
land :  One  a  beggar  ;  another  a  prince :  One  deaf  and  dumb ; 
another  endowed  with  hearing,  and  speech  ?  Why  are  there  any 
beggars  ;  any  savages  ?  Nay,  why  are  there  any  men  ;  and  why 
are  we  not  all  Angels?" 

To  apply  the  question  to  the  very  case  in  hand :  Why,  on  the 
supposition  that  we  regenerate  ourselves,  is  one  man  furnished  with 
those  endowments  both  of  understanding  and  will,  and  with  those 
advantages,  all  of  which,  united,  terminate  in  his  regeneration  ; 
and  another,  not? 

It  will  be  easily  seen  from  these  questions,  that  the  objection  of 
partiality  lies  with  the  same  force  against  ail  inequalities  of  distri- 
bution in  the  Divine  Government,  as  again.st  this  dispensation.     In» 


■104  REGENEKATION  [SER.  LXXII. 

deed,  the  only  way  to  remove  this  objection  must  be  to  make  all 
beings  exactly  ahke,  and  to  confer  on  them  exactly  the  same  dis- 
tributions. In  other  words,  God,  in  order  to  remove  this  objection, 
must  make  all  his  conduct  a  mere  repetition  of  exactly  the  same 
actions  towards  every  creature. 

2dly.  It  is  objected,  also,  that  this  doctrine  supposes  man  not  to  be 
a  free  agent  in  his  regeneration. 

To  this  objection  I  answer,  that,  if  it  be  true,  and  be  seen  by  us 
to  be  true,  our  knowledge  of  its  truth  must  be  derived  either  from 
some  declaration  of  the  Scriptures,  or  from  the  nature  of  the  sub- 
ject, philosophically  investigated.  From  the  former  of  these  sources 
we  cannot  derive  this  knowledge;  because  no  declaration  of  Scrip- 
ture asserts  any  thing  of  this  nature.  All  our  knowledge  with  regard 
to  it,  therefore,  must  of  course  be  derived  from  the  latter.  1  ask, 
then,  what  knowledge  does  the  nature  of  this  subject  furnish  us  of 
the  truth  of  the  objection  .'  Is  it  derived  from  the  fact,  that  this 
agency  has  been  called  irresistible  ?  With  the  arguments  derived 
from  the  use  of  this  term,  on  either  side,  I  have  no  concern.  It  is 
not  used  in  the  Scriptures,  nor  do  I  either  discern,  or  admit,  the  pro- 
priety of  using  it.  The  task  of  defending  the  use  of  it,  therefore, 
I  shall  leave  to  those  who  do. 

Is  it  derived  from  the  fact,  that  this  Agency  is  extraneous  ?  It  will 
not  be  pretended,  that  all  extraneous  influence  on  the  mind  destroys 
its  freedom.  We  act  upon  the  minds  of  each  other,  and  often  with 
complete  efficacy  5  yet  it  will  not  be  said,  that  we  destroy  each  oth- 
er's freedom  of  acting.  God,  for  aught  that  appears,  may  act,  also, 
on  our  minds,  and  with  an  influence,  which  shall  be  decisive ;  and 
yet  not  destroy,  or  even  lessen,  our  freedom. 

Does  the  truth  of  the  objection  appear  in  the  particular  kind  of 
Agency  here  used.  Let  me  ask  the  Objector,  what  is  this  particu- 
lar kind  of  Agency  ?  The  only  account  of  the  subject  in  the  Scrip- 
tures is,  that  it  is  renovating,  regenerating,  or  sanctfying.  So  far 
as  my  knowledge  extends,  neither  the  friends,  nor  the  adversaries, 
of  the  doctrine  have  added  any  thing  to  this  account  which  explains 
the  subject  any  farther.  But  it  can  be  said,  even  with  plausibility, 
that  God  cannot  sanctify  an  intelligent  creature  without  infringing 
on  his  freedom.  If  it  be  said,  it  should  also  be  proved  ;  and  this, 
so  far  as  my  knowledge  extends,  has  not  hitherto  been  done.  Until 
it  shall  be  done,  the  mere  assertion  of  our  opponents  may  be  fairly 
answered  by  a  contrary  assertion. 

When  God  created  Man,  he  created  him  in  his  own  image.  This 
St.  Paid  informs  us,  consists  in  knowledge,  righteousness,  and  true 
holiness.  But  if  God,  without  destroying,  or  rather  preventing, 
his  freedom  of  agency,  could  create  him  in  this  image  ;  it  will  be 
difficult  to  prove,  or  to  conceive,  that  he  cannot  restore  to  his  de- 
scendants the  same  image,  after  it  has  been  lost,  without  destroy- 
mg  their  freedom.  The  thing  given  is  the  same  ;  and  the  agency 
by  which  it  is  given  is  the  same.     Its  influence  on  the  freedom  of  the 


I 


SER.  LXXII]  THE  AGENT.     HIS  AGENCY.  405 

creature  must  therefore  be  exactly  the  same.  Its  whole  influence, 
in  both  cases  alike,  is  successive  to  the  agency  itself;  and  must,  of 
course,  aft'ect  the  freedom  of  the  creature  in  precisely  the  same 
manner. 

Does  our  experience  furnish  any  knowledge  of  this  nature  ?  Ask 
any  Christian  ;  and  he  will  tell  you,  if  competent  to  answer  the 
question,  that  he  is  conscious  of  no  loss,  nor  change,  in  his  own 
freedom  of  acting  ;  but  on  the  contrary,  he  chose,  and  acted,  in 
the  same  manner,  as  before,  and  with  the  same  full  possession 
of  all  his  powers;  and  that  the  only  difference  between  his  former 
and  present  state  is,  that  he  now  loves  God,  and  obeys  him  vol- 
untarily ;  whereas  he  formerly  hated  him  and  voluntarily  disobeyed 
him. 

The  truth  is,  this  objection  is  not  derived  from  Revelation,  nor 
from  fact.  It  owes  its  existence  only  to  the  philosophical  scheme 
of  agency,  which  makes  the  freedom  of  moral  beings  consist  in 
self-determination^  indifference,  and  contingency ;  a  scheme,  in  its 
own  nature  impossible,  and  self-contradictory  ;  as  any  person  may 
see  completely  evinced  in  an  Inquiry  concerning  this  subject  by  the 
first  President  Edwards. 

Upon  the  whole,  the  plain  declarations  of  the  Scriptures  are 
not  to  be  set  aside  by  the  philosophy  of  men.  Especially  is  this 
not  to  be  done,  where  the  subject  of  investigation  lies,  as  in  the 
present  case,  beyond  our  reach.  What  the  precise  nature  of  the 
Agency  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  in  regenerating  mankind,  is,  in  the 
metaphysical  sense,  man  cannot  know.  It  becomes  all  men,  there- 
fore, to  be  satisfied  with  the  declarations  of  God,  who  does  know; 
who  cannot  deceive  us ;  and  who  has,  of  course,  declared  to  us  the 
truth. 


SERMON  L.XXI1I. 

REGENERATION. ITS    NECESSITY    AND    KEALITY. 


Jomt  iii.  3. — Jesus  answered  and  said  unto  him,   Verily,  xcrily,  I  say  unto  thee,  Ex- 
cept a  man  be  born  again,  he  cannot  see  the  Kingdom  of  God. 

Having  considered  the  character  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  hia 
agency  in  the  work  of  regeneration,  I  shall  now  proceed,  according 
to  the  plan  originally  proposed,  to  examine  the  loork  itself,  under 
the  three  following  heads  : 

I.  The  Necessity  ; 

II.  The  Reality;  and, 

III.  The  Nature  ;  of  Regeneration, 

I.  I  shall  consider  the  Necessity  of  the  work  of  Regeneration. 

In  the  preceding  discourse,  1  took  the  fact,  that  some  men  are 
regenerated,  for  granted ;  and  on  this  ground,  attempted  to  prove, 
that  the  agency  of  the  Spirit  of  God  was  necessary  for  the  accom- 
plishment of  our  regeneration.  The  question  concerning  the  ne- 
cessity of  regeneration  itself,  and  the  question  concerning  the  ne- 
cessity of  that  agency  in  producing  it,  are  entirely  distinct.  Yet 
it  will  be  readily  perceived,  that  the  arguments,  adduced  luider  the 
latter  question  in  the  preceding  discourse,  may  with  unabated  force 
be,  in  several  instances,  applied  to  the  former  ;  that,  which  is  now 
under  consideration.  Particularly  is  this  true  concerning  several 
passages  of  Scripture,  then  adduced.  For  example,  John  iii.  5,&. 
Rom.  viii.  6,  7.  Gal.  v.  19—23.  2  Thess.  ii.  13.  1  Cor.  vi.  11, 
connected  with  the  context  ;  are  all,  together  with  several  others, 
of  this  nature.  On  these,  to  avoid  wearying  my  audience  with 
repetitions,  I  shall  not  at  present  insist. 

At  the  same  time,  the  certainty,  that  there  is  nothing  in  our  moral 
character,  which  will  lead  us  to  regenerate  ourselves,  as  exhibited 
in  that  discourse,  is  one,  and  an  important  one,  among  the  reasons, 
which  evince,  in  connexion  with  other  argument,  the  necessity  of 
our  regeneration  ;  and  is,  therefore,  with  propriety,  recalled  to  your 
remembrance  on  the  present  occasion. 

But  the  great  proof  of  the  necessity  of  regeneration  is  found  in 
the  depravity  of  our  nature.  The  universality,  and  the  degree  of 
this  corruption,  have  been  shown,  if  1  am  not  deceived,  in  a  man- 
ner, too  evident  to  be  rationally  called  in  cjucstion.  In  the  dis- 
courses, which  I  formerly  delivered  on  these  subjects,*  I  produced 
a  long  train  of  passages  of  Scripture,  in  which  tlie  natural  charac- 

•  See  Sermons  xxix.  to  xxxiv.  inclusive. 


SER.LXXIII.]  REGENERATION,  Lc.  407 

lerof  man  is,  in  the  most  unequivocal  terms,  declared  to  be  cor- 
rupt, sinful,  and  abominable  in  the  sight  of  God.  This  truth  I 
elucidated,  also,  by  arguments  drawn  from  reason,  and  experience, 
which,  to  my  own  view,  were  unanswerable.  Among  these,  I  spe- 
cified the  opposition  made  by  mankind  to  the  Gospel ;  the  testimo- 
nies, which  mankind  have  themselves  given  concerning  the  sub- 
ject in  their  Laws  ;  their  Religion ;  their  History  ;  their  Conver- 
sation ;  and  their  conduct,  both  in  amusements,  and  in  the  serious 
business  of  life.  From  these,  and  several  other  things,  I  derived 
it  as  a  consequence,  flowing,  in  my  own  view  irresistibly,  from  the 
premises,  that  in  ourjlesh  or  native  character  there  dzoelleth  no  good 
thing. 

This  doctrine  St.  Paid  teaches  in  the  most  explicit  manner,  in 
the  three  first  chapters  of  the  Epistle  to  the /?o?^(Cf/is ;  and  com- 
menting on  his  own  words,  says.  We  have  proved  both  Jews  and 
Gentiles,  that  they  are  all  under  sin. 

1  shall  consider  this  point  as  being  actually  proved ;  and  on  this 
basis  shall  found  the  following  arguments,  designed  to  show  the 
Necessity  of  Regeneration. 

1st.  //  is  unreasonable  to  suppose,  that  God  can  admit  sinners  to 
the  blessings  of  heaven, 

God  is  perfectly  holy,  and  therefore  regards  sin  only  with  hatred 
and  abhorrence.  Every  sinner  opposes  his  whole  character,  law, 
designs,  and  government ;  loves  what  he  hates ;  hates  what  he 
loves  ;  and  labours  to  dishonour  his  name,  and  to  frustrate  his  pur- 
poses. The  designs  of  God  involve  the  supreme  and  eternal  good 
of  the  Universe.  In  the  accomplishment  of  this  Divine  purpose 
his  glory  is  entirely  manifested  ;  because  the  best  of  all  characters 
is  thus  displayed  in  the  most  perfect  degree.  But  these  designs, 
and  the  character  discovered  in  accomplishing  them,  the  sinner 
steadily  hates,  and  opposes.  Were  it  in  his  power,  he  would  frus- 
trate the  accomplishment;  and  prevent  the  glory  of  God,  and  the 
supreme  good  of  the  creation. 

This  character  of  the  sinner  God  discerns  with  clear  and  unerr- 
ing certainty.  Both  his  guilt,  and  its  desert,  are  naked  to  the  Om- 
niscient eye.  It  is  impossible,  therefore,  that  he  should  not  regard 
it  with  abhorrence.  To  suppose  him,  then,  to  approve,  and  love 
such  a  character,  is  to  suppose  him  to  aj)})rove  of  that,  which  he 
sees  to  be  deserving  of  his  absolute  reprobation ;  and  to  love  that 
which  he  knows  merits  nothing  but  his  hatred.  Should  he  in  fact 
do  this,  he  would  invert  his  whole  system  of  dispensations  toward?^ 
the  Universe;  and  exhibit  to  his  Intelligent  creatures  a  character 
totally  new,  and  direcdy  opposite  to  that  which  he  has  displayed, 
hitherto,  in  his  Law,  and  Government ;  especially  in  the  work  of 
Redemption.  Of  course,  he  would  not  only  cease  to  be  unchange- 
able, but  would  become  a  being  of  a  totally  ojiposite  character  to 
that  perfect  one,  which  he  has  hitherto  challenged  to  himself.     He 


408  RECiENERATlO.N.  [SER.  LXXllI 

would  renounce  his  Deity :  and  cease  to  sustain  the  excellence,  in- 
volved in  the  incoinmunicablo  name,  Jehovah. 

Further;  should  God,  without  approving  of  a  sinful  character, 
confer  upon  the  unregeneratcd  .sinner  the  blessings,  which  are  the 
proper  rewards  of  virtuous  creatures  ;  he  would  equally  desert 
his  character,  and  government ;  and  overthrow  the  wisdom,  equity, 
and  end,  of  his  designs.  Every  external  favour,  shown  to  guilty 
beings  after  their  probation  is  ended,  is  a  testimony  on  the  part 
of  God,  that  he  approves  of  their  conduct  during  the  probationary 
state,  and  a  reward  for  that  conduct.  It  is  a  definitive  testimony ; 
a  testimony,  given  when  all  their  conduct  is  before  him;  a  solemn, 
judicial  testimony;  a  tesiimony  of  action,  the  surest  interpreter  of 
the  thoughts.  In  the  present  case,  it  would  be  the  highest  and 
most  solemn  of  all  testimonies ;  because  he  would  bestow  on  them 
the  greatest  of  all  rewards,  the  blessings  of  heaven. 

If,  then,  he  did  not  feel  this  approbation,  he  would,  in  the  case 
supposed,  declare  the  grossest  possible  falsehood  to  the  Universe  ; 
viz.  that  impenitent  sinners  merited  the  highest  rewards  which  it 
was  in  his  power  to  bestow.  He  would  declare,  that  such  sinners 
deserved  the  same  proofs  of  his  favour,  as  his  obedient  children, 
and  were,  therefore,  of  the  same  character  ;  that  rebels  were 
faithful  subjects;  that  enemies  were  friends;  and  that,  although  he 
had  heretofore  denounced  them  as  objects  of  his  wrath,  they  were 
still  the  objects  of  his  infinite  complacency.  This  would  be  no 
other  than  a  final  declaration  on  his  part,  that  right  and  wrong,  ho- 
liness and  sin,  were  the  same  things;  that  his  Law,  and  the  Gov- 
ernment founded  on  it,  were  introduced  to  no  purpose,  unless  to 
excite  wonder  and  fear  in  his  intelligent  creatures  ;  that  the  re- 
demption of  Christ  was  accomplished  to  no  end;  and  that  all  the 
Divine  conduct,  solemn,  awful,  and  sublime  as  it  has  appeared,  was 
wholly  destitute  of  any  object,  and  really  of  no  importance  in  the 
view  of  the  infinite  Mind. 

2dly.  This  change  of  heart  is  absolutely  necessary  for  the  sinner 
himself,  in  order  to  make  him  capable  of  the  happiness  nf  heaven. 

Heaven  is  the  seat  of  supreme  and  unminglcd  happiness;  of  en- 
joyment solid,  sincere,  and  eternal.  The  foundation,  on  which,  so 
far  as  creatures  are  concerned,  this  happiness  ultimately  rests,  is 
their  holy  or  virtuous  character.  All  their  afi'cctions,  all  their  pur- 
suits, all  their  enjoyments,  are  virtuous  without  a  mixture.  Hence 
heaven  is  called  the  high  and  holy  place ;  and,  from  the  dispensa- 
tions of  God  towards  these  unspotted  beings,  is  termed  the  habita- 
tion of  his  holiness.  With  such  companions  a  sinner  could  not 
accord  ;  such  atTections  he  could  not  exercise  ;  in  such  pursuits  he 
could  not  unite ;  in  such  enjoyments  he  could  not  share.  This  is 
easily  and  familiarly  demonstrated.  Sinners  do  not  love  virtuous 
persons  here ;  exercise  no  virtuous  alfections ;  engage  in  no  virtuous 
pursuits  ;  and  relish  no  virtuous  enjoyments.  Sinners  in  the  pres- 
''nt  world  love  not  God  :  trust  not  in  the  Redeemer;  delight  not  in 


SER.  LXXIIL]  ITS  NECESSITY  AND  REALITY.  409 

Christians  ;  and  regard  neidier  the  Law  of  God,  nor  the  Gospel  of 
his  Son,  with  complacency  of  heart.  Sinners  in  tnis  world  fiad  no 
pleasure  in  the  Sabbath,  nor  in  the  sanctuary;  and  never  cor  .'.ally 
unite  either  in  the  prayers,  or  the  praises,  then  and  there  offered  up 
to  tlieir  Maker. 

How,  then,  could  sinners  find  happiness  in  heaven  ?  That  glo- 
rious world  is  one  vast  sanctuary  ;  and  the  endless  succession  of 
ages,  which  roll  over  its  happy  inhabitants,  are  an  everlasting 
sabbath.  Their  great  and  commanding  employment  is  unceasing 
and  eternal  worship.  They  rest  not  day  nor  night,  saying.  Holy, 
Holy,  Holy,  Lord  God  Almighty,  who  wast,  who  art,  and  loho  art 
to  come. 

As  the  worship  of  God  is  uniformly  burdensome  to  sinners,  here ; 
the  same  worship  must  be  at  least  equally  burdensome  to  them 
there.  Nay,  it  must  be  far  more  burdensome.  Tiie  more  holy, 
the  more  spiritual,  any  thing  is,  in  this  world,  the  more  loathsome, 
the  more  painful,  is  it  to  the  mind  of  a  sinner.  But  all  the  employ- 
ments of  heaven  are  super-eminently  holy  and  spiritual.  These, 
then,  must  be  far  more  disgusting,  than  any  thing,  which  Religion, 
or  its  worship,  can  present  to  his  view  in  the  present  world.  In 
heaven,  therefore,  he  would  be  far  less  happy,  than  he  is  here. 
Every  thing,  with  which  he  was  conversant,  would  more  oppose 
his  taste,  contravene  his  wishes,  and  disappoint  his  expectahons. 
Nothing  would  give  him  pleasure:  every  thing  would  give  him  r?.'.n. 

If,  then,  a  sinner  is  to  be  admitted  into  iicaven,  it  is  absolutely 
necessary,  that  he  should  have  a  new  heart,  .1  new  disposition. 
Otherwise,  it  is  plain,  that,  amid  all  the  blessings  of  that  delightful 
world,  he  would  find  nothing  but  disgust,  mortification,  and  sorrow. 

3dly.  Such  a  change  is  necessary  for  the  Sinner,  also,  in  order  to 
his  becoming  a  useful  inhabitant  of  heaven. 

All  the  inhabitants  of  that  happy  world  are  formed  to  do  good, 
as  well  as  to  enjoy  it.  Their  enjoyment  itself  is  supremely  the 
result  of  a  disposition  to  do  good,  and  of  conduct,  in  which  this 
disposition  is  completely  carried  into  efficacious  practice.  There, 
is  realized  in  the  most  absolute  manner,  the  whole  nature  of  that 
perfect  rule  of  righteousness,  delivered  by  our  Saviour,  that  it  is 
'more  blessed  to  give,  than  to  receive;  to  do  good,  than  to  gain  it 
from  others.  Virtuous  beings  are  assembled  here  for  the  very 
purpose  of  exhibiting  in  their  conduct  the  divine  nature,  and  trans- 
cendent effects,  of  this  evangelical  rule  of  righteousness  ;  and  from 
their  united  efforts  flows,  in  streams  continually  enlai-ging,  univer- 
sal, unceasing,  and  immortal  good. 

The  good,  here  enjoyed,  is  a  common,  or  public, good;  in  which 
one  great  and  general  interest  is  proposed,  and  pursued ;  and  to 
which  all  private,  personal  interests  are  cheerfully  subordinated. 
No  selfish  affection  operates  here:  no  selfish  purpose  exists. 
Every  mind  is  expanded  with  affections,  all  embracing  the  com- 
mon interest.      Everv  design  is  elevated  to  a  happmess,  rendered 

Vol.  II.  '  52 


410  REGENERATION.  [SER.  LXXIIT 

noble  and  supreme,  because  it  is  universal.  To  this  object  every 
pulse  beats:  every  heart  thrills;  every  tongue  vibrates.  On  it, 
as  if  magnetically  influenced,  every  eye  is  fixed:  to  it  every  hand 
is  turned. 

But  every  sinner  would  foci,  that  all  these  things  were  against 
him.  His  affections  are  only  selfish ;  and  his  designs  concentre 
solely  in  private,  separate  ends,  and  in  interests  opposed  to  the 
general  welfare.  His  only  scheme  of  happiness,  also,  is  to  gain 
enjoyment  from  others,  and  never  to  find  it  in  doing  good  to  others. 
This  is  a  subject,  of  which,  as  a  source  of  enjoyment,  he  forms 
not  a  single  conception.  All  his  plans  for  happiness  are  matters 
of  mere  bargain  and  sale;  in  every  instance  of  which  he  intends  to 
get  the  advantage  of  those,  with  whom  he  deals.  Good,  to  him,  is 
good,  only  when  it  is  separate  and  selfish;  and  he  knows  not  what 
it  is  to  see  his  own  happiness  enlarged  by  the  general  participation. 
In  the  great,  commanding,  and  sole  pursuit  of  the  heavenly  world, 
a  sinner  would  be  unable  to  unite  at  all.  Every  wish  of  his  heart 
must  oppose  the  wishes  and  designs  of  all  around  him,  and  the 
great  object,  for  which  heaven  itself  was  formed  by  the  Creator; 
which  renders  it  delightful  in  his  eye ;  and  for  which  he  has 
gathered  into  it  the  Assembly  of  the  First-born.  Of  course,  he 
would  be  alone ;  separated  from  his  companions  by  a  character, 
totally  opposite  to  theirs ;  hostile  to  them  in  all  his  wishes,  and 
pursuits;  marked  by  them  as  an  alien;  despised  as  useless  and 
worthless ;  pitied  as  miserable ;  and  loathed  as  sinful. 

Sin  is  the  real  and  only  cause  of  the  wretchedness,  experienced 
in  the  present  world ;  and,  the  immediate,  as  well  as  the  original, 
cause  of  the  woes,  experienced  in  the  regions  of  perdition.  Were 
sinners  admitted  into  heaven,  the  same  lust,  fraud,  and  cruelty;  the 
same  injustice,  oppression,  and  violence ;  in  a  word,  the  same 
wickedness  and  wo,  whicii  prevail  in  this  world;  would  revive  in 
that.  Of  course,  the  whole  system  of  happiness,  begun  there,  and 
intended  to  be  carried  on  throughout  eternity,  would  be  either  pre- 
vented, or  destroyed.  That  God  should  permit  these  evils  to  exist, 
is  incredible,  and  in  my  view  impossible. 

4thly.  It  is  absolutely  necessary  that  this  change  should  be  accom- 
plished in  this  present  world. 

The  present  state  is,  to  man,  the  only  state  of  probation.  All 
beyond  the  grave  is  a  state  of  reward.  The  reward  ought  plainly 
lo  be  such,  as  to  suit  the  character  of  every  probationer ;  a  true 
testimony  of  God  to  his  real  character;  a  reward  such  as  he  has 
merited ;  and  such  as  a  righteous  God  may  be  expected  to  bestow. 
Of  course,  the  testimony,  actually  given,  must  be  a  testimony  to 
the  character,  with  which  he  leaves  this  world  of  probation,  and 
with  which  he  goes  to  the  Judgment. 

Besides,  Man  enters  that  world  with  the  very  same  character, 
with  which  he  leaves  this.  Death  makes  no  moral  change  in  man  ; 
but  is  a  mere  passage  from  one  state  of  being  to  another ;  a  mere 


SER.  LXXIII.]  ITS  NECESSITY  AND  REALITY.  41 1 

dismission  fi-otn  this  world  to  that,  of  the  probationer  from  his  pro- 
bation. A  simple  termination  of  the  animal  functions,  a  mere  sepa- 
ration of  the  soul  from  the  body,  plainly  cannot  alter  the  moral 
state  of  the  soul,  or  change  at  all  its  views,  affections  or  character. 
Of  this  truth  the  Scriptures  furnish  abundant  evidence.  Do,  says 
Solomon,  whatever  thy  handfindeth  to  do,  with  thy  might ;  for  there 
is  no  work,  nor  device,  nor  knowledge,  nor  wisdom,  in  Sheol,  the 
world  of  departed  Spirits,  zohither  thou  goest.  The  7iight  cometh, 
saith  our  Saviour,  that  is,  the  night  of  death,  m  which  no  man  can 
loork.  Both  of  these  are  direct  declarations,  that  both  the  work, 
and  the  state,  of  probation,  are  terminated  by  the  grave,  and  wilt 
never  exist  in  the  future  world.  Accordingly,  no  change  in  the 
character  of  man,  either  in  the  article  of  death,  or  at  any  suc- 
ceeding period  of  existence,  is  indicated  in  the  Scriptures.  Of 
course,  every  man  will  appear  at  the  judgment  with  the  very  char- 
acter which  he  has  when  he  leaves  the  present  world  ;  and  in  this 
character  only  will  he  be  rewarded. 

Accordingly,  the  Scriptures  teach  us,  that  we  shall  be  judged 
according  to  the  deeds  done  in  the  body ;  dLiid  rewarded  according 
to  our  works,  accomplished  on  this  side  of  the  grave.  It  is  plain, 
then,  that  if  men  enter  the  future  world,  without  being  regenerated 
in  this,  they  enter  with  all  their  sins  upon  their  heads  ;  and  must  be 
rewarded  for  their  sins  only.  But  a  reward  for  sin  can  never  be 
happiness.  If,  then,  sinners  are  to  be  admitted  into  heaven  at 
all,  they  must  undergo  this  great  change  of  moral  character  here ; 
of  sinners  must  become  holy;  must  cease  from  their  rebellion  and 
disobedience ;  must  bow  their  wills  to  the  will  of  God  ;  and  must 
yield  themselves  to  him  as  voluntary  instruments  of  his  glory. 

II.  The  Reality  of  this  change  in  man  may  be  satisfactorily  evinc- 
ed in  the  following  manner, 

1st.  It  is  declared  in  the  Scriptures.  ** 

Besides  the  evidence,  derived  to  the  reality  of  regeneration  from 
the  absolute  necessity  of  it  to  mankind,  the  Scriptures  declares  the 
existence  of  it  in  a  great  variety  of  forms.  Of  his  mercy  he  saved 
us,  says  St.  Paul,  by  the  washing  of  regeneration,  and  the  renewing 
of  the  Holy  Ghost.  But  of  him  are  ye  in  Christ  Jesus,  loho  is  made 
unto  us,  of  God,  wisdom,  righteousness,  sanctif  cation,  and  redemp- 
tion. To  be  sanctified  is  to  be  regenerated  ;  and  here  it  is  declar- 
ed, that  Christ  is  become,  of  God,  sanctif  cation  to  all  his  children. 
Ye  have  put  off  the  old  man  with  his  deeds,  says  St.  Paid,  to  the  Co- 
lossians,  and  have  put  on  the  nezu  man,  which  is  renewed  in  knowledge, 
after  the  image  of  Him  that  created  him.  Put  off,  says  the  same 
Apostle  to  the  Ephesians,  the  old  man  which  is  corrupt,  according 
to  the  deceitful  lusts  ;  and  be  renerved  in  the  spirit  of  your  mind:  and 
put  on  the  new  man,  which,  after  God,  is  created  in  righteousness, 
and  true  holiness.  In  these  passages  of  Scripture  we  are  plainly 
taught  the  following  things. 


412  REGENERATION  [SER.  LXXIK 

1st.  That  the  natural  character  is  considered  by  the  Apostle  as 
differing  trom  the  regenerated  according  to  the  full  import  of  these 
two  names  :  the  old  ma7i,  and  the  new  man  : 

2dly.  That  the  regenerated  character  is  a  new  character  : 

3dly.  1  hat  the  assumption  of  this  new  character  is  equivalent  to 
being  renewed,  or  created  anew  :  botli  of  these  expressions  being 
used  to  deiiote  it: 

4thly.  That  the  former  character,  or  old  man,  is  a  corrupt  char- 
acter, conformed  to  deceitful  lusts,  or  under  the  influence  of  such 
lusts : 

othly.  That  the  new  man,  or  new  character,  is  created  after,  or 
?n,  the  imag-  '>f  God : 

Gthiy.  Ti'iat  this  image  consists  in  knowledge,  righteousness,  and 
true  holiness. 

For  we  are  his  workmanship  ;  created  in  Christ  Ji  sus  unto  good 
works.  Eph.  ii.  10.  Here  the  Ephesiun  Christians  are  declared  to 
be  the  workmanship  of  God,  as  to  then'  Christian  character;  and  to 
be  created  m,  or  through,  Christ  Jesus  unto  good  works. 

But  God,  7oho  is  rich  in  mercy,  for  his  great  love,  wherewith  he 
loved  us,  even  when  we  xvere  dead  in  siris,  hath  made  us  alive,  togeth' 
er  with  Christ,  or  rather  by  Christ.  Here,  the  former  state  of  the 
Ephesians  is  declared  to  have  been  a  state  of  death  in  sins ;  and 
their  new  state  is  declared  to  be  a  state  ol'  life  :  and  this  they  are 
sai  I  to  have  derived  from  God.  But  St.  Pou/ himself  explains  the 
import  of  this  passage,  if  it  needs  explanation,  by  informing  us, 
that  to  be  carnally  minded  is  death  ;  and  that  to  be  spiritually  mind- 
ed is  life  and  peace.  Saints  also  are  said  to  be  sanctified,  to  be  wash- 
ed, to  be  purified,  by  the  Spirit  of  God. 

It  is  impossible,  that  the  reality,  or  the  greatness,  or  the  impor- 
tance, of  this  change  should  be  expressed  in  stronger  or  more  defi- 
nite terms.  Those,  who  are  the  subjects  of  it,  are  said  to  be  made 
clean,  pure,  and  holy  ;  to  have  a  new  heart,  a  right  spirit ;  to  be  re- 
7icwed  ;  to  be  born  again  ,•  to  be  born  of  God.  ;  to  be  born  of  the  Spirit 
of  God  ;  to  be  made  alive  from  the  dead  ;  to  be  created  anew  ;  and 
to  be  new  creatures.  Can  any  language  more  strongly  declare,  that 
a  real  change  is  made  in  the  moral  character  of  man  ?  that  he  be- 
comes the  subject  of  a  character  altogether  new,  and  never  belong- 
ing to  him  before?  As  a  child,  when  born,  has  a  new  state  of 
existence  ;  so  he,  who  is  born  of  God,  has  also  a  state  of  existence 
equally  new  to  him.  As  a  thing,  when  created,  begins  then  first  to 
have  existence  ;  so  he,  who  is  created  anew,  begins  then  to  have 
spiritual  existence.  Accordingly,  St.  Paul  says,  1  Cor.  xiii.  2, 
Without  love  I  am  nothing  ;  that  is,  without  holiness,  the  love  of  the 
Gospel,  I  have  no  spiritual  being  ;  no  existence  in  the  Spiritual 
creation,  or  kingdom  of  God. 

2dly.  The  Reality  of  Regeneration  is  clearly  proved  by  the  Scrip- 
tural accounts  of  the  first  Christiaiis. 


SER.  LXXIII.]  ITS  NECESSITY  AND  REALITY.  413 

Of  the  conversion  of  these  Christians,  and  their  consequent  char- 
acter, we  have  ample  accounts  in  the  Acts,  and  the  Episiles.  Those 
who  were  Jews,  we  know  beyond  a  doubt,  were  bitter  and  obsti- 
nate enemies,  and  furious  persecutors,  of  Christ  and  his  Apostles  ; 
hated  the  religion,  which  they  taught  5  were  bigoted  votaries  oi  a 
religion,  consisting  in  mere  external  services ;  children  of  wrath, 
and  children  of  disobedience.  What  the  Gentiles  were,  is  an'iply 
unfolded  in  the  first  chapter  of  the  Epistle  to  the  Romans  ;  where 
they  are  declared  by  St.  Paul  to  be  lost  in  absolute  abandonment, 
and  profligacy  of  character.  Yet  in  consequence  of  the  preaching 
of  the  Apostles,  the  same  Jews  and  Gentiles  assumed  an  entirely 
new  character;  and  continued  to  exhibit  it  with  increasing  beauty 
throughout  the  remainder  of  their  lives.  Instead  of  their  former 
fleshly  works,  enumerated  by  St.  Paul,  Gal.  v.  19 — 21,  they  .stiOvved 
in  all  their  conversation,  love,  joy,  peace,  long-suffering,  gentLness, 
goodness,  faith,  meekness,  and  temperance  ;  the  divine  and  delight- 
ful fruits  of  the  Spirit  of  Grace.  Instead  of  persecuting  Christians, 
they  exhibited  towards  them  all  acts  of  kindness;  and  suflered  per- 
secution with  them  for  the  sake  of  the  same  glorious  Redeemer. 
Instead  of  their  former  empty  and  merely  ceremonious  religion, 
they  embraced  the  genuine  piety,  and  pure  morality,  of  the  Gospel. 
All  their  intemperance,  impurity,  deceit,  injustice,  pride,  and  big- 
otry, they  renounced  ;  and  in  their  place  substituted,  permanently, 
the  sober,  chaste,  sincere,  equitable,  candid,  and  benevolent,  spirit 
of  the  Christian  system.  Through  life,  they  exhibited  this  spirit 
in  every  amiable  form;  and,  at  death,  sealed  this  unexceptionable 
testimony  with  their  blood. 

Now  it  is  certain,  that  an  evil  man  out  of  the  evil  treasure  of  his 
heart  bringeth  forth  evil  things ;  and  a  good  man  out  of  the  good 
treasure  of  his  heart  bringeth  forth  good  things.  It  is  certain,  that 
a  good  tree  cannot  bring  forth  evil  fruit,  nor  a  corrupt  tree  good  fruit. 
In  other  words,  the  heart  will  always  characterize  the  conduct. 
Whence  then,  let  me  ask,  was  the  ditfierence  in  the  conduct  of  these 
Jews  and  Gentiles,  before,  and  after,  their  conversion  to  Christiani- 
ty ?  The  only  answer  which  can  be  given,  consistently  with  these 
declarations  of  Christ,  is,  that  their  hearts,  before  corrupt,  and 
proving  themselves  to  be  so,  by  a  life  distinguished  by  all  kinds  of 
wickedness,  were  now  made  holy;  and  were  proved  to  be  so,  by  a 
life  adorned  with  every  good  work.  To  add  to  this  decisive  evi- 
dence, if  it  can  be  added  to,  it  may  be  observed,  that  all  the  re- 
maining Jews  and  Gentiles,  who  were  not  the  subjpcts  of  this  con- 
version, continued,  still,  to  exhibit  the  same  wickedness,  which  their 
countrymen  had,  also,  before  exhibited  ;  and  were  just  as  odious 
in  the  sight  of  God  and  of  man. 

3dly.  The  same  truth  is  abundantly  evident  in  the  present  experi~ 
ence  of  mankind. 

It  cannot  be  asserted,  to  the  satisfaction  of  a  rational  inquirer, 
that  the  external,  visible  change  in  the  conduct  of  a  man,  who,  be- 


414  REGENERATION.  [i'ER.  LXXIH. 

fore  his  regeneration,  has  with  a  good  degree  of  uniformity  exhibited 
a  conscientious,  becoming,  and  amiable  life  is,  after  his  regenera- 
tion, so  great,  as  to  convince  the  mind,  that  he  has  experienced 
.  this  radical  alteration  of  character.  Converse,  however,  even 
with  such  men,  in  a  course  of  intimate  Christian  familiarity ;  and 
you  will  always  find  a  radical  difference  in  their  views,  sentiments, 
and  conduct ;  a  difference  realized  by  themselves,  and  obvious  to 
you.  On  this  subject  a  Minister  of  the  Gospel  ought  to  be  allowed 
to  possess  peculiar  knowledge ,  because  he  has  peculiar  advanta- 
ges for  acquiring  it.  Ministers  converse  in  this  manner  more  ex- 
tensively than  any  other  class  of  mankind;  and  have,  therefore, 
more  various,  and  more  abundant,  opportunities  of  gaining  an  ac- 
quaintance with  facts  of  this  nature.  These  opportunities  I  have 
myself  enjoyed ;  and  have  here  declared  nothing  but  what  1  have 
often  witnessed. 

Yet  these  are  not  the  cases,  which  ought  to  be  here  insisted  on. 
Instances,  less  liable  to  doubt  and  misconstruction,  exist  in  num- 
bers, amply  sufficient  to  place  the  point  in  debate  beyond  every 
reasonable  objection.  Wherever  known  Infidels,  or  other  open 
and  gross  sinners,  have  suddenly,  and  finally  renounced  not  only 
their  false  opinions,  but  their  evil  practices  ;  and  have  continued 
through  life  to  profess  uniformly  the  doctrines,  and  to  exhibit  regu- 
larly, and  increasingly,  the  duties  of  Christianity ;  the  case  becomes 
decisive ;  and  must,  unless  we  cease  to  reason  concerning  human 
nature  and  human  conduct  upon  known  and  established  principles, 
satisfy  every  candid  inquirer.  The  conduct  in  both  cases  proceeds 
from  the  heart.  The  state  of  the  heart,  therefore,  or  its  moral 
character,  was  in  the  one  case  as  opposite  to  what  it  was  in  the 
other,  as  the  conduct.  The  evil  conduct  proceeded  from  an  evil 
heart ;  the  good  conduct  from  a  good  heart ;  and  this  change  of  the 
heart  from  evil  to  good,  or  from  sin  to  holiness,  is  the  very  change, 
which  in  the  Scriptures  is  styled  regeneration. 

Among  instances  of  this  nature.  Col.  Gardiner  may  be  mentioned 
as  one;  and  the  Rev.  John  Newton  as  another  ;  both  extraordina- 
ry, convincing,  and,  so  far  as  I  can  see,  unexceptionable.  I  have 
known  a  considerable  number  of  instances,  scarcely  less  extraor- 
dinary ;  some  of  them  by  unquestionable  information  ;  others  by 
personal  acquaintance.  Two  of  these  were  examples  of  habitual 
drunkenness,  perhaps  the  most  hopeless  of  all  evil  habits  ;  and  the 
reformation  was  so  entire,  and  the  piety  so  evident,  uniform,  and 
long  continued,  as  to  leave  no  doubts  in  the  minds  of  sober  men, 
acquainted  with  the  facts.  A  third  instance,  well  meriting  to  be 
mentioned,  was  a  young  man  of  superior  talents,  formerly  educated 
by  me  in  this  Seminary.  He  devoted  himself  to  the  profession  ot 
Medicine;  and  entered  upon  the  practice  with  advantage.  This 
youth  was  not  only  a  determined  infidel,  but  an  open  scoffer  at  the 
Bible,  Christianity,  Christians,  and  most  other  subjects  of  a  re- 
ligious nature.     AH  these  he  exposed  W'ith  n  pungenry  of  wit.  and 


SER.  LXXIII.]  ITS  NECESSITY  AND  REALITY.  4I5 

keenness  of  satire,  which  few  men  are  capable  of  employing,  and 
which  very  few  are  willing  to  emf)loy  in  the  same  open,  gross  man- 
ner. After  some  years,  spent  in  this  violent  course  of  wickedness, 
he  became  seriously  alarmed,  (I  know  not  on  what  occasion)  con- 
cerning his  sinful  character,  and  future  destiny.  If  I  remember 
right,  he  almost,  or  entirely,  despaired,  for  a  time,  of  the  mercy  of 
God ;  and  considered  his  perdition  as  sealed.  At  length,  however, 
he  acquired  hopes  of  salvation ;  and  manifested  in  his  conduct  the 
spirit  of  Christianity,  so  evidently  and  uniformly,  as  to  excite  a  set- 
tled conviction  in  the  minds  of  those  around  him,  that  he  was  sin- 
cerely a  Christian.  With  entirely  new  views  and  purposes,  he 
then  quitted  the  medical  profession,  and  entered  upon  the  study  of 
Theology.  After  some  time  he  was  regularly  inducted  into  the 
Ministry  of  the  Gospel;  and  sustained  to  his  death,  which  happen- 
ed about  twelve  or  fifteen  years  afterwards,  the  character  of  an 
able,  faithful,  and  unblameable  Minister  of  Christ. 

Instances,  of  this  nature  generally,  I  could  multiply  extensively, 
but  the  time  forbids  me  to  proceed  any  farther  in  this  part  of  my 
subject. 

4thly.  The  state  of  Christianity  in  the  world  at  large  may  be 
fairly  adduced  as  a  C07ivincing  proof  of  the  reality  of  this  change. 

The  history  of  real  Christianity  is  not  to  be  sought  for  in  the 
accounts,  given  us  of  the  life,  policy,  ambition,  and  violence,  of 
such  Rulers,  Statesmen,  and  Warriors,  as  have  assumed  the  Chris- 
tian name.  The  real  nature,  and  influence,  of  the  religion  of 
Christ,  are  not  to  be  sought  for  in  Camps  and  Cabinets,  in  Courts 
and  Palaces.  These  are  the  seats  of  pride  and  luxury,  ambition 
and  cunning,  wrath  and  revenge.  Christianity,  here,  is  only  put  on 
as  an  upper  garment,  to  adorn  the  character,  to  comport  with  the 
fashion,  or  to  cover  unchristian  designs.  I  do  not  intend,  that  this 
is  always  the  case.  There  arc  undoubtedly  good  men  to  be  found 
even  here.  But  I  mean,  that  it  is  much  more  generally  the  case, 
than  a  good  man  would  wish,  or  be  willing,  it  should  be.  When 
Infidels  take  their  accounts  of  Christianity  from  the  proceedings  of 
the  great;  from  their  luxury,  statecraft,  conquests,  and  persecu- 
tions; they  do  not,  and  probably  intend  not  to  do,  any  justice  to 
the  subject.  In  these  accounts  they  impose  on  their  readers,  and 
perhaps  on  themselves.  But  they  deceive  no  man  of  common  can- 
dour, and  tolerable  information. 

The  real  effects  of  Christianity  on  mankind  are  to  be  sought, 
and  found,  in  still  life,  quiet  society,  peaceful  neighbourhoods,  and 
well  ordered  families.  Here  a  thousand  kind  offices  are  done, 
and  a  thousand  excellencies  manifested,  of  which  the  great  and 
splendid  rarely  form  a  conception  ;  and  which,  nevertheless,  pre- 
sent the  human  character  to  the  view  of  the  mind  Avith  an  aspect 
incomparably  more  lovely  than  any  other. 

But,  even  on  the  great  scale  of  examination,  Christianity  has 
meliorated  the  affairs  of  this  unhappy  world  in  such  a  degree,  as, 


4 It;  REGENEKATION.  [SER.  LXXllf 

if  thoroughly  examined,  strongly  to  evince  the  truth  of  this  doc- 
trine. If  we  compare  the  state  of  Christian  nations,  especially  the 
most  enlightened  and  virtuous  of  them,  with  that  of  the  most  im- 
prove! Heathen  nations  ;  the  only  fair  mode  of  instituting  a  com- 
parison ;  we  shall  sec  ample  proof  of  such  a  melioration  of  the 
human  character,  as  can  be  justly  attributed  to  nothing  but  this 
important  change  of  the  human  heart.  Christianity  has  removed, 
from  among  the  nations  who  profess  it,  polygamy ;  the  selling  of 
children,  as  slaves,  by  their  parents  ;  the  general  and  brutal  degra- 
dation of  women  ;  the  belief  of  the  rectitude  of  slavery  ;  the  sup- 
posed right  of  masters  to  kill  their  slaves  ;  the  exposure  of  parents, 
in  their  old  age,  to  be  devoured  by  wild  beasts ;  the  same  exposure 
of  children  by  their  parents;  the  sacrificing  of  human  victims;  the 
wanton  destruction  of  human  life,  foramusement,  in  public  games  ; 
the  impure,  brutal,  and  sanguinary  worship,  practised  in  the  re- 
gions of  idolatry  ;  together  with  many  of  the  horrors  of  war,  and 
captivity,  and  many  other  enormous  evils  of  a  similar  nature.  At 
the  same  time,  it  has  introduced  milder  and  more  equitable  gov- 
ernment ;  established  equitable  laws,  by  which  nations  have,  in  a 
considerable  degree,  regulated  their  intercourse ;  given  a  new 
sanction  to  treaties  ;  provided  legal  support  for  the  poor  and  suf- 
fering ;  secured  the  rights  of  strangers  ;  erected  hospitals  for  the 
sick,  and  alms-houses  for  the  indigent ;  formed,  with  great  ex- 
pense, a  rich  variety  of  institutions  for  the  preservation,  and 
education,  of  orphans  ;  the  instruction  of  poor  children  ;  the  sup- 
pression of  vice;  the  amendment  of  the  vicious;  and  the  consola- 
tion of  the  afflicted.  It  has  made  better  rulers,  and  better  subjects; 
better  husbands,  and  better  wives ;  better  parents,  and  better 
children ;  better  neighbours,  and  better  friends.  It  has  established 
the  rational  worship  of  the  One,  Living,  and  True  God;  built 
churches,  in  which  all  men  do,  or  may,  worship  him,  and  learn 
their  duty;  and,  with  immense  expense,  has  sent,  and  is  sending, 
these  blessings  to  the  ends  of  the  earth.  Whence  this  difference  ? 
Not  from  the  difference  of  light.  The  Greeks  and  Romans  were 
sufficiently  enlightened  at  least  to  have  begun  this  progress.  But 
they  did  not  take  a  single  step  towards  real  reformation.  All  that 
can  be  said  is,  their  wickedness  was  a  litUe  more  polished,  than 
that  of  their  barbarian  neighbours.  No  ;  it  has  sprung  from  that 
honest  and  good  heart,  which  is  not  in  man  by  nature,  but  is  given 
him  by  the  Spirit  of  God.  Such  hearts,  found  here  and  there,  like 
dispersed  stars,  seen  through  the  interstices  of  a  clouded  sky,  dif- 
fuse a  feeble  radiance  over  Christian  countries,  and  prevent  the 
otherwise  absolute  darkness.  Hoioard,  intensely  illumined  with 
the  benevolence  of  the  Gospel,  shed  a  lustre  over  the  whole  Chris- 
tian world.  Inferior  lights  are  every  where  scattered;  and  their 
combined  influence  is  every  where  felt.  Were  the  same  character 
that  of  all  men;  the  change  in  human  affairs  would  be  such,  as  to 


SER.  LXXIII.]  ITS  NECESSITY  AND  REALITY.  417 

demand  no  arguments  to  prove  a  change  of  heart.  As  the  state 
of  things  is,  it  is  plain,  that  the  spirit  of  the  Martyrs  was  not  in 
their  persecutors  :  the  spirit  of  Howard  was  not  in  Voltaire  :  the 
spirit  of  Alfred  was  not  in  Frederick  II.  He,  who  cannot  see 
this,  is  unable  because  he  will  not;  and  may  be  well  assured,  that 
under  the  influence  of  his  present  temper  he  has  lost  the  power  of 
moral  discrimination. 


Vol.  IL  S3 


SERMON  L.XXIV. 

REGENERATION. ITS    NATURE. 


John  iii.  3. — Jesus  answered  and  said  unto  him,  Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  thee,  Ex- 
cept  a  man  be  born  again,  he  cannot  see  the  Kingdom  of  God. 

Having  in  the  preceding  discourse  considered  the  J\fecessitt/ 
and  the  Reality,  of  Regeneration,  I  shall  now  proceed,  according  to 
the  plan  proposed,  to  examine  its  Nature. 

1  St.  This  change  of  heart  consists  in  a  Relish  for  Spiritual  objects, 
communicated  to  it  by  the  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 

By  Spiritual  objects  I  intend  the  Creator,  the  Redeemer,  the 
Sanctifier,  Heaven,  Angels,  the  Word  and  the  Worship  of  God,  Vir- 
tuous men,  Virtuous  affections,  Virtuous  conduct,  and  all  the  kirfds 
of  enjoyment  found  in  the  contemplation  of  these  objects;*  the  ex- 
ercise of  these  affections,  and  the  practice  of  this  conduct.  The 
existence  of  these  objects  every  man  admits ;  and  every  man,  at 
all  conversant  with  human  life,  must  admit  that  a  part  of  mankind 
profess  to  relish  them,  and  to  find  in  them  real  and  sincere  plea- 
sure. A  sober  man  must  further  admit,  that,  as  the  Creator  of  all 
things  is  infinitely  more  excellent  than  any  other  being,  so  his  ex- 
cellence must  be  capable,  in  the  nature  of  things,  not  only  of  be- 
ing perceived,  but  also  of  being  relislitted  by  intelligent  creatures. 
No  man,  who  has  any  regard  to  his  character  as  a  man  of  sound 
understanding,  will  acknowledge,  that  excellence  exists  ;  and  yet 
deny,  that  it  is  capable  of  being  perceived  and  relished.  Nor  will 
any  such  man  deny,  that  intelligent  creatures  may  perceive  the  ex- 
cellence of  the  Creator  to  be  plainly  superior  to  that  of  any  other 
being,  and  may  relish  it  accordingly.  It  must  also  be  easily  and 
ciertainly  seen,  that,  if  we  relish  the  excellency  of  the  Creator  him- 
self, we  cannot  fail  to  extend  the  same  relish  to  every  thing,  in 
which  this  excellence  is  displayed  :  since  this  will  be  no  other  than 
relishing  the  excellence  itself,  as  it  is  manifested  in  different  forms. 
It  must  be  obvious,  therefore,  that  this  relish  for  the  Divine  excel- 
lence, once  existing,  must  of  course  be  extended  to  all  the  objects, 
in  which  it  is  displayed,  and  to  all  those  intelligent  beings,  by  whom 
it  is  relished. 

It  has  been  frequently  supposed,  that  the  Spirit  of  God  regene- 
rates man  by  immediately  creating  in  him  virtuous  volitions.  All 
the  volitions  of  all  moral  agents  are,  in  my  view,  as  will  indeed  be 
pre-supposed  by  those  of  my  audience,  who  remember  the  ser- 
mons which  I  delivered  on  the  nature  of  the  human  soul,  the  acts 
of  the  agents  themselves.  The  Spirit  of  God  does  not,  in  my  view, 
when  he  regenerates  mankind,  create  in  them  any  volitions  what- 


SER.  LXXIV.]  ITS  NATURE.  419 

ever ;  but  merely  communicates  to  them  the  relish  for  Spiritual  ob- 
jects, which  has  been  here  mentioned. 

When  God  created  Mam,  there  was  a  period  of  his  existence 
after  he  began  to  be,  antecedent  to  that  in  which  he  exercised  the 
first  volition.  Every  man,  who  believes  the  mind  to  be  something 
beside  ideas  and  exercises,  and  who  does  not  admit  the  doctrine  of 
casualty,  will  acknowledge,  that  in  this  period  the  mind  of  Adam 
was  in  such  a  state,  that  he  was  propense  to  the  exercise  of  virtuous 
volitions  rather  than  of  sinful  ones.  This  state  of  mind  has  been 
commonly  styled  disposition,  temper,  inclination,  heart,  &ic.  In  the 
Scriptures  it  usually  bears  the  last  of  these  names.  I  shall  take 
the  liberty  to  call  it  disposition.  This  disposition  in  Adam  was  the 
cause,  whence  his  virtuous  volitions  proceeded ;  the  reason,  why 
they  were  virtuous,  and  not  sinful.  Of  the  metaphysical  nature  of 
this  cause  1  am  ignorant.  But  its  existence  is,  in  my  own  view, 
certainly  proved  by  its  effects.  If  the  volitions  of  man  are  not 
immediately  created,  they  are  either  caused  by  something  in  Man, 
or  they  are  casual.  But  they  are  not  casual;  for  nothing  is  casual. 
And  even  if  some  things  were  casual,  these  could  not  be ;  because 
they  were  regularly  and  uniformly  virtuous  :  and  it  is  impossible, 
that  casualty  should  be  the  source  of  uniformity,  or  regularity. 
There  was,  therefore,  in  the  mind  of  Adam,  certainly,  a  cause, 
which  gave  birth  to  the  fact,  that  his  volitions  were  virtuous,  and 
not  sinful.  This  cause,  of  necessity,  preceded  these  volitions  ; 
and  therefore  certainly  existed  in  that  state  of  mind,  which  was 
previous  to  his  first  volition.  This  state  of  mind,  then,  this  dispo- 
sition of  Adam,  existing  antecedently  to  every  volition,  was  the 
real  cause,  why  his  volitions,  subsequently  existing,  were  virtuous. 
It  ought  to  be  remarked  here,  that  plain  men,  with  truth,  as  well  as 
with  good  sense,  ascribe  all  the  volitions  of  mankind  to  disposition^ 
the  very  thing  here  intended,  as  their  true  cause. 

In  regeneration,  the  very  same  thing  is  done  by  the  Spirit  of 
God  for  the  soul,  which  was  done  for  Adam  by  the  same  Divine 
Agent  at  his  creation.  The  soul  of  Adam  was  created  with  a  re- 
lish for  Spiritual  objects.  The  soul  of  every  man,  who  becomes 
a  Christian,  is  renewed  by  the  communication  of  the  same  rehsh. 
In  Adam,  this  disposition  produced  virtuous  volitions.  In  every 
child  of  Adam,  who  becomes  the  subject  of  virtue,  it  produces  the 
same  effects. 

It  will,  perhaps,  be  objected  to  this  view  of  the  subject,  that  God 
is  said  to  work  in  us  both  to  will,  and  to  do,  of  his  good  pleasure, 
Phil.  ii.  1 3.  Indeed,  this  passage  formerly  appeared  to  me  to  in- 
dicate, that  God  exercised  a  different  agency  on  the  mind  of  man 
from  that,  which  has  been  here  described.  But  an  examination  of 
the  passage  has  convinced  me,  that  my  views  of  it,  at  that  time, 
were  erroneous.     For, 

1st.  The  communication  of  this  relish  is  as  truly  followed  by  vir~ 
tuous  willing,  and  doing,  as  the  creative  act  would  be,  which  might 


420  llEGENERATIOiN.  [SER.  LXXIV. 

immediately  give  existence  to  our  volitions,  and  dur  conduct.  If, 
then,  God  communicates  to  us  such  a  relish  or  such  a  disposition, 
causing  in  us  holy  volitions  and  actions ;  he  is  as  truly  said  to  work 
in  us  both  these  things,  as  he  could  be,  if  he  immediately  created 
them.  The  only  diucrence  in  this  respect  is,  that  they  are  now 
mediately,  and  would  be  then  immediately^  the  effects  of  his  agency. 

2dly,  The  word,  here  translated  worketh,  in  the  Greek  sve^uv,  in- 
worketh,  which  characterizes  the  nature  of  the  agency,  is  in  Eph. 
ii.  2,  applied  to  Satan  in  this  manner:  Wherein  in  time  past  ye  walk- 
ed according  to  the  course  of  this  world,  according  to  the  prince  of 
the  power  of  the  air,  the  spirit  that  now  worketh  in  the  children  of  dis- 
obedience. Now  it  will  not  be  said,  that  Satan  creates  evil  volitions 
in  the  minds  of  the  children  of  disobedience.  As  the  word  is  in  both 
cases  the  same,  it  does  not  indicate  of  itself,  in  the  objected  passage, 
that  the  imnu  diate  production  of  virtuous  volitions  by  the  power  of 
God  is  the  thing  intended. 

I  will  only  add,  on  this  subject,  that  the  relish  for  spiritual  objects 
is  that,  which  in  the  Scriptures  is  called,  a  new  heart,  a  right  spirit, 
an  honest  and  good  heart,  a  spiritual  mind,  and  denoted  by  several 
other  names  of  a  similar  import.  Thus  a  Good  man  out  of  the  good 
treasure  of  his  heart  is  said  to  bring  forth  good  things.  Thus,  also, 
they  who  received  the  seed  in  good  ground,  as  exhibited  in  the  par- 
able of  the  sower,  are  said  to  be  such,  as,  m  an  honest  and  good 
heart,  having  received  the  word,  keep  it,  and  bring  forth  fruit  with 
patience.  In  these  and  the  like  instances,  the  heart  is  exhibited  as 
the  source  of  all  virtuous  volitions,  desires,  and  conduct.  This 
relish  for  spiritual  objects  is,  I  apprehend,  this  very  source  of  these 
interesting  things. 

2dly.  This  change  of  the  heart  is  the  Commencement  of  holiness 
m  the  mind. 

The  carnal  mind,  that  is,  the  original,  natural  disposition  of  man, 
is  enmity  against  God  ;  not  subject  to  his  Law  ;  neither  indeed  can 
be.  Before  this  change,  therefore,  there  is  no  holiness  in  the  char- 
acter ;  no  relish  for  spiritual  good  ;  no  exercise  of  virtuous  voh- 
tions;  no  pursuit  of  virtuous  conduct.  All  these  things  begin  to 
be  chosen,  and  to  be  practised,  after  they  begin  to  be  relished;  and 
the  first  relish  for  them  exists  in  this  renovation  of  the  mind. 

3dly.   This  change  is  partial. 

After  Regeneration  the  native  character  of  man  still  remains  5 
his  relish  for  sinful  pursuits  and  enjoyments  still  continues  ;  and  his 
relish  for  spiritual  pursuits  and  enjoyments  is  never  perfected  on 
this  side  of  the  grave. 

In  this  state,  man  exhibits  to  the  view  of  the  Universe  an  object, 
unlike  any  thing  else  which  it  has  ever  beheld.  All  other  intelligent 
creatures,  so  far  as  we  are  informed,  are  either  perfectly  virtuous, 
or  wholly  destitute  of  real  virtue.  But  regenerated  man  is  really 
virtuous,  and  yet  really  sinful :  his  true  and  entire  character  being 
a  mixture  of  moral  good  and  evil.     This  mixed  character  is  pre- 


SER.  LXXIV.]  ITS  NATURE.  421 

sented  to  us  by  St.  Paul  in  the  7th  chapter  of  the  Epistle  to  the 
Romans,  by  the  phrases,  the  Law  in  the  7nembers,  and  the  Law  of 
the  mind.  These,  he  informs  us,  are  totally  contrary  characters, 
warring  in  the  same  soul  against  each  other,  and  carrying  on  a 
continual  controversy  while  life  remains.  We  are,  however,  abun- 
dantly taught,  that  the  holy  or  virtuous  disposition,  like  the  house  of 
David,  waxes  stronger  and  stronger  ;  and  the  sinful  disposition, 
like  the  house  of  Saul,  weaker  and  weaker.  This  increase  ot  strength 
on  the  one  hand,  and  this  diminution  of  it  on  the  other,  is  not  in- 
deed regular,  constant,  and  always  discernible  ;  but  it  is  yet  irreg- 
ularly progressive  to  the  end  of  life.  There  are  seasons,  in  which 
the  Law  in  the  members  brings  the  Law  of  the  mind  into  captivity. 
David  committed  adultery  with  Bathsheba.  Peter  denied  his  Mas- 
ter ;  and  dissembled  whhthe  Jews  that  went  to  Antioch.  John  and 
James  proposed  to  call  for  fire  from  heaven  upon  the  inhabitants  ot 
a  Samaritan  village.  The  disciples,  as  a  body,  contended  who  of 
them  should  be  the  greatest,  and  all  forsook  their  Master  in  the  gar- 
den oi  Gethsemane,  and  fled.  Still  all  of  them  were  bt  tter  men 
near  the  close  of  life,  than  at  any  preceding  period.  What  was 
true  of  them  is  true  of  every  good  man.  He  will,  upon  the  whole, 
improve  through  life ;  and  will,  ordinarily,  year  by  yeai',  though 
not  without  various  interruptions  and  backslidings,  become  a  better 
Christian,  Yet  perfection  in  holiness  is  never  found  in  the  present 
world.  If  we  say  we  have  no  sin,  says  St.  John,  sjieakuig  of  him- 
self and  all  other  Christians,  1  John  i.  3,  we  deceive  ourselves,  and 
the  truth  is  not  in  us, 

4thly.  Notwithstanding  the  partial  nature  of  this  change,  it  is  still 
the  foundation  of  perpetual  holiness. 

Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  yon,  saith  our  Saviour,  he  that  heareth 
my  word,  and  bclieveth  on  him  that  sent  me,  hath  everlasting  life  ,* 
and  shall  not  come  into  condemnation,  but  is  passed  from  deathunto 
life  ;  or,  as  it  is  in  the  original,  hath  passed,  that  is,  already,  from 
death  unto  life.  It  naturally  seems  mysterious,  that  miperfect  ho- 
liness should  in  this  case  be  perpetual ;  when  the  perfect  hohness 
of  Adam,  and  the  perfect  holiness  of  Angels,  was  terminated  by 
Apostacy.  The  explanation  of  this  mystery  lies,  it  is  presumed, 
in  this  peculiar  fact;  that  those,  who  are  the  subjects  of  this  im- 
perfect holiness,  are  the  seed,  promised  to  Christ  in  the  Covenant 
of  Redemption,  as  the  reward  of  his  labours  and  sufFrrings.  It 
certainly  is  not  in  the  nature  of  the  holiness:  for  this  in  all  the  cases 
specified  is  the  same.  It  is  not  in  the  degree  :  for  that  was  gn  ater 
in  those  who  fell,  than  in  those  who  endure.  In  those  who  fell 
it  was  perfect,  so  long  as  it  contmued.  In  those  who  endure  it  is 
always  imperfect,  and  often  interrupted  by  backsliding.  It  is  not 
in  the  nature  of  the  subjects.  The  Angels,  who  fell,  were  superior 
in  their  nature  to  all  men;  and  the  perfect  nature  of  ^^Jam  was  su- 
perior to  that  of  his  unsanctified  children.  Yet  the  perscveratice 
of  every  saint,  remote  as  his  character  is  from  perfection,  is  secur- 


422  REGENERATION.  [SER.  LXXIV. 

ed  by  the  })romise  of  God,  and  carried  into  complete  and  final  ac- 
complishment by  the  power  of  his  Spirit.  Of  this  enduring  holi- 
ness regeneration  is  the  basis  ;  and  the  subject  of  it  never  ceases 
to  be  holy  while  he  lives. 

Sthly.  This  change  is  the  source  of  new  views  of  Spiritual  and 
Divine  subjects. 

These  views,  united,  constitute  what  is  often  termed  spiritual 
knowledge^  divine  knowledge^  spiritual  light,  and  divine  light.  As 
the  opinions  of  Divines,  and  other  Christians,  have  been  different 
Concerning  this  subject ;  it  will  be  proper  to  consider  it  with  par- 
ticular attention. 

It  has  been  extensively  supposed,  that  the  Spirit  of  Grace  regen- 
erates mankind  by  communicating  to  them  new,  clearer,  and  juster 
views  of  spiritual  objects.  The  understanding  being  thus  enlight- 
ened and  convinced,  the  heart,  it  is  supposed,  yields  itself  to  this 
conviction ;  and  the  man  spontaneously  becomes,  under  its  influ- 
ence, a  child  of  God.  I  shall  not  attempt,  here,  to  describe  the 
Metaphysical  nature  of  the  work  of  regeneration,  nor  to  define, 
precisely,  the  manner,  in  which  it  is  accomplished  ;  nor  the  exact 
bounds  of  the  Divine,  and  human,  agency  in  this  great  concern. 
Of  these  subjects  I  have  not  sufficiently  distinct  and  comprehen- 
sive views,  to  undertake  this  employment  with  any  satisfactory 
hope  of  success.  Yet  it  appears  to  me  clear,  that  the  account, 
which  I  have  now  given  of  this  subject,  is  not  Scriptural,  nor  just. 
Without  a  relish  for  spiritual  objects,  1  cannot  see  that  any  discov- 
eries concerning  them,  however  clear  and  bright,  can  render  them 
pleasing  to  the  soul.  If  they  are  unpleasing  in  their  very  nature, 
they  cannot  be  made  agreeable  by  having  that  nature  unfolded 
more  clearly.  He,  who  disrelishes  the  taste  of  wine,  will  not  relish 
it  the  more,  the  more  distinctly,  and  perfectly,  he  perceives  that 
taste.  Nor  will  any  account  of  its  agreeableness  to  others,  how- 
ever clearly  given,  and  with  whatever  evidence  supported,  render 
the  taste  agreeable  to  him.  To  enable  him  to  relish  it,  it  seems 
indispensable,  that  his  own  taste  should  be  changed,  and  in  this 
manner  fitted  to  realize  the  pleasantness  of  the  wine.  Light  is  ei- 
ther evidence,  or  the  perception  of  it ;  evidence  of  the  true  nature 
of  the  object,  which  is  contemplated,  or  the  perception  of  that  evi- 
dence. But  the  great  difficulty,  in  the  present  case,  is  this  :  the 
nature  of  the  object  perceived  is  disrelished.  The  more,  then, 
it  is  perceived,  the  more  it  must  be  disrelished  of  course,  so 
long  as  the  present  taste  continues.  It  seems,  therefore,  indis- 
pensable, that,  in  order  to  the  usefulness  of  such  superior  light 
to  the  mind,  its  relish  with  respect  to  spiritual  objects  should  first 
be  changed.  In  this  case,  the  clearer  and  brighter  the  views  of 
such  objects  are,  the  more  pleasing  they  may  be  expected  to  be- 
come to  the  mind. 

This,  1  apprehend,  is  the  true  progress  of  this  work  in  the  hu- 
man soul.     A  relish  for  all  spiritual  objects,  never  before  existing 


3ER.  LXXIV.]  ITS  NATURE.  423 

in  him,  is  communicated  to  every  man,  who  is  the  subject  of  re- 
generation, by  the  Spirit  of  God.  Before  this  event,  lie  disrelished 
all  such  objects  :  now,  he  relishes  them  all.  Before,  he  was  an 
enemy  of  God  :  now,  he  becomes  a  friend  to  God :  before,  he  lov- 
ed nothing,  now,  he  loves  every  thing,  of  a  spiritual  nature.  He 
who  has  hitherto  been  an  enemy  to  a  good  man,  disrelishes  every 
thing  which  pertains  to  him  ;  his  character,  conduct,  conversation, 
and  opinions ;  his  family,  his  friends,  his  very  looks,  nay,  even  the 
spot  where  he  lives ;  and,  in  a  word,  every  thing  which  is  his.  If 
you  undertake  to  convince  him,  while  this  disrelish  continues,  that 
the  object  of  his  dislike  is  undeserving  of  all  this ;  you  may,  indeed, 
present  to  him  arguments,  which  he  cannot  answer,  and  silence 
his  objections,  by  the  irresistible  force  of  proof.  You  mayexplam 
to  him,  in  the  clearest  manner,  the  excellencies  of  this  object;  and 
set  them  in  such  a  light,  that  he  may  have  nothing  left  to  say 
against  it.  Should  all  this  have  been  done,  his  dislike  in  the  case 
supposed,  would  still  continue  :  his  views,  though  enlarged,  would 
be  of  exacdy  the  same  general  nature:  and  his  opposition  to  the 
hated  object,  instead  of  being  diminished,  would  rather  increase. 
We  will  now  suppose  this  man  to  cease  from  his  enmity,  and  to 
become  a  decided  and  sincere  friend.  A  moment's  thought  will 
satisfy  any  mind,  that  with  the  change  of  his  relish,  an  universal 
change  of  his  views,  also,  will  take  place.  The  very  same  things 
which  formerly  disgusted  him,  will  now  please  him.  What  was 
formerly  odious  will  now  become  amiable.  The  evidences  of 
worth  and  excellence,  which  before  silenced,  will  now  satisfy  him. 
His  eye,  no  longer  jaundiced,  will  see  every  thing  in  its  proper, 
native  light ;  in  its  true  character,  importance,  and  desert ;  and  will 
discern  in  what  was  before  unpleasing,  deformed,  or  disgusting,  a 
beauty,  loveliness,  and  lustre,  wholly  new. 

This  allusion  will  distinctly  explain  my  own  views  of  both  the 
source,  and  the  nature,  of  Spiritual  light.  When  the  relish  for 
spiritual  objects  is  communicated  to  the  mind,  the  enmity  of  the 
man  towards  these  objects  is  converted  into  good-will.  He  now 
becomes  a  friend  to  God  and  to  his  Law,  to  truth  and  to  duty. 
Over  these  and  all  other  objects,  of  the  same  general  nature,  he 
sees  a  new  character  diffused,  of  which,  before,  he  did  not  form  a 
single  conception.  Where  they  were  before  disgusting,  they  are 
now  pleasing.  Where  they  were  before  tasteless,  they  are  now 
relished.  Where  they  were  before  deformed,  they  are  now  beau- 
tiful. Where  they  were  before  odious,  they  are  now  lovely.  The 
reason  is  ;  he  now  beholds  them  with  new  eyes.  Before,  he  saw 
them  with  the  eyes  of  an  enemy  ;  now  he  sees  them  with  those  of 
a  friend.  The  optics,  which  he  formerly  possessed,  spread  over 
them  an  adventitious  and  false  colouring,  altogether  foreign  to  their 
nature,  and  exhibiting  that  nature  under  an  universal  disguise. 
These  optics  are  now  purified ;  and  he  sees  all  these  objects  as 
they  really  are  ;  in  their  true  colours,  their  native  beauty,  and  their 


424  REGENERATION.  [SER.  LXXIV. 

inlicrent  splendour.     This  is  what  1   understand  by  the  Spiritual 
light,  (l€v\vvd  from  regeneration. 

6tiily.   This  change  is  instantaneous. 

This  position  has  been  as  much  controverted,  as  any  of  those 
advanced  in  this  discourse ;  but,  as  it  seems  to  me,  with  no  solid 
sup[)ort  either  from  reason  or  Revelation. 

The  scheme  of  those  who  oppose  this  doctrine  appears,  gener- 
ally, to  have  been  this  :  The  subject  of  regeneration  is  supposed 
to  begin,  at  some  time  or  other,  to  turn  his  attention  to  Spiritual 
concerns.  He  begins  seriously  to  think  on  them  ;  to  read  concern- 
ing them  ;  to  dwell  upon  them  in  the  house  of  God,  in  his  medita- 
ti4;>ns,  in  his  closet,  and  in  his  conversation.  By  degrees  he  gains 
a  more  thorough  acquaintance  with  the  guilt  and  danger  of  sin, 
and  the  importance  of  holiness,  pardon,  acceptance,  and  salvation. 
By  degrees  also,  he  renounces  one  sinful  practice,  and  propensity, 
after  another ;  and  thus  finally  arrives  at  a  neutral  character,  in 
which  he  is  neither  a  sinner,  in  the  absolute  sense,  nor  yet  a  Chris- 
tian. Advancing  from  this  stage,  he  begins,  at  length,  to  entertain, 
in  a  small  degree,  virtuous  affections,  and  to  adopt  virtuous  con- 
duct ;  and  thus  proceeds  from  one  virtuous  attainment  to  another, 
while  he  lives.  Some  of  the  facts  here  supposed,  taken  separate- 
ly, are  real :  for  some  of  them  undoubtedly  take  place  in  the 
minds,  and  lives,  of  those  who  become  religious  men.  But  the 
whole,  considered  together,  and  as  a  scheme  concerning  this  sub- 
ject, is,  in  my  view,  entirely  erroneous. 

Were  we  to  allow  the  scheme  to  be  correct,  and  Scriptural,  still, 
the  consequence  usually  drawn  from  it,  that  regeneration  is  gradu- 
ally accomplished,  is  untrue.  Regeneration,  according  to  every 
scheme,  is  the  commencement  of  holiness  in  the  mind.  Without 
calling  in  question  the  doctrine,  that  man  in  the  moral  sense  is  ever 
neuti-aj,  it  is  intuitively  certain,  that  a  man  is,  at  every  given  pe- 
riod of  his  life,  either  holy,  or  not  holy.  There  is  a  period,  in 
which  every  man  who  becomes  holy  at  all,  first  becomes  holy.  At 
a  period,  immediately  antecedent  to  this,  whenever  it  takes  place, 
he  was  not  holy.  The  commencement  of  holiness  in  his  mind  was, 
therefore,  instantaneous  ;  or  began  to  exist  at  some  given  moment 
of  time.  Nor  is  it  in  the  nature  of  things  possible,  that  the  fact 
should  be  otherwise.  All  that  can  be  truly  said  to  be  gradual,  with 
respect  to  this  subject,  is  either  that  process  of  thought  and  affec- 
tion which  precedes  regeneration,  or  that  course  of  improvement 
in  holiness  iDy  which  it  is  followed.  But  neither  of  these  things 
is  intended  in  the  Scriptures,  nor  ought  to  be  intended  in  the  con- 
versation and  writings  of  Christians,  by  the  word  regeneration. 

It  is  often  objected  to  the  instantaneousness  of  regeneration,  that 
the  change  is  too  great  to  be  accomplished  in  a  moment.  Most  of 
the  persons,  who  make  this  objection,  aim,  I  am  persuaded,  at 
what  is  customarily  called  by  Divines  the  work  of  sanctijication  } 
that  is,  the  Christian's  advancement  in  holiness^  after  he  is  regent- 


SEft.  LXXIV]  ITS  xNATURL.  42^ 

rated.  This,  plainly,  is  in  fact,  as  it  is  exhibited  in  the  Scriptures, 
a  work,  which  is  progressive  through  life.  It  may  well  seem 
strange,  for  it  certainly  is  untrue,  that  sanctification,  in  this  sense, 
should  be  instantaneous. 

By  those,  who  admit  that  agency  of  the  Spirit  of  God  in  renew- 
ing mankind,  which  has  been  exhibited  in  these  discourses,  the  in- 
stantaneousness  of  this  change  has  it  is  believed  never  been  denied. 
The  act  of  turning  from  sin  to  holiness  in  the  first  instance,  on  the 
part  of  man,  and  the  act  of  communicating  a  disposition  thus  to 
turn,  on  the  part  of  the  Sprit  of  God,  are,  in  their  own  nature,  so 
obviously  accomplished  in  a  moment ;  that  it  seems  difficult  to  con- 
ceive how  any  person,  considering  them  with  attention,  can  have 
supposed  them  to  be  progressive.  In  the  Scriptures,  the  accounts 
of  this  combined  subject  every  where  teach  us,  that  it  exists  instan- 
taneously. The  phraseology,  by  which  it  is  chiefly  denoted  in  the 
Scriptures,  strongly  indicates,  that  this  is  its  nature.  It  is  exhibit- 
ed to  us  under  the  expressions,  Being  born  again  ;  being  created 
anew  ;  having  a  new  heart,  and  a  right  spirit,  created  within  us  / 
turning  to  God  j  turning  from  darkness  to  fight;  and  others  of  a 
like  nature.  All  these  expressions  originally  denote  events,  in- 
stantaneously existing;  and  in  their  figurative  application  indicate 
the  instantaneousness  of  the  fact,  to  which  they  are  applied- 

The  same  thing  we  are  taught  in  the  accounts,  given  in  the  Scrip- 
tures of  this  fact,  as  having  actually  taken  place.  Thus  the  three 
thousand  Jews,  who  were  converted  by  the  first  sermon  of  St.  Peter, 
yielded  themselves  to  God  at  that  moment.  Such,  also,  was  the 
conversion  of  Dionysius  ;  Damaris  ;  Sergius  Paulus  ;  the  Jailer ; 
and,  generally,  of  the  great  multitudes,  whose  conversion  is  record- 
ed in  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles.  Such,  also,  was  that  of  the  Noble- 
man of  Capernaum ;  the  father  of  the  Epileptic  child;  the  woman 
of  Samaria,  and  her  fellow-citizens ;  and  the  thief  upon  the  cross. 

7thly.  This  change,  as  to  the  time,  and  manner,  of  its  existence, 
is  ordinarily  imperceptible  by  him  who  is  the  subject  of  it. 

There  have  not  been  wanting  heretofore;  there  are  not  now  want- 
ing; persons  holding  the  name  of  Christians,  and  those  in  consider- 
able numbers,  who  profess  to  know  the  time,  and  manner,  of  their 
regeneration,  and  to  have  been  conscious  at  the  time  of  the  exist- 
ence of  this  change  in  their  moral  character ;  and  who  according- 
ly recite  all  this  to  each  other  without  any  apparent  doubt  of  the 
soundness  of  the  recital ;  nay,  who  make  this  a  subject  of  public 
investigation,  with  respect  to  all  those,  who  ol!er  themselves  as 
candidates  for  admission  into  their  churches.  By  such  men  the 
existence  of  this  change  is  considered  as  so  manifest,  whenever  it 
takes  place,  that  they  are  able  to  point  out  the  day,  the  place,  and 
all  the  attendant  circumstances.  From  the  confidence,  with  which 
they  speak  on  this  subject,  it  has  perhaps  arisen,  that  many  others, 
who  do  not  go  the  same  length,  still  go  a  part  of  it ;  and  believe, 
ih  an  indefinite  manner,  that  these  things  may,  at  least,  be  di^oermdy 

Vol,  H.  54 


42C  REGENERATION.  [SER.  LXXTV. 

and  remembered,  with  probability  ^  that  they  are  to  be  sought  for; 
that  the  want  of  being  conscious  of  them,  and  of  remembering 
them,  is  an  unhappy  event,  not  experienced  by  more  favoured 
Christians  ;  nay,  by  most  Christians.  Accordingly,  the  want  of 
this  knowledge  and  remembrance  is  regarded  by  such  men,  how- 
ever exemplary  their  lives  may  be  afterwards,  as  involving  a  de- 
fect in  the  proper  evidence,  that  they  are  Christians.  However 
good  the  fruit  may  i^c,  which  they  bring  forth  ;  instead  of  deter- 
mining by  the  taste,  that  it  is  good,  they  feel  unsatisfied  with  thi? 
mode  of  proof:  and  wish  rather  to  rely  on  some  discovery,  which 
they  consider  as  practicable,  of  the  time  and  the  place,  at  which 
the  bough  producing  the  fruit,  was  ingrafted. 

All  these  arc,  I  apprehend,  opinions  wholly  unscriptural,  and  of 
course  deceitful  and  dangerous.     For, 

1st.   The  Scriptures  no  where  refer  us  to  the  Time,  or  Manner,  of 
our  regeneration,  for  evidence,  that  we  are  regenerated.     If  the   time 
and  manner  of  our  regeneration  were  certainly  known  by  us;  it  is 
intuitively  evident,  that  our  regeneration  itself  would  be  equally 
well  known.     If  this,  then,  were  the  case,  it  is  incredible,  that  the 
Scriptures  should  not,  even-in  a  single  instance,  refer  us  to  so  com- 
pletely satisfactory  a  source  of  evidence,  to  determine  us  finally  in 
this  mighty  concern  ;  but  should,  at  the  same  time,  direct  us  to  the 
so  much  less  perfect  evidence,  furnished  by  the  subsequent   state 
of  our  affections  and  conduct.     By  their  fruits  shall  ye  know  them. 
says  our  Saviour.      Then  are  ye  my  disciples  irideed,  if  ye  keep  itiy 
commandments.     Not  every  one  that  saith  unto  me,  Lord,  Lord,  but 
he  that  doeth  the  will  of  my  Father  ivho  is  in  heaven,  is  my  disciple. 
These  are  the  rules,  by  which,  together  with  others  of  exactly  the 
same  nature,  we  are  directed  in  the  Scriptures  to  judge  of  our 
moral  state.     But  these  rules  are  not  only  superfluous,  but  useless, 
if  the  time,  the  manner,  or  the  fact,  of  our  regeneration  were  or- 
dinarily known   by   us.     For  these,  and    each   of  these,  would 
furnish  evidence  of  this  subject,  completely  decisive,  as  to  the 
state  of  all  men.     He,  who  knew  these  things,  would  certainly 
know,  that  he  was  a  Christian  :  he,  who  did  not,  would  certainly 
know,  that  he  was   not   a  Christian.     No  other  rule,  therefore, 
could  ever  be  needed,  or  could  ever  be  employed.     According  to 
this  scheme,  then,  Christ  and  the  Apostles  have  devised  an  imper- 
fect rule,  to  direct  us  in   our  decisions  concerning  this  interesting 
subject;  while  uninspired  men,  of  modern  times,  have    by  their 
ingenuity  fortunately  found  out  a  perfect  one. 

2dly.  The  relish  for  spiritual  good,  and  the  exercise  of  holy  affec- 
tions, are,  at  their  commencement,  certainly  no  more  distinguishable ^ 
than  the  same  relish  and  the  same  exercises,  in  the  same  mind,  usu- 
ally are  afterwards.  Men  sometimes  seem  to  suppose,  that  in 
these  first  acts  of  a  virtuous  mind  there  is  something  extraordinary 
and  peculiar.  AH  that  makes  them  extraordinary  is,  that  they  are 
the  first.     In  the  degree,  in  which  they  exist,  they  are,  usually, 


SER.  LXXIV.]  ITS  NATURE.  437 

among  the  least  remarkable.  There  is,  of  course,  nothing  to  make 
them  distinguished,  except  the  mere  fact,  that  they  are  the  first. 

But  no  person  needs  to  be  told,  that  the  subsequent  holy  exer- 
cises are  so  far  from  being  certainly  known  to  be  such,  that  they 
are,  ordinarily,  at  the  best  believed,  and  in  most  instances  merely 
hoped,  to  b^  of  this  character.  If,  then,  the  first  holy  exercises 
are  not  more  distinguishable  than  the  subsequent  ones,  and  the 
subsequent  ones  are  only  distinguishable  in  such  a  degree  as  some- 
times to  be  believed,  and  at  most  times  merely  hoped,  to  be  of  this 
character ;  then  it  is  certain,  that  the  time,  the  manner,  and  even 
the  fact,  of  regeneration,  are  so  far  from  being  clearly  known,  ia 
all  ordinary  cases,  that  they  can  never  be  relied  on  with  safety,  if 
considered  by  themselves  only.  Much  less  can  they  be  regarded 
with  undoubting  confidence. 

3dly.  Multitudes  of  those,  who  have  professed,  with  much  appa- 
rent assurance,  to  know  all  these  things  concerning  themselves,  have 
afterwards  fallen  off,  and  become  sometimes  lukewarm  professor's  of 
Christianity,  and  sometimes  open  apostates.  This  fact,  which  is  by 
.  no  means  uncommon  among  persons,  holding  the  opinion  here 
censured,  clearly  proves,  that  the  reliance,  which  is  placed  on  the 
knowledge  professed,  is  often  unfounded,  and  may  be  always. 
That,  which  has  frequently  deceived  our  fellow-men,  ought  ever  to 
be  supposed  to  be  capable  of  deceiving  us. 

The  truth  is;  the  infusion  of  a  relish  for  divine  things  into  the 
mind  is  a  breathing  of  the  Spirit  of  life  on  dry  bones,  perceivable 
only  by  its  effects :  like  the  communication  of  the  animating  prin- 
ciple to  the  embryo,  real,  yet  not  discernible  in  itself,  but  in  the 
consequences  which  it  produces.  Were  the  case  otherwise,  St. 
Paul  could  never  have  asked  the  Corinthian  Christians,  Know  ye 
not  your  own  selves  ?  Nor  directed  them  to  prove  themselves,  zoheth- 
er  they  were  in  the  faith.  Were  the  contrary  opinion  just,  this 
Apostle  would  certainly  have  appealed  to  the  time,  place,  and 
manner,  of  his  own  regeneration,  which  were  probably  better 
known  to  him,  than  the  same  things  ever  were  to  any  child  of  God, 
as  proofs  of  the  fact,  that  he  was  regenerated.  But  this  he  never 
does.  On  the  contrary,  the  evidence,  on  which  he  relied,  was  fur* 
nished  by  the  fruits  of  holiness,  apparent  in  his  life. 

REMARKS. 

From  the  observations,  which  have  been  made  concerning  this 
subject,  it  is  evident,  that  the  work  of  regeneration  is  worthy  of  the 
Spirit  of  God. 

Regeneration  is  a  change  of  the  temper,  or  disposition,  or,  in  other 
words,  of  the  heart,  of  man ;  and,  by  consequence,  of  his  whole 
character.  The  heart  is  the  great  controlling  power  of  a  rational 
being ;  the  whole  of  that  energy,  by  which  he  is  moved  to  action. 
The  moral  nature  of  this  power,  therefore,  will  be  the  moral  nature 
of  the  man.     If  this  be  virtuous,  all  his  other  faculties  will  be  ren- 


428  REGENERATION.  [9KR.  LXXIV. 

dered  means  of  virtue  ;  if  sinful,  the  means  of  sin.  Thus  regene- 
ration will  affect  the  whole  man ;  and  govern  all  his  character, 
powers,  and  conduct. 

Regeneration  is  of  the  highest  importance  to  man,  as  a  subject 
of  the  Divine  Government.  With  his  former  disposition,  he  was  a 
rebel  against  God :  with  this  he  becomes  cheerfully  an  obedient 
subject.  Of  an  enemy  he  becomes  a  friend;  of  an  Apostate  he 
becomes  a  child.  His  obedience  is  henceforth  filial,  accepted  of 
God,  and  useful  to  the  Universe.  From  the  debased,  hateful, 
miserable  character  of  sin  he  makes  a  final  escape;  and  begins 
the  glorious  and  eternal  career  of  virtue.  The  deformity,  disgrace, 
and  contempt,  of  which  sin  is  the  parent,  and  the  substance,  he 
exchanges  for  moral  excellence,  loveliness,  and  beauty. 

With  his  character,  his  destination  is  equally  changed.  In  his 
native  condition  he  was  a  child  of  wrath,  an  object  of  abhorrence, 
and  an  heir  of  wo.  Evil,  in  an  unceasing  and  interminable  pro- 
gress, was  his  lot ;  the  regions  of  sorrow  and  despair,  his  everlasting 
home;  and  fiends,  and  fiend-like  men,  his  eternal  companions. 
His  own  bosom  was  the  house  of  remorse ;  while  a  conscience, 
unceasingly  wounded  by  his  sin,  held  up  to  his  eye  the  image  of 
guilt,  and  the  predictions  of  misery  ;  and  filled  him  with  immoveable 
terror  and  amazement.  On  his  character  good  beings  looked  with 
detestation,  and  on  his  ruin,  with  pity:  while  evil  beings  beheld 
both  with  that  satanic  pleasure,  which  a  reprobate  mind  can  enjoy 
at  the  sight  of  companionship  in  turpitude  and  destruction. 

But,  when  he  becomes  the  subject  of  this  great  and  happy 
change  of  character,  all  things  connected  with  him  are  also  chang- 
ed. His  unbelief,  impenitence,  hatred  of  God,  rejection  of  Christ, 
and  resistance  to  the  Spirit  of  grace,  he  has  voluntarily  and  ingen- 
uously renounced.  No  more  rebellious,  impious,  or  ungrateful, 
he  has  assumed  the  amiable  spirit  of  submission,  repentance,  confi- 
dence, hope,  gratitude,  and  love.  The  image  of  his  Maker  is 
instamped  on  his  mind;  and  begins  there  to  shine  with  moral  and 
eternal  beauty.  The  seeds  of  immortality  have  there  sprung  up, 
as  in  a  kindly  soil ;  and,  warmed  by  the  life-giving  beams  of  the 
Sun  of  righteousness,  and  refreshed  by  the  dewy  influence  of  the 
Spirit  of  Grace,  rise,  and  bloom,  and  flourish,  with  increasing  vig- 
our. In  him,  sin,  and  the  flesh,  and  the  world,  daily  decay,  and 
daily  announce  their  approaching  dissolution  :  while  the  soul  con- 
tinually assumes  new  life  and  virtue,  and  is  animated  with  superior 
and  undying  energy.  He  is  now  a  joint  heir  with  Christ,  and  the 
destined  inhabitant  of  heaven.  The  gates  of  glory  and  of  happi- 
ness are  already  opened  to  receive  him;  and  the  joy  of  Saints  and 
Angels  has  been  renewed  over  his  repentance.  All  around  him  is 
peace:  all  before  him  purity  and  transport.  God  is  his  Father; 
Christ  his  Redeemer;  and  the  Spirit  of  Truth  his  Sanctifier. 
Heaven  is  his  eternal  habitation:  virtue  is  his  immortal  character: 
and  seraphim,  and  cherubim,  and  all  the  children  of  light,  are  his 


SER.  LXXIV.]  ITS  NATURE.  429 

companions  for  ever.  Henceforth  he  becomes,  of  course,  a  rich 
blessing  to  the  Universe.  All  good  beings,  nay,  God  himself,  will 
rejoice  in  him  for  ever,  as  a  valuable  accession  to  the  great  king- 
dom of  righteousness,  as  a  real  addition  to  the  mass  of  created 
good,  and  as  a  humble,  but  faithful,  and  honourable,  instrument  of 
the  everlasting  praise  of  heaven.  He  is  a  vessel  of  infinite  mercy ; 
an  illustrious  trophy  of  the  cross  ;  a  gem  in  the  crown  of  glory, 
which  adorns  the  Redeemer  of  mankind. 

Of  all  these  sublime  attainments,  these  exalted  blessings,  these 
divine  allotments.  Regeneration  is  the  beginning.  What,  then,  can 
be  more  worthy  of  the  Spirit  of  truth?  What  effort  in  creation, 
what  event  in  providence,  is  more  becoming  his  character  ?  The 
rise  of  an  empire,  the  formation  of  a  world,  is  a  poor  and  humble 
display  of  infinite  perfection,  compared  with  the  sanctification  of 
an  immortal  mind.  In  the  progress  of  eternity,  one  such  mind  will 
enjoy  more  good,  exercise  more  virtue,  and  display  more  excel- 
lency of  character,  than  this  great  world  of  men  has  ever  enjoyed, 
exercised,  or  displayed.  Accordingly,  God  himself  divinely  cha- 
racterizes this  illustrious  work  in  the  following  magnificent  terms : 
For  behold  I  create  new  heavens,  and  a  new  earth;  and  the  former 
shall  not  be  remembered,  neither  come  into  mind.  But  be  ye  glad, 
and  rejoice  for  ever,  in  that  which  J  create  ;  for  behold!  I  create 
Jerusalem  a  rejoicing,  and  my  people  a  joy.  Of  such  importance 
and  glory  is  the  new  creation,  or  regeneration,  of  the  soul  of  man, 
that,  in  comparison  with  it,  the  original  formation  of  the  heavens 
and  the  earth  is,  in  the  Divine  eye,  unworthy  even  of  being  remem- 
bered. It  was,  therefore,  a  work  proper  for  God  the  Father  to 
contrive ;  for  God  the  Son  to  procure  even  with  his  own  death ; 
and  for  God  the  Holy  Spirit  to  accomplish  with  his  life-giving  and 
almighty  power,  in  the  souls  of  the  guilty,  ruined,  and  perishing 
children  of  Adam, 


SERMON  LXXV. 


REGENERATION. ITS  ANTECEDENTS. 


Acts  xvi.  29,  30. —  Then  he  called  for  a  light,  and  sprang  in,  and  came  trembling, 
and  fell  down  before  Paul  and  Silas  ;  And  brought  them  out,  and  said.  Sirs,  what 
must  J  do  to  be  saved  ? 

Having,  in  the  two  preceding  discourses,  considered  the 
J^ecessity,  the  Reality,  and  the  Nature  of  Regeneration,  I  shall  now 
proceed  to  give  a  history  of  this  important  work,  as  it  usually  exists 
in  fact  ;  and  shall  attempt  to  exhibit  its  Antecedents,  its  Attendants, 
and  its  Consequents.  TJie  first  of  these  subjects  shall  occupy  the 
present  discourse. 

The  text  is  a  part  of  the  story  of  the  Jailer,  to  whose  charge 
Paul  and  Srlas  were  committed  by  the  magistrates  of  Philippi,  with 
a  particular  direction  that  he  should  keep  them  safely.  To  com- 
ply with  this  direction,  he  thrust  them  into  the  inner  prison,  and 
made  their  feet  fast  in  the  stocks.  In  this  situation,  at  midnight, 
they  prayed,  and  sang  praises  to  God.  Suddenly  there  u-as  a  great 
earthquake^  so  that  the  foundations  of  the  prison  zvcre  shaken  :  and 
immediately  all  the  doors  were  opened,  and  every  one'^s  bands  were 
loosed.  And  the  keeper  of  the  prison,  awaking  out  of  his  sleep,  and 
seeing  the  prison  doors  open,  he  drew  out  his  sword,  and  would  have 
killed  himself,  supposing  that  the  prisoners  had  been  fled.  But  Paul 
cried  with  a  loud  voice,  saying.  Do  thyself  no  harm  ;  for  we  are  all 
here.  Then  he  called  for  a  light,  and  sprang  in,  and  came  trem- 
bling, and  fell  down  before  Paul  and  Silas  ;  and  brought  them  out, 
and  said.  Sirs,  what  must  I  do  to  be  saved!' 

The  man  who  is  the  principal  subject  of  this  story,  had  been 
educated  a  heathen,  and,  until  a  short  time  before  the  events  spe- 
cified in  it,  took  place,  was  totally  ignorant  of  the  Christian  religion. 
Within  this  period  he  must  have  been  present,  and  1  think  not  un- 
frequently,  at  the  preaching  of  Paul  and  Silas  :  otherwise,  he  could 
not  have  known,  that  there  was  such  a  thing  as  .salvation.  Proba- 
bly he  was  induced,  in  common  with  his  fellow-citizens,  to  hear 
their  discourses  merely  as  a  gratification  of  curiosity.  Whatever 
was  the  motive,  it  is  plain,  he  had  gained  some  knowledge  of  a 
Saviour;  and  had  learned,  that  through  Him  men  might,  in  some 
manner  or  other,  be  saved. 

The  things,  which  he  had  known  concerning  these  subjects, 
seem  not,  however,  to  have  made  any  very  deep  impressions  on 
his  mind.  Before  the  extraordinary  events  recorded  in  the  verses 
iaimediately  preceding  the  text,  he  appears  not  to  iiave  conversed 


8ER.  LXXV.]  REGENERATION,  &c.  431 

with  these  Ministers  about  his  religious  concerns,  nor  to  have  felt 
any  pecuhar  anxiety  concerning  his  guilt  or  his  danger.  On  the 
contrary,  we  cannot  hesitate  to  consider  him,  as  clearly  proved,  by 
his  severe  treatment  of  them,  to  have  been  hitherto  in  a  state  of 
religious  unconcern,  a  state  of  sinful  coldness  and  quietude. 

But  at  this  time  a  change  was  wrought  in  the  man,  great  and 
wonderful ;  a  change,  manifested  in  his  conduct  with  the  most  un- 
equivocal evidence.  By  what  was  this  change  accomplished? 
What  was  it,  that  of  a  heathen  made  this  man  a  Christian  '!  Was 
the  cause  found  in  the  miraculous  events,  by  which  the  change  was 
immediately  preceded  ?  It  would  seem  that  many  others,  who 
were  equally  witnesses  of  these  events,  still  continued  to  be  heathen, 
and  experienced  no  alteration  of  character.  Beyond  this,  it  is  evi- 
dent from  the  story,  that  the  Jailer  did  not  witness  them  at  all; 
and  that  he  did  not  awake  out  of  sleep,  until  after  the  earthquake, 
and  all  its  alarming  effects,  had  terminated.  Besides,  when  he 
had  awaked,  and  concluded  that  the  prisoners  had  made  their 
escape,  he  determined  to  kill  himself:  an  effort  which  refutes  the 
supposition,  that  he  had  any  just  moral  apprehensions,  and  proves 
him  to  have  been  solicitous  only  concerning  his  responsibility  to 
the  magistrates.  He  had,  indeed,  heard  Paid  and  Silas  preach ; 
so  had  many  others,  who  still  continued  to  be  heathen.  Preach- 
ing, therefore,  did  not  alone  accomplish  this  change-,  otherwise  it 
would  have  accomplished  it  in  them  also.  An  influence,  not  com- 
mon to  others,  must  have  been  felt  by  him ;  an  influence,  never  felt 
by  himself  before,  must  now  have  produced  this  mighty  alteration 
in  his  character. 

The  text  presents  him  to  us  in  the  utmost  agitation  and  distress, 
and  as  thus  agitated  and  distressed  concerning  his  salvation.  Ht 
called  for  a  light,  and  sprang  in,  and  came  trembling,  and  fell  down 
before  Paul  and  Silas  ;  and  said.  Sirs,  what  must  I  do  to  be  saved? 
A  little  before,  he  had  thrust  them  into  the  inner  prison,  and  made 
their  feet  fast  in  the  stocks.  Immediately  before,  he  was  on  the 
point  of  committing  suicide ;  a  gross  and  dreadful  crime,  which 
would  have  ruined  him  for  ever.  A  little  before,  nay  immediately 
before,  he  was  a  heathen  ;  regardless  of  salvation  ;  a  foe  to  Chris- 
tianity ;  and  the  hard-handed  jailer  of  these  Ministers  of  the  Gospel. 

But  now  he  bade  adieu  to  all  these  dispositions,  and  practices, 
at  once;  renounced  his  former  heathenism  and  sin;  and  became 
a  meek,  humble,  and  pious  follower  of  the  Redeemer.  Now  he 
fell  down  at  the  feet  of  his  prisoners,  and  relied  implicitly  on 
them,  for  direction  concerning  his  eternal  well-being. 

A  description  of  the  state  of  this  man's  mind,  in  the  progress  of 
his  Regeneration,  must,  in  substance,  be  a  description  of  the  state 
of  every  mind,  with  respect  to  the  same  important  subject.  The 
events,  preceding  the  work  of  Regeneration,  are  substantially  the 
same^iin  every  mind;  the  work  itself  is  the  same;  and  its  conse- 
quences are  tne  same. 


432  REGENERATION.  [SER.  LXXV 

The  first  great  division  of  this  work,  viz.  what  I  have  mentioned 
as  the  Antecedents  of  Regeneration,  is  commonly  called  Conviction 
of  sin.  Of  this  subject  the  Text  is  a  strong  illustration  ;  and  will 
very  naturally  conduct  our  thoughts  to  every  thing,  which  will  be 
necessary  to  it  on  the  present  occasion.  The  Jailer  plainly  la- 
boured under  powerful  and  distressing  conviction  of  his  own  sin, 
artd  of  the  danger  with  which  it  was  attended.  Of  this  truth  his 
conduct  furnishes  the  most  affecting  proof.  The  state  of  Mind, 
which  he  experienced,  and  which  this  passage  of  Scripture  de- 
scribes, it  is  the  design  of  this  discourse  to  exhibit,  under  the  fol- 
lowing heads  : 

I.  The  Cause  ^ 

II.  The  J^ature  ;  and 

III.  The  Consequences  f  of  Conviction  of  Sin. 

F.   The  peculiar  Cause  of  this  Conviction  is  the  Law  of  God. 

By  the  Law,  saith  St.  Paul,  is  the  knowledge  of  sin.  As  sin  is 
merely  a  transgression  of  the  law  ;  and  as,  where  no  law  is,  there  is 
no  transgression ;  it  is  clear,  beyond  a  question,  that  all  knowledge 
of  sin  must  be  derived  from  the  law.  To  discern  that  we  are  sin- 
ful, we  must  of  course  know  the  Rule  of  Obedience ;  and,  com- 
paring our  conduct  with  that  rule,  must  see  in  this  manner,  that 
our  conduct  is  not  conformed  to  the  rule.  In  this  way  all  know- 
ledge of  sin  is  obtained. 

This,  however,  is  not  an  account  of  the  knowledge  of  sin,  in- 
tended hy  Conviction ;  as  that  word  is  customarily  used  by  Di- 
vines. The  great  body  of  sinners  under  the  Gospel  have,  in  some 
degree  at  least,  this  knowledge ;  and  yet  are  not  justly  said  to  be 
convinced. 

Conviction  of  sin  denotes  something  beyond  the  common  views 
of  the  mind  concerning  its  sins  ;  and  is  always  a  serious,  solemn, 
heartfelt  sense  of  their  reality,  greatness,  guilt,  and  danger.  This 
all  sinners  under  the  Gospel  have  not ;  as  every  man  knows,  who 
possesses  a  spirit  of  common  observation ;  and  peculiarly  every 
man,  who  becomes  a  subject  of  this  conviction.  Every  such  man 
knows,  that  in  his  former,  ordinary  state,  he  had  no  such  sense  of 
sin. 

To  explain  this  subject,  it  is  necessary  to  observe,  that  there  is 
a  total  difference  between  merely  seeing,  or  understanding,  a  sub- 
ject, and  feeling  it.  A  man  may  contemplate,  as  a  mere  object 
of  speculation  and  intellect,  the  downward  progress  of  his  own 
affairs  towards  bankruptcy  and  ruin ;  and  have  clear  views  of  its 
nature  and  certainty  ;  and  still  regard  it  as  an  object  of  mere  spe- 
culation. Should  he  afterwards  become  a  bankrupt,  and  thus  be 
actually  ruined,  he  will  experience  a  state  of  mind  entirely  new, 
and  altogether  unlike  any  thing  which  he  expe'rienced  before. 
He  now  feels  the  subject :  before  he  only  thought  on  it  with  cool 
contemplation  :  and,  however  clear  his  views  were,  they  Htd  no 
effect  on  his  heart.    His  former  views  never  moved  him  to  a  single 


SER.  LXXV]  ITS  ANTECEDENTS.  433 

effort  for  the  prevention  of  his  ruin  :  those,  which  he  now  possesses, 
would  have  engaged  him,  had  they  existed  at  the  proper  time  for 
this  purpose,  in  the  most  vigorous  exertions.  Just  such  is  the  dif- 
ference between  the  common  views  of  sin,  and  those  which  are 
experienced  under  Religious  Conviction.  What,  before,  was  only 
seen,  is  now  realized  and  felt. 

This  also  is  accomplished  by  the  Law  ;  felt,  as  well  as  under- 
stood ;  brought  home  to  the  heart,  and  strongly  realized  by  the 
sinner.  This  fact  is  thus  forcibly  described  by  St.  Paul :  For  I 
was  alive  without  the  law,  once  :  but,  xohen  the  commandment  came, 
sin  revived,  and  I  died.  He  was  alive,  that  is,  in  his  own  feelings, 
while  he  was  zoithout  the  lazv  ;  or  while  the  law  was  no  more  real- 
ized, than  it  is  by  mankind  in  their  ordinary  state;  while  it  is  ac- 
knowledged to  be  the  law  o!  God,  but  not  seriously  regarded,  ap- 
plied to  themselves,  nor  felt  to  be  a  rule  of  duty,  obliging  them, 
indispensably,  to  obey. 

But  when  the  commandment  came. — The  commandment  was  be- 
fore at  a  distance,  scarcely  seen,  and  scarcely  regarded ;  but  now 
came  home  to  him ;  to  his  sober  thoughts ;  his  realizing  apprehen- 
sions. 

Sin  revived. — Sin  began,  then,  first  to  be  perceived  to  be  his  true 
and  distressing  character.  It  arose  out  of  the  torpid  state,  in 
which  it  had  seemed  to  exist  before  ;  and  assumed  new  life, 
strength,  and  terror.  Of  consequence,  he,  who  had  hitherto  con- 
sidered himself,  while  he  was  inattentive  to  the  nature  and  extent 
of  the  divine  law,  as  a  just  man,  safe,  and  acceptable  to  God,  now 
died;  now  perceived  himself  to  be  a  great  and  guilty  sinner,  con- 
demned and  perishing ;  and  all  his  former  safety,  righteousness, 
and  life,  vanished  in  a  moment. 

Under  conviction  of  sin,  the  law  is  applied  by  the  sinner  to 
himself,  and  considered  as  the  rule  of  his  own  duty  ;  the  rule,  by 
which  his  character  is  hereafter  to  be  tried ;  and  the  rule,  by 
which  he  himself  is  now  to  try  it.  Before  this,  no  such  views  of 
the  law  had  entered  his  mind :  no  such  trial  had  ever  been  made. 
In  this  trial,  the  law  is  often,  solemnly,  critically,  and  effectually 
examined.  Both  its  precepts  and  penalties  are  brought  home 
irresistibly,  to  the  heart.  Before,  they  were  things  with  which 
the  sinner  had  little  or  no  concern.  Now  he  finds  them  to  be 
things,  with  which  he  is  more  deeply  concerned  than  with  any 
other. 

II.  The  Nature  of  this  conviction  may  be  unfolded  in  the  following 
manner. 

In  the  ordinary  circumstances  of  the  mind,  it  is  usually  disposed 
to  acknowledge  that  there  is  such  a  thing  as  sin  ;  that  it  is  in  itself 
wrong,  odious,  mischievous  to  mankind,  dishonourable  to  God, 
and  deserving  in  some  degree  of  punishment.  It  is  usually  ready 
to  acknowledge,  also,  that  itself  is  sinful,  and  of  course  exposed 
to  the  anger  of  God.     With  regard  to  sin,  as  with  regard  tp  the 

Vol.  II.  55 


,134  REGENERATION.  (SER.  LXXV. 

law,  its  views  are  often,  perhaps  generally,  just  in  a  certain  de- 
gree ;  but  are  loose,  careless,  and  inefficacious  ;  having  no  other 
offcct  on  the  mind  than  to  produce,  at  seasons  rare  and  solitary, 
some  reproaches  of  conscience,  and  a  degree  of  regret  and  fear, 
feeble,  momentary,  and  easily  forgotten. 

But  when  the  man  becomes  a  subject  of  religious  conviction, 
he  feels,  for  the  first  time,  that  sin  is  a  real  and  dreadful  evil. 
For  the  first  time,  the  law  of  God  is  seen  to  be  a  righteous  and 
reasonable  law,  demanding  nothing  but  what  ought  to  be  demand- 
ed, and  forbidding  nothing  but  what  ought  to  be  forbidden.  Its 
precepts  and  its  penalties  are  both  yielded  to,  as  just;  and  (iod  is 
acknowledged  to  be  righteous  in  prescribing  the  former,  and  in- 
flicting the  latter. 

Himself  he  readily  pronounces  to  be  a  sinner,  universally  de- 
based, utterly  blameable,  justly  condemned,  and  justly  to  be  pun- 
ished. Instead  of  self-justification,  and  self-flattery,  he  is  now 
more  ready  to  pronounce  the  sentence  of  condemnation  on  himself, 
than  on  any  other  person ;  and  is  hardly  brought  to  admit  the 
pleas,  advanced  by  others  in  palliation  of  his  guilt,  or  in  the  de- 
fence of  his  moral  character.  Sin,  and  his  own  sins  especially, 
now  appear  as  things  new,  strange,  and  wonderful ;  as  evils  aw- 
fully serious  and  alarming.  The  law  of  God  is  now  applied  to 
himself  as  his  own  rule  of  duty  5  and  obedience  to  it  is  confessed 
to  be  reasonable,  indispensable,  and  immensely  important.  Every 
violation  of  its  precepts,  therefore,  is  regarded  by  him  as  a  sore 
and  dreadful  evil;  as  guilt,  which  he  perceives  no  means  of  wiping 
away ;  and  as  danger,  which  he  finds  no  opportunity  of  escaping. 
An  accumulation  of  crimes  innumerable,  and  of  guilt  incompre- 
hensible, is  thus  seen  to  have  been  formed  by  the  conduct  of  his 
whole  life,  which,  to  the  anxious  and  terrified  eye  of  the  criminal, 
has  already  swollen  to  the  size  of  mountains,  and  ascended  to  the 
height  of  heaven. 

These  views,  it  is  to  be  remembered,  are  zvholly  neio  to  the  sinner. 
Their  novelty,  of  course,  greatly  enhances,  in  his  eye,  the  terri- 
fying and  oppressive  magnitude  of  the  subject.  All  new  things 
affect  us  more,  when  new,  than  when  by  frccjuent  repetition  they 
have  become  familiar.  Before,  he  never  in  sober  earnest  believed 
himself  to  be  a  sinner.  To  find  himself,  therefore,  to  be  not  only 
a  sinner,  but  a  sinner  of  so  guilty  and  blameable  a  character, 
naturally  overwhelms  him  with  anguish  and  dismay. 

His  mind,  also,  is  now  exceedingly  alarmed,  and  distressed,  by 
this  afflicting  discovery.  On  an  agitated  mind  all  things,  with 
which  it  is  concerned,  make  deep  impressions ;  deeper  far  than 
when  it  is  at  ease  ;  and  especially  those  things  which  produced 
the  agitation.  Such,  particularly,  is  the  fact  in  this  state  of  reli- 
gious agitation.  For  both  these  reasons,  as  well  as  from  the  real 
greatness  and  nature  of  his  guilt,  the  convinced  man  is  often  ready 
to  believe,  that  no  sinner  was  ever  so  guilty  as  himself. 


SER.  LXXII]  ITS  ANTECEDENTS.  435 

It  is  not  uncommon  to  hear  persons,  of  no  singular  depravity, 
declare,  that  they  are  doubtful  whether  Judas  was  equally  a  trans- 
gressor with  themselves.  I  have  heard  doubts  expressed  by 
persons,  of  more  than  common  decency  and  amiableness,  whether 
Satan  was  not  less  odious  to  God  than  they  were  :  and  this  reason 
has  been  alleged  for  the  doubt,  that  he  had  never  sinned  against 
forgiving  and  redeeming  love.  It  is  not  to  be  wondered  at,  that 
the  soul,  to  which  these  awful  subjects  are  thus  new,  and  which  is 
thus  terrified  by  its  first  views  of  them,  should  be  even  excessive 
in  its  self-condemnation. 

With  the  greatness  of  its  guilt,  the  greatness  of  its  danger  keeps 
an  equal  pace.  Scarcely  any  thing  more  naturally,  or  more  com- 
monly, occurs  to  the  mind  in  this  situation,  than  doubts,  whether 
such  guilt,  as  itself  has  accumulated,  can  be  forgiven.  The  Mercy 
of  God,  which  is  declared  in  the  Scriptures  to  be  greater  than  our 
sins,  to  be  above  the  heavens,  to  extend  to  all  generations,  and  to 
endure  for  ever,  is  often  doubted,  so  far  as  the  sinner  himself  is 
concerned ;  admitted  easily  with  regard  to  others,  and  with  regard 
to  all  or  almost  all  others,  it  is  still  doubted  so  far  as  he  is  con- 
cerned, and  is  easily  believed  to  be  incapable  of  extending  to  him. 
Often  he  is  strongly  tempted  to  believe,  that  he  has  committed  the 
unpardonable  sin ;  and  often,  and  much,  is  he  busied  in  examining 
what  is  the  nature  of  that  sin.  Instead  of  self-flattery,  the  only 
employment  which  he  was  formerly  willing  to  pursue,  with  respect 
to  his  spiritual  concerns,  and  which  he  indulged  in  every  foolish 
and  excessive  degree,  he  is  now  wholly  engaged  in  the  opposite 
career  of  self-condemnation ;  and  not  unfrequently  piu'sues  it  to 
an  excess,  equally  unwarranted  by  the  Scriptures.  Nor  is  he  at 
all  prone  to  feel,  that  he  is  now  equally  guilty  of  new  sin  in  limiting 
the  mercy  of  God,  and  in  forming  new  kinds  of  unpardonable  sins, 
as  before,  in  presuming,  without  warrant,  on  the  exercise  of  divine 
mercy  towards  his  hardened  heart. 

All  these  emotions  are  also  greatly  heightened  by  the  remem- 
brance of  his  former  stupidity,  unbelief,  and  hardness  of  heart,  his 
light-mindedness  and  self-justification,  his  deafness  to  instruction, 
his  insensibility  to  the  calls  of  mercy,  the  reproofs  of  guilt,  and 
the  warnings  of  future  wo.  What  before  were  his  favourite 
pursuits  he  now  considers  as  the  means  of  his  ruin  ;  what  before 
was  the  object  of  his  delight  is  now  the  object  of  his  abhorrence. 
That  which  was  once  his  support,  is  now  his  terror  :  that  which 
he  accounted,  and  boasted  of,  as  his  wisdom,  he  now  considers 
as  the  mere  madness  of  Bedlam.  Nor  can  he  explain  to  himself 
how  such  sottishness  could  ever  have  been  his  conduct,  or  his 
character. 

The  Bible,  now,  its  threatenings  and  promises,  its  doctrines,  pre- 
cepts, and  ordinances,  assume  an  aspect  wholly  new ;  for  the  first 
time  real,  solemn,  important ;  the  only  ground  of  his  distress ;  and 
the  only  source  of  his  possible  comfort.     The  same  truth  and  real- 


436  REGENKRATIOX.  [3ER.  LXXV 

ity,  the  same  solemnity  and  importance,  at  once  invest  the  prayers, 
sermons,  and  other  religious  instructions,  which  he  has  heard  from 
his  parents,  from  ministers,  and  from  other  persons  of  piety.  Why 
they  did  not  always,  and  of  course,  wear  these  characteristics,  is 
now  his  astonishment ;  why  he  did  not  covet  them,  listen  to  them, 
and  obey  them.  Madness^  entire  and  dreadful,  he  now  readily  ac- 
knowledges was  in  his  heart  from  the  beginning;  and  has  hitherto 
constituted  his  only  moral  character. 

It  is  not  here  to  be  supposed,  that  this  is,  in  form,  an  exact  ac- 
count of  the  state  of  every  convinced  sinner.  In  siihslance,  it  may 
be  considered  as  universally  just.  Some  such  sinners  are  subjects 
of  far  more  deep  and  distressing  convictions,  than  others  ;  convic- 
tions much  longer  continued  ;  respecting  some  of  these  objects 
more,  and  others  less ;  producing  more  erroneous  conclusions, 
greater  self-condemnation,  deeper  despondency,  and,  universally, 
more  distressing  agitation.  Some  minds  are  naturally  more  ex- 
quisitely capable  of  feeling,  than  others  ;  more  prone  to  sink ;  less 
prepared  to  hope,  to  exert  themselves,  to  reason,  and  to  admit  the 
conclusions,  which  flow  from  reasoning  ;  less  ready  to  receive  con- 
solation ;  and  more  ready  to  yield  to  these,  as  well  as  other,  temp- 
tations. Some  have  been  better  instructed  in  early  life  ;  have  been 
more  conscientious,  amiable,  and  exemplary  •,  and  have  less  to  re- 
proach themselves  with  in  their  past  conduct.  The  Spirit  of  God, 
also,  may  choose  to  affect,  and  probably  does  affect  different  minds 
in  different  manners.  Finally ;  some  minds  may  be  more  surround- 
ed by  temptations  and  dangers,  and  at  the  same  time  furnished  with 
friends  less  accessible,  counsels  less  wise,  and  directions  less  safe, 
in  this  season  of  trial  and  sorrow.  From  these  and  many  other 
concurring  causes  it  happens,  that  'inform,  degree,  aud  co)itinuance, 
convictions  operate  very  differently  on  difl'erent  minds:  nor  can 
any  human  skill  limit  them  in  these  respects. 

It  ought  by  no  means  to  be  omitted  here,  that  there  are  persons, 
especially  of  a  steady,  serene  disposition,  educated  in  a  careful,  re- 
ligious manner,  and  habitually  of  unblameable  lives,  in  whom  the 
process  of  conviction  is  conformed  in  a  great  degree  to  their  gen- 
eral character.  These  persons,  to  the  time  of  their  conversion, 
have,  not  uncommonly,  no  remarkable  fears  or  hopes,  sorrows  or 
joys.  Conscientiously,  but  calmly,  they  oppose  sin  ;  evenly,  but 
mildly,  they  sorrow  for  it;  and  steadily,  but  with  no  great  ardour 
of  feeling,  they  labour  in  the  duties  of  a  religious  life.  In  the 
account,  which  they  give  of  their  religious  views,  and  emotions, 
there  is  little  to  excite  any  peculiar  degree  of  comfort  in  them- 
selves, or  of  hope  concerning  them  in  others.  Still  their  lives  are 
often  distinguished  by  uncommon  excellence.  Their  progress  is 
not  that  of  a  torrent  now  violent,  now  sluggish  and  stagnant,  but 
that  of  a  river  silently,  and  uniformly,  moving  onward,  and  never 
delaying  its  course  a  moment  in  its  way  towards  the  ocean.  In 
>hese  persons  a  critical  eye  may  discern  a  fixed,  unwarping  love  of 


SER.  LXXV]  ITS  ANTECEDENTS.  437 

their  duty,  a  perpetual  repetition  of  good  works,  a  continual  ad- 
vance towards  the  consummation  of  the  Christian  character. 

In  substance,  however,  this  work  is  the  same  in  all  minds.  All 
really  discern  the  importance,  reasonableness,  and  justice,  of  the 
divine  law ;  their  own  violations  of  its  precepts  ;  the  guilt,  which 
they  have  in  this  manner  incurred  ;  the  righteousness  of  God,  in 
punishing  them  for  it  5  and  the  extreme  danger,  to  which  they  are 
therefore  exposed.  No  sinner  can  turn  from  sin  to  holiness,  with- 
out seeing  the  evil  and  danger  of  the  one,  and  the  excellence  and 
safety  of  the  other.  No  sinner  can  turn  from  sin  to  holiness,  with- 
out knowing,  and  acknowledging,  his  own  sin  and  danger  ;  the  rea- 
sonableness of  the  divine  law  ;  and  the  justice  of  God  in  punishing 
his  transgressions. 

III.  The  immediate  consequences  of  this  conviction  next  demand 
our  attention. 

On  this  subject  it  is  necessary  to  observe  in  the  beginning,  that 
the  sinner  is  still  altogether  a  sinner.  The  only  difference  between 
his  present  and  former  character  is,  that,  before,  he  was  an  uncon- 
vinced, and  now,  a  convinced,  sinner.  Before,  he  was  ignorant  of 
his  true  character:  now  he  understands  it  clearly. 

Hence,  it  will  be  remembered,  all  his  resolutions,  efforts,  and 
conduct,  will  partake  of  his  general  character  ;  and  will  of  course 
be  sinful.  Between  his  conscience  and  his  affections,  there  is  now 
a  more  complete  and  open  opposition,  than  ever  before.  His  con- 
science justifies  God,  approves  of  the  divine  law,  and  in  spite  of 
himself  acquiesces  in  his  condemnation  ;  but  his  heart  is  still  utterly 
opposed  to  all  these  things,  and  usually  more  opposed  to  them 
than  ever. 

He  is,  indeed,  afraid  to  sin  ;  but  it  is  because  he  dreads  the  pun- 
ishment annexed  to  it;  not  because  he  hates  the  sin.  Nor  is  it  an 
unknown,  nor  probably  a  very  unfrequent,  case,  that  these  very 
fears  become  to  him  motives  to  continue  in  sin,  and  even  to  give 
himself  up  wholly  to  sinning.  Under  the  influence  of  his  fears,  he 
is  not  unfrequently  disposed  to  conclude,  that  there  is  no  hope  for 
him  ;  and  that,  therefore,  he  may  as  well,  and  even  better,  indulge 
himself  in  wickedness,  than  attempt  a  repentance  and  reformation, 
which  his  deceitful  heart,  and  probably  all  his  spiritual  enemies, 
represent  as  too  late^  and  therefore  fruitless.  From  this  danger, 
some,  it  is  not  improbable,  never  escape ;  but  retiim,  like  the  dog 
to  his  vomit,  and  like  the  sow,  that  was  washed,  to  her  wallowing  in 
the  mire.  Still,  1  apprehend,  this  is  very  far  from  being  a  common 
case.  A  very  small  number  only,  as  I  believe,  compared  with  the 
whole,  yield  themselves  up  to  ruin  in  this  deplorable  manner.  Per- 
haps no  one,  who  persisted  in  his  efforts  to  gain  eternal  life,  was 
ever  finally  deserted  by  the  Spirit  of  grace. 

To  such,  as  perseveringly  continue  in  their  endeavours,  the  next 
natural  step  in  their  progress,  the  first  great  consequence  of  con- 
viction of  sin.  is  to  inquire  most  earnesdy  what  they  shall  do  to  be 


438  REGENERATION.  [SER.  LXXV. 

saved.  Of  the  anguish,  produced  by  such  conviction,  the  text  fur- 
nishes us  with  a  very  forcible  example.  No  picture  was  perhaps 
ever  more  striking,  than  that  which  is  given  us  of  the  extreme 
agitation  of  the  Jailer,  in  the  text.  He  called  for  a  tight,  and  sprang 
in,  and  came  trembling,  and  fell  down  before  Paul  and  Silas  ;  and 
said,  Sirs,  what  must  I  do  to  be  saved  ?  An  agitation,  not  unlike 
this,  frequently  occupies  the  hearts  of  others ;  and  prompts  them 
with  the  same  earnestness  to  make  the  same  solemn  and  aifecting 
inquiry. 

Antecedently  to  this  period,  the  sinner  has,  in  many  instances, 
lived  without  a  single  sober  thought  of  asking  this  question  at  all. 
Go  thy  way  for  this  time  ;  when  I  have  a  convenient  season,  I  will 
call  for  thee ;  has  been  his  only  language  to  repentance  and  reform- 
ation. The  subject  has  never  become  seriously  interesting  to  him 
before.  Before,  he  has  never  seen  his  guilt,  nor  his  danger.  Be- 
fore, he  has  not  wished  for  salvation  ;  has  found  good  enough  in 
the  world,  in  sin,  and  in  sense,  to  prevent  all  anxiety  about  future 
good ;  considered  this  as  present  and  real ;  and  regarded  that  as 
distant,  doubtful,  and  imaginary.  But  now  his  danger  of  ruin,  and 
his  necessity  of  deliverance,  appear  in  their  full  strength.  In  this 
situation,  he  makes  this  great  inquiry  with  all  possible  solicitude. 
His  happiness,  his  life,  his  soul,  in  the  utmost  danger  of  being  lost 
for  ever,  are  felt  to  be  suspended  on  the  answer.  He  beholds 
God,  his  own  enemy,  and  an  unchangeable  enemy  to  sin  and  im- 
penitence, now  rising  up  to  destroy  him  utterly,  and  to  pour  out 
upon  him  his  wrath  and  indignation.  In  the  deepest  anguish  he 
searches  with  prying  eyes  for  a  place  of  safety. 

Here  he  first  finds  himself  at  a  total  loss  concerning  what  he  shall 
do.  Here  he  first  discovers  his  own  ignorance  of  this  great  sub- 
ject. Before,  he  was  rich,  and  had  need  of  nothing ;  had  eyes, 
which  saw  clearly  all  wisdom ;  understood  all  that  he  needed  to 
know,  or  do;  and  wanted  no  instruction  nor  information  from  oth- 
ers. Now  he  first  finds  himself  to  be,  and  to  have  been  poor,  and 
wretched,  and  miserable,  and  blind,  and  naked,  and  in  want  of  all 
things.  Now,  instead  of  deciding  on  questions  of  the  greatest  mo- 
ment, and  difficulty,  in  Theology,  and  deciding  roundly  without 
examination,  or  knowledge,  he  is  desirous  of  being  instructed  in 
small  and  plain  things  ;  and  instead  of  feeling  his  former  contempt 
for  those,  who  are  skilled  in  them,  he  becomes  humble,  docile,  de- 
sirous of  being  taught,  and  disposed  to  regard  with  sincere  respect 
such  as  are  able  to  teach  him. 

At  the  same  time,  he  especially  betakes  himself  to  the  source  of 
all  instruction  in  things  of  this  nature  :  the  Word  of  God.  This 
book  he  searches  with  all  anxiety  of  mind,  to  find  information,  and 
hope.  The  threatenings  and  alarms,  which  before  hindered  him 
from  reading  the  Scriptures,  now  engage  him  to  read  them.  His 
own  danger  and  guilt  he  now  labours  thoroughly  to  learn  ;  and  is 
impatient  to  know  the  worst  of  his  case.     Whatever  he  finds  there 


SER.  LXXV]  ITS  ANTECEDENTS.  43^ 

recorded,  he  readily  admits,  however  painful,  and  employs  himself 
no  more  either  in  doubting,  or  finding  fault.  To  the  former  he  has 
bidden  adieu :  the  latter  he  knows  to  be  fruitless.  However  guilty 
the  Bible  exhibits  him,  he  is  prepared  to  consider  himself  as  being 
at  least  equally  guilty.  However  dangerous  it  declares  his  case  to 
be,  he  is  prepared  to  acknowledge  the  danger. 

In  this  distress,  it  will  be  easily  supposed,  he  also  searches  for 
the  means  of  deliverance.  For  these  he  labours  with  the  deepest 
concern.  Hence  he  reads,  examines,  and  ponders,  with  an  inter- 
est, new  and  peculiar ;  with  fear  and  trembling ;  with  critical 
attention  to  every  sentiment,  declaration,  and  word ;  with  an  ear- 
nest disposition  to  find  relief  and  consolation  in  any  and  every 
passage,  where  it  can  be  found.  The  Bible  is  now  no  longer  the 
neglected,  forgotten,  despised  book,  which  it  formerly  was ;  but 
his  chief  resort;  the  man  of  his  counsel ;  the  rule  of  his  conduct. 
To  him  it  has  now  become,  for  the  first  time,  the  word  of  God,  and 
the  means  of  eternal  life. 

All  the  difficulties,  which  heretofore  prevented  him  from  being 
present  in  the  house  of  God,  have  now  vanished.  The  disagreea- 
ble weather,  the  personal  indispositions,  the  indolence  which 
seemed  like  an  indisposition,  the  plainness  of  the  preacher,  the 
inelegance  of  the  sermon,  and  the  imperfection  of  the  psalmody, 
keep  him  at  home  no  more.  In  this  solemn  place  he  listens  to  all 
that  is  uttered ;  and  watches  all  that  is  done.  The  preacher'' s  words 
become  as  goads  ;  piercing  to  the  dividing  asunder  of  the  soxd  and 
the  Spirit,  of  the  joints  and  marrow. 

At  his  former  listlessness  he  is  now  amazed ;  as  well  as  at  that, 
which  he  still  beholds  in  others  around  him.  The  Sabbath,  no 
longer  a  dull,  wearisome  day,  of  which  the  hours  dragged  heavily, 
and  during  which  he  could  hardly  find  any  tolerable  means  of 
passing  the  time,  now  becomes  a  season  of  activity  and  industry, 
unceasing  and  intense;  a  season,  waited  for  with  anxiety,  and  wel- 
comed with  hope  and  joy.  The  sanctuary,  no  longer  regarded  as  a 
place  of  mere  confinement,  as  the  scene  of  tedious,  dull,  unmeaning 
rites,  where  grave  people  were  believed  to  assemble  for  scarcely 
any  other  purpose,  except  to  keep  gay  ones  in  order,  has  now 
become  the  house  of  the  living  God,  and  the  Gate  of  Heaven^  the 
place,  where  he  expects  to  find,  if  he  finds  at  all,  an  escape  from 
death,  and  the  way  to  eternal  life. 

In  the  mean  time,  he  cries  mightily  unto  God  for  deliverance  from 
sin  and  ruin.  Prayer,  long,  perhaps  from  the  beginning  of  his  life, 
unused,  unknown,  and  unthought  of,  or,  if  thought  of  at  all,  and 
attempted,  always  a  burden,  now  becomes  his  most  natural  con- 
duct. He  sees,  and  feels,  that  God  alone  can  deliver  him ;  and 
therefore  irresistibly  looks  to  him  for  deliverance  ;  oftentimes,  in- 
deed, with  fear  even  to  pray,  from  the  strong  sense  which  he 
entertains  of  his  absolute  unworthiness ;  and  his  unfitness  to 
perform  this  first,  most  natural,  most  reasonable,  of  all  rehgious 


440  REGENERATIOiN.  [SER.  LXXV. 

services.  Sensible  how  impure  an  appearance  he  must  make 
before  that  God,  in  whose  sight  the  heavens  are  unclean,  and  -whose 
angels  are  charged  with  folly,  he  feels  unwilling,  like  the  Publican, 
even  to  lift  up  his  eyes  towards  Heaven ;  but,  smiting  his  breast, 
cries  out  with  importunate  anguish,  God  be  merciful  to  me,  a  sinner! 
But  he  cannot  he  prevented  from  praying.  His  cries  for  mercy, 
and  those  at  times  involuntary  and  ejaculatory,  are  forced  from 
him  by  the  sense  of  his  guilt,  and  his  fears  of  perdition.  They 
often  break  out  in  his  walks,  in  the  course  of  his  daily  employments, 
and  in  his  occasional  journeyings  :  they  spring  from  his  medita- 
tions ;  they  ascend  from  his  pillow.  The  question,  whether  a 
sinner  shall  be  directed  to  pray,  has  become  nugatory  to  him ;  and 
has  been  decided,  not  by  metaphysical  disquisition,  but  by  the 
controlling  anguish  of  his  heart. 

During  this  season  of  struggling  for  salvation,  it  is  nounfrequent 
thing  for  his  despondency  to  continue,  to  return  at  intervals  with 
more  weight,  and  to  sink  him  deeper  in  distress ;  according  to  the 
different  states  of  his  mind,  and  the  nature  of  the  different  subjects, 
which  occupy  his  thoughts. 

It  is  all  along  to  be  kept  in  view,  that,  as  I  have  heretofore  re- 
marked, this  state  of  things  is  very  different  in  different  persons  ; 
varying  almost  endlessly  in  manner  and  degree  ;  in  some  instances 
comparatively  calm,  quiet,  and  of  an  even  tenour  ;  in  others  dis- 
turbed, distressed,  and  tumultuous.  Still  it  is  also  to  be  remem- 
bered, that  substantially  it  is  the  same. 

During  this  state  of  mind,  it  is  further  to  be  observed,  the  sinner 
forsakes,  of  course,  many  of  his  former  favourite  objects ;  espe- 
cially his  diversions,  his  gayety,  his  loose  companions,  and  his 
haunts  of  sin.  These  he  now  perceives,  and  feels,  to  be  the  seats, 
and  sources,  of  temptation,  danger,  and  sorrow.  Hence  he  shuns 
them  with  vigilant  care,  and  lively  dread  ;  not  from  virtuous  mo- 
tives, but  from  the  fear  of  rendering  his  case  more  dreadful  and 
hopeless. 

But  none  of  his  efforts  give  him  rest.  Neither  his  affections, 
desires,  nor  labours,  are  virtuous  in  the  Evangelical  sense,  or  com- 
mendable in  the  sight  of  God.  His  sense  of  danger  only,  and  his 
apprehension  of  the  inestimable  importance  of  escaping,  originally 
asleep  or  dead  ;  is  now  alive  and  awake.  This  feeling,  and  its 
necessary  effects,  constitute  the  only  change  in  his  condition.  No 
real  goodness,  no  moral  excellence,  nothing  really  acceptable  to 
God,  is  yet  begun  in  his  mind,  or  supposed  to  be  begun.  To  be 
sensible  that  we  arc  sinners,  is  not  the  result  of  virtue.  There  is 
no  real  goodness  in  being  afraid  of  the  an^^er  of  God.  There  is  not, 
necessarily,  any  thing  holy  in  acknowledging,  that  God  is  just  in 
inflicting  punishment,  Avhich  has  been  deserved.  These  things 
may  all  exist  without  any  hatred  of  sin.  and  love  to  God.  or  any 
faith  in  the  Redeemer. 


SER.  LXXV.]  ITS  ANTECEDENTS.  441 

The  prayers,  which  he  daily  offers  up  to  his  Maker,  are  not  the 
offspring  of  piety,  but  of  terror.  The  Child,  who  sees  the  rod 
bi'ought  out  to  view,  and  beholds  correction  at  the  door,  is  ever 
ready  to  supplicate  for  pity  and  forgiveness,  and  to  promise  what- 
ever may  contribute  to  his  escape  from  the  impending  danger. 
Yet  he  is  not  of  course  a  dutiful  child. 

Still  these  efforts  of  the  sinner  are  useful  to  him.  No  unregene- 
rated  man  was  probably  ever  convinced,  except  by  trying  his  own 
strength,  that  he  was  unable,  of  himself,  to  perform  virtuous  ac- 
tions ;  to  pray,  to  serve,  and  to  glorify  God  :  unable,  I  mean,  in 
this  sense;  that  he  has  no  heart,  no  inclination,  to  perform  these 
duties ;  and  that  he  will  never  possess  a  better  disposition,  but  by 
the  renovating  agency  of  the  Spirit  of  God.  The  more  he  labours, 
however,  the  more  clearly  he  will  perceive  his  services  to  be  all 
essentially  defective,  and  really  sinful.  The  more  he  prays,  the 
more  unworthy  he  pronounces  his  prayers.  An  unconvinced  sin- 
ner always  believes  that  he  can  pray  in  a  manner  acceptable  to 
God  :  a  convinced  sinner  readily  declares,  that  he  cannot  pray  in  a 
manner,  acceptable,  not  to  God,  but  even  to  himself. 

In  the  struggle  thus  continued,  and  thus  earnestly  conducted,  he 
learns  how  obstinate  his  sinful  dispositions  are,  and  with  what  hope- 
less difficulty  they  are  to  be  overcome.  Convinced  at  length,  that 
all  his  efforts  must,  without  the  immediate  assistance  of  God,  prove 
entirely  vain,  he  casts  off  all  his  dependence  on  himself,  and  turns 
his  eye  to  God,  with  the  feelings  of  Peter^  when  beginning  to  sink, 
and  cries  out  in  his  language.  Lord  save  me,  or  I  perish  ! 

REMARKS. 

1st.  From  these  observations  we  learn  the  use  and  influence  of  the 
Law  of  God  in  promoting  the  work  of  conversion. 

The  Law  evidently  begins  this  work  in  the  soul ;  or,  perhaps, 
in  more  accurate  language,  it  begins,  and  produces,  that  state  of 
thought  and  affection,  in  which  the  Soul  is  \isually  turned  to  God. 
Without  the  terrors  of  the  Law  this  state  of  mind  would  manifestly 
never  be  produced,  unless  the  whole  tenour  of  Divine  Providence 
should  be  changed.  Yet  this,  so  far  as  we  can  see,  is  a  natural  and 
necessary  pre-requisite  to  conversion.  The  sinner  entirely  needs 
thus  to  understand,  and  feel,  his  condition  ;  his  guilt,  his  danger,  his 
helplessness,  and  his  absolute  necessity  of  being  renewed  by  the 
Spirit  of  Grace.  By  the  Law  alone  is  he  enabled  clearly  to  see, 
and  strongly  to  feel,  these  interesting  things.  From  the  same 
source  of  instruction  he  learns  the  true  nature  of  his  own  efforts  : 
for  it  is  by  a  comparison  of  them  with  this  standard  of  perfection, 
that  he  sees  how  destitute  they  are  of  all  real  holiness,  and  how  una- 
vailing to  recommend  him  to  God.  In  a  word,  from  the  Law  only 
does  he  gain  the  knowledge,  that  he  is  spiritually  sick,  and  stands 
in  infinite  need  of  the  divine  Physician. 

Vol.  II.  5fi 


442  REGENERATION.  [SER.  LXXV^ 

2dly.  These  observations  also  teach  us  the  necessity,  as  well  as  use- 
fulness, of  that  preaching,  which  explains,  and  enforces,  the  nature 
of  the  Law. 

It  is  not  unfrequcnt  to  hear  both  preachers  themselves,  and  many 
other  persons,  condemn  the  preaching  of  the  Law.  These  per- 
sons dwell  much  on  the  endearing  benevolence  of  the  Gospel,  the 
riches  of  the  Divine  Goodness  displayed  in  it,  and  the  importance, 
and  wisdom,  of  winning  sinners  to  embrace  it.  On  the  other  hand, 
they  censure  with  no  small  severity  the  preaching  of  the  law,  and 
those  who,  in  this  manner,  attempt  to  alarm  sinners  concerning 
their  moral  condition.  If  the  things,  which  have  been  said  in  this 
discourse,  are  admitted  to  be  just ;  it  must  also  be  admitted,  that 
these  persons  know  very  little  of  the  important  subjects,  which 
they  handle  in  this  free  and  unhappy  manner.  They  must  plainly 
be  ignorant  of  the  nature  both  of  the  Law  and  the  Gospel ;  of  the 
sinner's  danger  and  guilt ;  the  means  of  his  deliverance ;  the  na- 
ture of  both  conviction  and  conversion  ;  the  use  of  convictions  to- 
wards conversion;  and  the  use  of  the  Law  in  exciting  them. 

It  has,  I  trust,  been  clearly  shown,  that  the  Law  is  absolutely 
necessary  to  rouse  the  sinner  from  his  sleep  of  death,  to  point  out 
to  him  his  danger,  and  to  induce  him  to  seek  for  relief.  To  the 
necessity  of  the  Law  for  this  purpose,  the  necessity  of  preaching 
it,  is  exactly  proportioned.  Nothing  else  will  accomplish  the  end. 
So  long  as  this  is  kept  out  of  view,  other  things  will  only  sooth 
the  sinner.  If  he  views  God  as  merciful  without  any  regaixl  to  his 
justice,  as  forgiving  without  solid  reasons  :  without  an  atonement^ 
and  without  the  application  of  that  atonement  to  himself;  he  will 
be  fearfully  deceived  ;  and  trust  in  that  mercy,  on  terms,  and  with 
views,  agreeably  to  which  it  can  never  be  exercised. 

This  method  of  decrying  the  divine  Law,  and  the  preaching  of 
it,  is  a  dangerous  method  of  flattering  sinners  to  destruction,  and 
of  sewing  pilloius  under  all  arm-holes. 

Christ",  the  Prophets,  and  the  Aposdes,  acted  in  a  very  different 
manner.  They  stung  sinners  to  the  quick ;  pricked  them  to  the 
heart  with  strong,  solemn,  and  affecting  representations  of  their 
guilt,  their  danger,  and  their  approaching  damnation  ;  roused  them 
from  their  slumbers ;  and  forced  them  to  listen,  feel,  and  act. 

The  nature  of  the  case  shows  the  reasonableness,  and  excellen- 
cy, of  their  example,  and  the  propriety  and  wisdom  of  following  it : 
while,  at  the  same  time,  it  holds  out  the  folly  of  those  who  disuse, 
as  well  as  those  who  censure,  preaching  of  this  nature.  We  need 
not  be  at  all  afraid,  lest  sinners  in  modern  times  should  be  more 
easily  affected,  than  they  were  in  ancient  times.  Their  hearts  ore 
by  no  means  peculiarly  tender ;  but,  like  the  hearts  of  those  who 
lived  in  former  days,  resemble  the  rock,  and  need  both  the  f  re  and 
the  hammer  to  break  them  in  pieces. 

Some  persons  are  probably  afraid  to  preach  in  this  manner,  lest 
they  should  give  [)ain  to  their  hearers,  and  hazard  their  own  popw- 


3ER.  LXXV.]  ITS  ANTECEDENTS.  443 

larity.  These  men  either  destroy,  or  prevent,  much  good,  by 
standing  in  the  place  of  such  preachers,  as,  like  Boanerges,  would 
thunder  an  alarm  in  the  ears  of  sleeping  guilt,  and  rouse  the  torpid 
soul  to  a  sense  of  its  danger. 

3dly.  From  these  observations  we  also  learn  the  necessity  of  the 
Gospel  to  the  accomplishment  of  this  great  work. 

U  the  sinner  were  left  wholly  to  the  Law,  he  would  sink,  and  die : 
for  it  gives  him  neither  encouragement  nor  hope.  While  the  Law 
is  of  mighty  and  indispensable  use,  to  rouse  him  from  his  sloth,  and 
awaken  him  to  vigorous  exertions  for  his  deliverance;  the  Gospel 
is  the  only  foundation  of  hope,  that  these  exertions  will  be  of  any 
use.  Without  this  hope  he  would  do  nothing,  but  despair.  It  is 
indispensable,  therefore,  that  the  Gospel  should  follow  the  Law  in 
all  sound  preaching ;  that,  when  the  sinner  is  roused  to  inquire 
what  he  shall  do  to  be  saved,  he  may  find  encouragement  in  its  glo- 
rious promises  and  invitations.  In  this  manner  he  learns,  on  the 
one  hand,  his  ruined  condition  by  nature  and  by  practice,  and,  on 
the  other,  that  safe  and  happy  state,  into  which  he  may  be  intro- 
duced by  the  grace  of  God.  Thus  the  adaptation,  and  utility,  of  the 
whole  Word  of  God,  to  the  purposes  designed  by  it,  are  strongly 
manifest;  the  wisdom  of  all  things  contained  in  it,  as  the  word  of 
life ;  their  excellency,  their  glory;  and  their  resemblance  to  its  Au- 
thor. Thus,  also,  is  it  commended  to  our  study,  contemplation, 
wonder,  and  praise. 


SERMON  L.XXVI. 


REGENERATION. ITS    ATTENDANTS. GENERALLY    CONSIDERED. 


Ephesians  iv.  22 — 24.  —  That  ye  put  off,  concerning  the  former  conversation,  the 
old  man  which  is  corrupt  according  to  the  deceitful  lusts  ;  And  be  renewed  in  the 
spirit  of  your  mind  ;  And  that  ye  put  on  the  new  man,  iohich,  after  God,  is  created 
in  righteousness  und  true  holiness. 

IN  the  last  discourse,  I  described  the  situation  and  conduct,  of 
a  Convinced  sinner.  Ii  is  now  my  intention  to  exhibit  the  Conver- 
sion of  the  same  sinner  to  God:  or  to  exhibit  what  in  that  discourse 
I  called  the  attendants  of  Regeneration. 

In  the  text,  connected  with  the  17th  verse,  the  Ephesians  are  com- 
manded to  put  off  the  old  man  with  his  deeds,  and  to  put  on  the  new 
man;  or,  in  a  more  strict  accordance  with  the  original  language,  to 
cast  aivay  the  old.  and  be  clothed  with  the  new  man.  It  has  been 
supposed,  that  tiic  passage  contains  an  allusion  to  the  conduct  of 
the  new  Converts,  at  their  baptism  ;  who  are  said  at  this  ordinance 
to  have  cast  away  their  old  garments,  as  a  symbol  of  their  renun- 
ciation of  sin,  and  to  have  been  clothed  with  new  ones,  as  a  token 
of  their  assumption  of  holiness.  It  has  also  been  supposed,  that 
the  Apostle  alludes  to  the  custom  of  Actors,  who  changed  their 
clothes  whenever  they  changed  their  characters.  The  allusion  is, 
however,  so  natural  and  familiar,  that  it  seems  unnecessary  to  look 
far  for  an  explanation. 

To  put  off  the  old  man,  and  to  put  on  the  new  man,  are,  in  the 
text,  exhibited  as  equivalent  to  being  reviewed  in  the  spirit  of  their 
mind,  that  is,  to  being  the  subjects  of  Regeneration.  This  doctrine 
is  still  further  illustrgited  in  the  declarations,  that  the  old  man  is  cor- 
rupt, and  that  the  new  man  is  created,  after  God,  in  righteousness 
and  true  holiness.  That  to  renounce  the  former  of  these  characters, 
and  to  assume  the  latter,  is  the  same  thing  with  being  regenerated, 
no  person,  probably,  who  is  acquainted  with  this  subject,  will 
dispute. 

Under  these  two  heads,  then,  I  shall  now  consider  the  further 
progress  of  this  Convinced  Sinner  ;  viz.  • 

I.  His  renunciation  of  sin  j  and, 

II.  His  .Assumption  of  holiness,  as  his  future  character. 

As  these  co-exist  in  the  mind,  it  will  be  unnecessary  to  consider 
them  apart. 

When  the  convinced  sinner  has,  by  a  succession  of  earnest  efforts 
to  save  himself,  proved  his  utter  inability  to  accomplish  this  im- 
portant work  ;  the  next  natural  step,  and  that,  which  he  then  be- 
comes convinced  it  is  absolutely  necessary  for  him  to  take,  is  to 


3ER.  LXXVI.]  REGENERATION,  &c.  445 

cast  himself  wholly  upon  God.  He  sees  himself  perfectly  help- 
less ;  and,  if  left  to  himself,  utterly  ruined.  In  the  anguish  of 
mind,  produced  by  this  view  of  his  situation,  he  casts  himself  at 
the  footstool  of  Divine  Mercy,  as  a  mere  supjiliant ;  as  devoid  of 
any  recommendation  to  the  favour  of  God;  as  a  ruined,  miserable 
creature;  as  justly  condemned;  as  justly  to  be  punished;  as  hav- 
ing no  hope,  but  in  mere  forgiveness ;  as  desiring  salvation  of  mere 
grace  and  sovereign  love  ;  as  without  any  power  of  atoning  for 
his  sins,  by  any  thing  which  he  can  do ;  as  capable  of  being  saved, 
only  on  account  of  the  atonement  of  Christ ;  and  as  incapable  of 
renewing  himself,  or  of  being  renewed,  but  by  the  power  of  the 
Holy  Ghost.  All  these  things  arc  felt,  and  not  merely  understood ; 
not  merely  considered  as  being  proved,  or  capable  of  proof,  by 
sound  argument.  The  several  trials,  which  the  mind  has  made, 
have  of  themselves  become  proofs  of  the  highest  kind,  to  which  it 
now  opposes  neither  objection  nor  doubt.  Its  views  have  been 
too  clear  to  be  denied,  or  questioned  ;  and  the  frame  of  the  mind, 
its  anxiety  and  distress,  renders  it  even  impatient  of  the  suggest- 
ion of  uncertainty. 

Self-righteousness  is,  therefore,  now  relinquished.  The  pride 
of  saving  himself,  either  wiiolly  or  partially,  is  now  given  up ;  and 
the  sinner  is  humbly,  and  easily,  satisfied  to  be  saved  by  Christ. 
To  his  atonement,  to  his  infinite  compassion,  he  looks  for  the  aid, 
which,  though  felt  before  to  be  unnecessary,  he  now  regards  as 
absolutely  and  infinitely  necessary  to  prevent  him  from  being  lost. 

When  the  sinner  has  come  to  this  state  of  views  and  disposition, 
God  in  his  infinite  mercy  usually,  perhaps  always,  communicates 
to  him  the  new  heart,  the  right  spirit,  so  often  mentioned  in  the 
Scriptures. 

It  will  here  be  useful,  and  probably  necessary,  to  guard  the 
minds  of  those  who  hear  me  against  a  common  and  very  natural 
2rror  concerning  this  important  subject. 

It  has  often  been  supposed,  that  in  some  part,  or  in  the  whole, 
of  that  process  of  the  mind,  which  has  been  here  described,  there 
is  something  done,  of  a  meritorious  nature  ;  something  so  pleasing 
to  God,  that  on  account  of  it  he  bestows  this  incomprehensible 
blessing.  In  my  own  view,  this  opinion  is  wholly  unscriptural, 
and  altogether  dangerous.  If  God  gives  the  virtuous  disposition 
intended,  then  it  did  not  exist  in  the  mind  before  it  was  thus  given  : 
and,  as  this  disposition  is  the  only  source  of  virtuous  action  in  the 
mind ;  it  is  perfecdy  clear,  that  there  can  be  no  such  action  before 
it  is  communicated.  That  God  does  in  fact  give  it  by  his  Spirit 
has,  I  trust,  been  heretofore  proved.  Antecedently  to  Regenera- 
tion, then,  there  is  no  virtuous  action  in  the  mind,  in  the  true  and 
Evangelical  sense  ;  unless  we  are  to  suppose  two  distinct  sources 
of  virtue,  and  two  different  kinds  of  virtuous  action. 

It  will,  here,  be  naturally  asked.  What,  then,  is  the  true  nature 
of  this  subjects'     What  is  the  use  of  Conviction  of  sin  ?     Why  does 


446  REGENERATION.  L^ER.  LXXVI 

God  communicate  such  d  disposition  to  such  sinners,  as  are  effectual- 
ly convinced  of  their  sins,  rather  than  to  any  others  ? 

In  answer  to  these  reasonable  (jucstions  I  observe,  that  the  use 
of  such  conviction  is  to  bring  the  sinner  to  a  just  view  of  his  own  con- 
dition and  character,  as  a  sinner  ;  of  the  character  of  God.  as  his 
Sovereign  ;  of  the  divine  law,  as  the  rule  of  his  conduct  j  of  the  char- 
acter of  Christ,  as  his  Saviour  ;  of  the  absolute  necessity  of  an  inter- 
est in  his  redemption  for  the  attainment  of  salvation ;  and  of  the  ex- 
cellency and  importance  of  holiness,  in  all  its  branches,  as  a  moral 
character  indispensable  to  entitle  him  to  the  favour  and  approbation 
of  God.  Without  these  apprehensions  it  would  be  very  difficult  to 
conceive  how  a  sinner  could  become  the  subject  of  those  exercises, 
which  belong  to  the  nature  of  Conversion  to  God.  For  example, 
how  can  the  sinner,  who  does  not  clearly  see  the  evil,  odiousness, 
and  malignity  of  sin,  ever  be  supposed  to  hate  sin,  mourn  for  it, 
or  abstain  from  it  in  future  periods  ?  How,  unless  he  discern  the 
excellency  and  obligation  of  the  law,  as  a  rule  of  duty  for  himself, 
can  he  discern  either  the  guilt  of  his  transgressions,  or  the  neces- 
sity and  value  of  his  future  obedience  '!  How,  unless  he  be  fully 
convinced,  of  the  justice  and  glory  of  God  in  hating,  and  condemt)- 
ing  sin,  can  he  acknowledge  God  to  be  a  reasonable  or  righteous 
Sovereign?  And  how  can  he  ingenuously,  and  voluntarily,  turn 
to  him  at  all  ?  Finally ;  if  he  do  not  perceive  his  own  helplessness, 
and  his  insufficiency  to  save  himself,  how  can  he  betake  himself  at 
all  to  Him  for  salvation  ?  How,  if  he  does  not  realize  the  fitness 
of  Christ  to  be  trusted  with  his  soul,  and  all  its  concerns,  as  able, 
willing,  and  faithful,  to  save  to  the  uttermost,  all  that  will  come 
unto  God  by  him,  can  he  believe  on  him,  or  trust  in  him,  for  these 
infinite  blessings  ? 

When  God  bestows  the  new  disposition  on  the  sinner,  in  the 
state  above  described,  rather  than  in  his  ordinary  state,  he  does 
this,  I  apprehend,  not  because  the  sinner  has  merited  this  bless- 
ing, or  any  other,  at  his  hands  ;  but  because  he  has  now  become 
possessed  of  such  a  character,  and  such  views,  as  render  the  com- 
munication of  it  fit  and  proper  in  itself.  God  never  extends  mercy 
to  sinners,  because  of  their  desert,  or  worth,  but  because  they  need 
his  mercy.  When  he  sent  his  Son  into  the  world,  to  save  the 
Apostate  race  of  ^rfam,  it  was  not  because  these  apostates  had 
merited,  but  because  they  needed,  such  kindness  at  his  hands.  It 
was  a  mere  act  of  grace  ;  or  free,  sovereign  love.  The  commu- 
nication of  it  was  not  a  reward,  conferred  on  worth  ;  for  they  plain- 
ly had  none  ;  but  a  free  gift  to  mere  necessity  and  distress.  Christ 
came,  to  seek  and  to  save  that  which  was  lost  ;  and  to  call,  not 
righteous  beings,  but  sirmers  to  repentance.  The  Father,  in  the 
parable,  did  not  admit  the  Prodigal  into  his  family  and  favour,  on 
account  of  any  services  which  he  had  rendered  ;  for  he  had  ren- 
dered none ;  but  on  account  of  the  misery  and  ruin  of  his  Son, 
pleading  strongly  with  his  own  compassion.     Such  I  conceive  to 


SER.  LXXVr.j  ITS  ATTENDANTS.  447 

be  the  case  of  every  convinced  sinner,  when  he  is  made  the  sub- 
ject of  the  renewing  grace  of  God. 

But  there  is  a  plain  reason,  why  such  sinners  are  made  the  ob- 
jects of  divine  mercy,  when  they  have  arrived  at  a  complete  view 
of  their  guilt,  danger,  and  dependence  on  God  for  sanctification 
and  deliverance,  rather  than  while  they  were  at  ease  in  sin,  and 
self-justified  in  their  rebellion.  In  the  latter  situation,  they  were 
utterly  unprepared  either  to  feel,  or  understand,  the  nature  and 
extent  of  the  divine  goodness  in  bestowing  these  blessings  ;  and 
of  course  to  be  thankful,  obedient,  humble,  and  universally  virtu- 
ous, to  that  degree,  which  is  necessary  to  their  effectual  prepara- 
tion for  heaven,  and  which  seems  incapable  of  being  accomplished  in 
any  other  manner,  than  this,  which  1  have  described.  A  deliver- 
ance is  both  understood,  and  felt,  in  proportion  to  the  greatness  of 
the  sense,  which  the  person  delivered  has  had,  of  his  danger.  A 
new  moral  character  is  welcomed,  in  proportion  to  the  feelings 
which  have  been  experienced  in  the  debasement,  and  disadvanta- 
ges, of  the  character  previously  existing.  Universally,  every 
benefit  is  realized,  in  proportion  to  the  sense  of  our  own  necessity. 
Thus  by  the  sense  of  his  guilt,  danger,  and  need  of  salvation,  ex- 
perienced under  the  conviction  of  his  sin,  the  sinner  is  prepared 
with  the  utmost  advantage  to  receive  his  sanctification,  justifica- 
tion, and  final  deliverance  from  eternal  ruin..,  This  is  what  I  call 
the  fitness  of  the  sinner  for  the  reception  of  these  benefits  :  a  fitness, 
which  seems  indispensable  ;  appearing,  plainly,  to  render  it  pro- 
per, that  God  should  give  these  blessings  to  a  convinced  sinner  ; 
when  it  would  be  wholly  improper  to  give  them  to  the  same  sin- 
ner, while  unconvinced  and  insensible.  Benefits  are  wisely  con- 
ferred on  those  who  are  fitted  thoroughly  to  understand,  feel,  and 
acknowledge  them  ;  and  unwisely  on  those  who  are  not ;  whose 
views  are  obscure,  whose  feelings  are  blunt,  and  whose  acknowl- 
edgments, if  made  at  all,  are  wrung  from  them  by  the  hard  hand 
of  necessity.  In  the  former  case,  the  benefits  may  be  said  to  be 
laid  out  well ;  in  the  latter,  to  little  or  no  purpose. 

These  observations  may  possibly  throw  some  fight  on  a  subject, 
which,  hitherto,  has  been  almost  merely  a  topic  of  debate  among 
theologians.  This  is,  the  true  nature,  and  efiicacy,  of  the  prayers  of 
such  persons  as  are  under  conviction  of  siyi.  Some  divines  have 
strongly  encouraged,  and  others  utterly  discouraged,  convinced 
sinners  from  praying.  Those  of  the  latter  class,  founding  their 
opinions  on  the  declaration,  that  the  prayers  of  the  wicked  are  art 
abomination  to  the  Lord,  observe,  that  the  prayers  of  convinced 
sinners  cannot  be  acceptable  to  God  ;  that  they  cannot  reasonably 
be  expected  to  be  either  heard,  or  answered :  and  that,  therefore, 
it  is  unjustifiable  to  advise  such  sinners,  or  any  sinners  whatever, 
to  pray  at  all. 

This  subject  will  hereafter  naturally  offer  itself  for  discussion. 
T  shall  now  consider  it  only  so  far  as  my  present  purpose  demands* 


448  REGENERATION.  [SER.  LXXt^f 

According  to  the  opinion,  which  I  have  recited,  no  man  can,  with 
any  propriety,  pray  for  his  regeneration.  The  sinner  cannot  pray 
for  it,  because  his  prayers  are  sinful  and  abominable.  The  sanit 
cannot  pray  for  it,  with  propriety,  because  he  is  already  regenera- 
ted, and  cannot  possibly  either  need,  or  receive,  it.  Thus  liic 
greatest  blessing  ever  given  to  man,  and  that  on  which  all  other 
blessings  depend,  cannot  be  prayed  for  by  him  who  receives  it ; 
and  stands,  therefore,  on  a  ground  totally  diverse  from  that,  on 
which  all  other  blessings  rest ;  viz.  on  such  a  ground,  that  a  man 
can  never  ask  it  for  himself. 

The  prayers  of  convinced  sinners,  it  is  said,  are  insincere^  and 
therefore  abominable  to  God.  In  answer  to  this  objection  I  observe, 
that  a  sinner,  whether  convinced  or  not,  may  undoubtedly  pray 
with  insincerity,  in  all  instances  ;  but  there  is  no  invincible  neces- 
sity, that  his  prayers  should  always  be  insincere,  notwithstanding 
he  is  a  sinner.  A  sinner  may,  from  a  sense  of  his  danger  and 
misery,  pray  as  sincerely  to  be  saved  from  that  danger  and  misery, 
as  a  saint.  His  disposition,  I  acknowledge,  is  still  sinful;  and  his 
prayers  are  wholly  destitute  of  moral  goodness.  But  the  mere 
wish  to  be  saved  from  suHering,  is  neither  sinful  nor  holy.  On 
the  contrary,  it  is  merely  tlie  instinctive  desire  of  every  percipient 
being;  without  which  he  would  cease  to  be  a  percipient  being. 
That  there  is  any, thing  hateful  to  God  in  this  wish,  whether 
expressed  in  prayer,  or  not,  I  cannot  perceive  ;  nor  do  I  find 
it  declared,  either  by  Reason  or  Revelation.  It  may,  indeed, 
be  united  with  other  desires,  and  those  either  virtuous  or  sinful ; 
according  to  the  prevailing  character  of  the  mind,  in  which  it  ex- 
ists ;  and  the  whole  state  of  the  mind  may  be  accordingly  denomi- 
nated virtuous,  or  sinful.  Still  this  desire  is  neither  morally  good, 
nor  morally  evil ;  and,  therefore,  neither  pieasing,  nor  displeasing, 
as  such,  in  the  sight  of  God. 

That  God  pities  sinners,  as  mere  sufferers,  will  not  be  doubted : 
otherwise  he  would  not  have  sent  his  Son,  to  redeem  them  from 
sin,  and  misery.  That  he  pities  them  more,  when  strongly  affect- 
ed with  a  sense  of  their  guilt,  and  misery,  than  when  at  ease  con- 
cerning both,  will,  I  think,  be  readily  believed.  The  sinner  is  cer- 
tainly not  less  an  object  of  compassion,  but  much  more,  when  feel- 
ing the  evils,  in  which  he  is  involved  ;  and  I  can  see  no  reason, 
why  he  may  not  be  more  an  object  of  divine  compassion,  on  that 
account,  as  well  as  of  ours.  The  cries  of  the  sinner  for  mercy  are 
not,  therefore,  in  themselves  sinful ;  and  there  is  nothing  to  make 
the  sinner  less,  but  much,  apparently,  to  make  him  more,  an  ob- 
ject of  the  divine  pity. 

As  the  sinner  knows,  that  regeneration  is  the  only  possible  mean, 
of  escape,  and  safety  ;  so  he  may,  and  plainly  will,  feel,  in  the  same 
degree,  the  necessity  of  regeneration  to  him,  as  of  safety.  For 
regeneration,  then,  he  will  cry  with  the  same  ardour,  and  the  same 


SER.  LXXVI.]  ITS  ATTENDANTS.  449 

freedom  from  sinfulness  in  this  prayer,  considered  by  itself,  as  for 
salvation,  or  deliverance  from  sufl'ering. 

That  the  prayers  of  unregencrate  men  are  not  virtuous,  must  un-- 
doubtedly  be  admitted :  for  nothing  can  be  virtuous,  which  does 
not  proceed  from  a  heart,  good  in  the  Evangelical  sense.  That 
they  are  sinful,  so  far  as  they  are  of  a  moral  nature,  must  also  be 
admitted,  at  least  by  me.  The  declaration  of  Solomon,  that  the 
prayers  of  the  wicked  are  an  abomination,  appears  to  me,  together 
with  others  of  the  like  import,  to  be  a  description  of  the  prayers  of 
wicked  men,  as  they  are  in  their  general  nature  ,•  and  not  as  the  mere 
cries  of  a  suffering  creature  for  mercy.  In  these,  considered  by 
themselves,  I  see  nothing  of  a  sinful  nature.  They  are  not  indeed 
objects  of  the  divine  Complacency ;  and  the  sinner,  who  offers  them, 
is  clearly  an  object  of  the  divine  anger.  But  I  see  no  evidence, 
that  the  prayers  of  such  a  sinner  may  not  be  objects  of  the  divine  Be- 
nevolence, and  regarded  by  the  Infinite  Mind  with  compassion* 
To  that  compassion  only  are  they  addressed.  The  cries  of  a  profli- 
gate vagrant  in  distress  render  him  more  properly,  and  more  in- 
tensely, an  object  of  compassion,  and  more  especially  entitled  to 
relief,  although  he  is  still  profligate,  from  a  good  man,  than  he 
would  be,  were  he  to  continue  insensible  and  hardened  under  his 
sufferings,  and  thus  utterly  unfitted  to  have  any  proper  views  of 
his  need  of  relief,  or  the  kindness  of  his  benefactor  in  furnishing 
it.  I  s<^e  no  reason,  why  God  may  not  regard  suffering  sinners  in 
a  similar  manner.  That  he  does,  in  fact,  thus  regard  them,  is,  I 
think,  unanswerably  evident:  Regeneration  regularly  following 
such  prayers,  and  being  regularly  communicated  to  the  subjects  of 
them,  in  the  course  of  God's  Providence,  whenever  it  exists  at  all. 
That  this  is  ordinarily,  nay,  that  it  is  almost  always,  the  fact,  can- 
not, I  think,  be  questioned.  All  sinners  under  conviction  pray; 
and  of  such  sinners  all  converts  are  made.  To  convinced  sinners, 
crying  to  God  for  mercy,  Regeneration  is  communicated  by  the 
Spirit  of  God ;  and  we  are  not,  I  think,  warranted  to  conclude, 
that  it  is  given  to  any  others.  As,  then,  the  whole  number  of  re- 
generated persons  is  formed  of  those,  who  have  been  convinced  of 
sin,  and  who  have  been  diligently  employed  in  prayer,  while  under 
conviction ;  it  is  plain,  that  their  prayers  are  not  abominable,  in 
such  a  sense,  as  to  prevent  the  blessing,  prayed  for,  from  descend- 
ing upon  them ;  and  therefore,  not  in  such  a  sense,  as  rationally  to 
discourage  them  from  praying. 

The  prayer  of  the  Publican  is,  in  my  view,  a  clear  and  strong  il- 
lustration of  the  justness  of  these  remarks.  There  is  no  proof, 
nor  in  my  opinion  any  reason  to  believe,  that  this  man  was  rege- 
nerated. On  the  contrary,  he  declares  himself,  in  his  prayer  to 
God,  to  be  a  sinner.  As  this  declaration  is  put  into  his  mouth  by 
our  Saviour;  it  must,  I  think,  be  considered  not  only  as  a  sincere 
declaration,  but  a  correct  one  ;  expressing  with  exactness  the  pre- 
cise truth.     He  was,  also,  a  convinced  sinner:  ns  is  evident  from 

Vol.  II.  57 


450  REGENEKATION.  [SER.  LXXVI. 

his  own  words,  and  from  the  whole  tenour  of  the  parable.  Yet  he 
was  justified  rather  than  the  Pharisee.  The  Pharisee  came  before 
God  wjth  a  false  account  of  himself;  with  a  lofty  spirit  of  self- 
righteousness  ;  and  with  an  unwarrantable  contempt  for  other  men; 
particularly  for  the  publican.  The  Publican  came  with  a  strong 
and  full  conviction  of  his  sin,  and  his  supreme  need  of  deliverance. 
With  these  views,  confessing  himself  to  be  a  sinner  merely,  he 
earnestly  besought  God  to  have  mercy  on  him.  His  sense  of  his 
character  was  plainly  just ;  and  his  prayer,  being  the  result  of  his 
feelings,  was  of  course  sincere.  Thus  far  I  consider  him  as  justi- 
fied, and  no  farther.  If  he  was  regenerated  in  consequence  of  iiis 
prayer,  and  justified  in  the  Evangelical  sense ;  the  parable  becomes 
completely  decisive  to  my  purpose ;  and  furnishes  all  the  encour- 
agement to  convinced  sinners  to  pray,  which  can  be  asked.  But 
this  I  will  not  at  present  insist  on  ;  because  it  is  not  expressly  de- 
clared ;  although,  in  my  own  view,  it  is  fairly  and  rationally  infer- 
red from  the  strain  of  the  parable. 

These  observations  I  have  made  of  the  present  time,  because  the 
subject  could  scarcely  fail  of  occurring  to  your  minds  ;  and  be- 
cause difficulties  could  scarcely  fail  of  attending  it,  in  the  view  of 
some  persons  at  least,  which  it  must  be  desirable  to  remove.  Al- 
low me,  however,  to  observe,  that  divines,  so  far  as  I  may  be  per- 
mitted to  judge,  have  insisted  on  the  metaphysical  nature  of  this  and 
several  other  subjects  in  such  a  manner,  as  rather  to  perplex,  than 
to  instruct,  those  who  have  heard  them.  To  unfold,  or  to  limit,  ex- 
actly, the  agency  of  moral  beings,  seems  to  be  a  task,  imperfectly 
suited  to  such  minds  as  ours.  What  the  Scriptures  have  said  con- 
cerning this  subject  we  know ;  so  far  as  we  understand  their  mean- 
ing. We  also  know  whatever  is  clearly  taught  us  by  Experience, 
Beyond  this  our  investigations  seem  not  to  have  proceeded  very 
far:  and  almost  all  the  conclusions,  derived  from  reasonings  a 
priori,  have  failed  of  satisfying  minds,  not  originally  biassed  in 
their  favour. 

From  this  digression,  which  I  hope  has  not  been  wholly  without 
use,  I  now  return  to  the  general  subject. 

When  the  sinner  has  come  to  this  state  of  discernment  and  feel- 
ing, in  which  his  character,  danger,  and  necessity  of  deliverance, 
are  thus  realized ;  and  has  thus  cast  himself,  as  a  mere  suppliant 
for  mercy,  at  the  footstool  of  divine  grace,  God,  as  has  been  al- 
ready observed,  gives  him  a  new  and  virtuous  disposition  ;  styled 
in  the  Scriptures  a  new  heart ;  a  right  spirit ;  an  honest  and  good 
h^art ;  the  good  treasure  of  a  good  heart ;  and  by  several  other 
names,  of  like  import.  That  Act  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  by  which 
this  disposition  is  communicated ;  that  is,  the  act  of  regenerating 
man,  and  the  Disposition  itself  which  is  communicated,  I  cannot  be 
expected  to  describe.  Neither  of  these  things  can  in  the  abstract,  be 
known,  or  even  contemplated,  by  such  minds  as  ours.  Not  a  single 
idea  would  ever  be  formed  concerning  the  natiire,  or  existence,  of 


SER.  LXXVL]  ITS  ATTENDANTS.  451 

cither,  were  they  not  discovered  by  their  effects  ;  or,  as  they  are 
called  in  the  Gospel,  their  fruits.  It  may,  however,  be  useful  to 
repeat,  that  what  I  intend  by  this  disposition  is  the  cause,  rohich  in 
the  mind  of  man  produces  all  virtuous  affections  and  volitio7is  j  the 
state,  in  which  the  mind  is  universally  possessed  of  a  tendency  to  the 
Evangelical  character,  or  the  tendency,  itself,  of  the  mind  towards 
all  that^  which  in  the  character  is  morally  excellent.  The  existence 
of  this  disposition  is  proved  by  its  eifects ;  and  in  these  only  can 
it  be  seen.  As  these  are  new,  and  before  unknown  ;  it  follows  ir- 
resistibly, that  the  cause  is  equally  new.  This  is,  also,  abundantly 
taught  by  the  Scriptures;  in  which  the  disposition  itself  is  called  a 
new  heart ;  the  man,  who  becomes  a  subject  of  it,  a  new  creature  ; 
and  the  life,  proceeding  from  it,  newness  of  life. 

The  first  great  effect  of  this  disposition  is  the  exercise  of  faith  in 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  The  convinced  sinner,  as  I  have  repeatedly 
observed,  deeply  feels  his  own  utter  inability  to  atone  for  his  sins ; 
to  satisfy  the  demands  of  the  divine  law ;  and  to  reconcile  him- 
self to  God. 

All  this,  however,  Christ  informs  him  in  the  Gospel,  he  is  able, 
willing,  and  faithful  to  do  for  him.  In  this  situation,  the  sinner, 
for  the  first  time,  confides  in  these  declarations  of  the  Redeemer; 
and  in  that  Moral  Character,  which  furnishes  the  evidence  of  their 
truth.  The  scheme  of  saving  himself,  either  wholly  or  partially, 
he  has  now  given  up ;  and  is  satisfied,  and  delighted,  to  be  saved 
by  Christ  alone.  His  self-righteousness,  so  dear  and  delightful  to 
him  before,  he  now  discerns  to  be  nothing,  but  gross  spiritual 
pride  ;  and  so  far  from  being  praiseworthy,  as  to  be  the  founda- 
tion of  nothings  but  guilt,  and  shame.  Now  he  quits  all  designs  of 
exalting,  and  gratifying,  himself  in  this  work  ;  and  becomes  highly 
pleased  with  exalting  Christ  by  cheerfully  rendering  to  him  all  the 
honour  of  his  salvation.  With  these  emotions,  he  receives  Christ 
with  all  the  heart ;  and  confides  in  Him  for  acceptance  with  God, 
as  the  only,  and  at  the  same  time  the  most  desirable.  Atonement 
for  sin.  Now,  if  he  could  save  himself,  he  would  not  choose  to  be 
thus  saved ;  but  sees  a  beauty  and  glory  in  the  salvation  of  sinners 
by  Christ,  with  which  his  heart  wholly  accords,  and  with  which  his 
soul  is  exceedingly  delighted.  He  surrenders  himself,  therefore, 
into  the  hands  of  this  divine  Redeemer,  confidentially,  to  be  his 
here  and  for  ever ;  to  be  governed  by  his  choice,  and  to  do  all  his 
pleasure. 

The  next  effect  of  this  disposition  is  that,  which  in  the  Scriptures 
is  called  Repentance  unto  life;  and  in  theological  discourses,  Evan- 
gelical  Repentance. 

It  has  been  already  observed,  that  the  convinced  sinner  is,  of 
course,  deeply  affected  with  a  realizing  sense  of  his  sins,  as  being 
guilty,  deserving  the  wrath  of  God,  and  the  sources  of  ruin  to  him- 
self. After  he  is  regenerated,  he,  for  the  first  time,  begins  to  hate 
his  sins,  as  odious  in  their  very  nature ;  as  injurious  to  God,  his 


.152  REGENERATION  [SER.  LXXVl. 

fellow-crealures,  and  himself;  and  to  loathe  himself,  as  a  sinner. 
Now,  for  the  first  time,  he  begins  to  feel,  that  he  has  been  an  urv 
rateful,  impious,  and  rebellious  wretch;  opposed  in  heart,  and 
ife,  to  the  government  of  his  Maker;  a  nuisance  to  his  fellow- 
creatures  ;  and  an  enemy  to  himself.  His  character  he  perceives 
to  be  deeply  debased  ;  and  himself  to  be  unworthy  of  the  least  of 
all  the  mercies  bestowed  on  him  by  his  divine  Benefactor.  With 
all  this  is  also  united  a  strong  sense  of  the  odiousness,  and  danger, 
of  every  future  sin  ;  a  sense,  which  is  continued  through  life. 

All  these  things,  also,  he  spontaneously,  and  ingenuously  con- 
fesses before  God.  Him  he  has  injured  above  all  other  beings; 
and  to  him  he  wishes,  especially,  to  make  whatever  satisfaction  is 
in  his  power.  Willingly,  therefore,  he  humbles  himself  before  his 
Maker  in  dust  and  ashes ;  and  henceforth  assumes  lowliness  of 
mind,  as  his  own  most  becoming  and  favourite  character. 

The  disobedience,  which  he  thus  hates  and  loathes,  he  necessa- 
rily wishes,  and  labours  to  avoid.  The  obedience,  which  he  here- 
tofore loathed,  he  spontaneously  assumes,  in  a  manner  not  less 
necessary,  as  his  own  future  character.  Unwilling  now  to  wound 
himself,  to  injure  his  fellow-men,  and  to  dishonour  God,  by  the  in- 
dulgence of  his  former  guilty  inclinations,  he  resolves,  henceforth, 
to  do  that,  and  that  only,  which  will  glorify  his  Maker,  promote 
the  happiness  of  his  fellow-creatures,  and  profit  his  own  soul.  To 
this  great  work,  the  end  of  all  others,  he  consecrates  himself  with 
sincerity,  zeal,  and  fixed  determination. 

The  next  fruit  of  this  disposition  is  Love  to  God,  When  the 
60ul  is  regenerated,  it  begins  to  behold  its  Maker's  character  with 
new  optics ;  and  therefore  perceives  the  character  itself  to  be  new, 
so  far  as  its  own  views  are  concerned.  It  is  now  seen  to  be  formed 
of  such  attributes,  as  wholly  deserve,  and  most  reasonably  claim, 
the  supreme  love  of  every  intelligent  being.  God  becomes  to  the 
renewed  man,  a  welcome  object  of  his  daily  thoughts  and  medita- 
tions: an  object,  great  and  awful  indeed  ;  but  also  lovely  and  de- 
lightful. These  two  great  parts  of  the  divine  character,  being  gen- 
erally united  in  the  view  of  the  mind,  produce  in  it  that  regard  to 
God,  compounded  of  fear  and  love,  which  is  commonly  named  Reve- 
rence ;  the  affection,  in  which  love  is  more  frequently  exercised, 
than  by  itself.  In  the  same  mind  also,  the  sight  of  his  wonderful 
works,  and  more  wonderftfl  agency,  produces  Admiration;  a  sense 
of  his  excellence.  Complacency ;  and  the  reception  of  his  bless- 
ings, Gratitude;  and  with  these  are  inseparably  united  all  the  other 
affections  of  piety  ;  Dependence,  Confidence,  Resignation,  Hope,  and 
Joy.  Of  these,  some  prevail  at  one  time,  and  some  at  another ; 
but  all  are  inwrought  into  the  very  character  of  the  soul,  as  prima- 
ry parts  of  its  moral  nature. 

Th^se  three  exercises  constitute  what  in  the  Scriptures  is  called 
Conversion,  or  turning  from  sin  to  God. 

The  next  fruit  of  this  disposition  is  Love  to  Mankind.     Evangel- 


«ER.  LXXVL]  ITS  ATTENDANTS.  453 

ical  Love  to  our  Neighbour ;  that  is,  to  all  mankind,  whether  friends 
or  enemies,  is  a  characteristic  of  the  renewed  mind,  as  really  new, 
and  really  unexperienced  before  its  renovation,  as  Repentance  or 
Faith.  Whatever  love  it  exercised  to  others,  antecedently  to  this 
period,  was  either  selfish  or  merely  instinctive ;  in  the  former  case 
sinful;  in  the  latter  possessed  of  no  moral  character,  any  more 
than  the  affection  of  brutes  to  their  offspring.  Now,  the  love, 
which  it  exercises,  is  impartial,  generous,  and  noble.  Under  its 
influence,  the  renewed  man  does  that  which  is  good,  just,  and  sin- 
cere, because  it  is  so ;  and  because  God  has  required  these  things 
in  his  law ;  and  not  from  a  regard  to  reputation,  or  convenience. 
Now  he  finds  the  promotion  of  happiness  to  be  desirable  and  de- 
lightful in  itself,  and  independently  of  a  separate  reward,  to  be 
done  for  its  own  sake,  and  not  merely  as  it  is  done  by  publicans 
and  sinners.  The  great  question  now  becomes  how,  when,  and 
where,  good  can  be  done ;  and  not  what  he  shall  gain  by  doing  it. 
Now,  also,  he  chooses  to  do  good  by  rule,  and  from  a  spirit  of 
obedience  to  the  rightful  Lawgiver,  and  all-wise  Director;  and 
thus  makes  it  the  purpose  of  his  life.  Now  finally,  he  does  good 
conscientiously,  with  contrivance  and  design ;  not  accidentally, 
loosely,  and  rarely.  Toioards  Christians  this  love  assumes  a  pecu- 
liar character  ;  being  made  up  of  two  great  and  distinguished  exer- 
cises  ;  the  general  Benevolence,  exercised  toward  them  in  common 
zoith  all  men,  and  that  peculiar  delight  in  their  virtuous  character^ 
commonly  called  Complacency,  and  in  the  Gospel,  Brotherly  Love. 
This  is  the  object  of  the  New  Commandment,  given  by  Christ  in 
the  Gospel ;  and  made  the  touchstone,  by  which  they  are  proved 
to  be  his  disciples. 

Of  all  these  exercises  of  the  mind  it  is  to  be  observed,  that  they 
are  active  exertions,  directed  invariably,  and  alway,  toward  the 
promotion  of  real  good;  the  spring  of  all  excellent  conduct  within, 
and  without,  the  soul.  It  is  not  to  be  understood,  that  they  exist, 
and  act,  in  su£h  a  separate  manner  as  to  be  distinguishable,  as  to 
the  times,  and  modes,  of  their  existence,  or  operations ;  nor  that 
they  actually  take  place  in  that  order,  in  which  they  have  now  been 
mentioned.  Of  this  subject  the  Scriptures  give  us  no  distinct  ac- 
count; and  happily,  as  indeed,  might  fairly  be  concluded  from 
their  silence,  it  is  of  no  serious  importance  to  us.  All,  which  is 
really  necessary,  is,  that  they  exist,  and  increase,  in  such  a  manner, 
as  is  best  in  the  sight  of  God. 

As  the  regenerated  man  discerns  his  own  unceasing  need  of  di- 
vine assistance,  and  his  general  propensity  to  stop,  and  backslide, 
in  his  religious  course  ;  he  will  necessarily,  and  instinctively,  look  to 
God,  for  assistance,  strength,  and  success.  Prayer  will  be  the 
breath,  by  which  he  will  live,  and  grow,  and  thrive.  The  closet, 
the  family,  and  the  Church,  will  alternately  be  the  scenes  of  his 
public  and  private  devotions  ;  the  places  where  he  will  find  hope, 
gnd  peace,  and  joy  ;  and  where  he  will  advance  in  all  Evangelical 


454  REGENERATION.  [SER.  LXXVI. 

attainments.  To  the  Scriptures,  also,  will  he  betake  himself  for  the 
same  aid.  In  them  he  finds  God  speaking  to  him ;  and  declaring 
the  very  things,  which  are  necessary  to  enlighten  his  understand- 
ing, and  to  amend  his  heart.  To  the  Scriptures,  therefore,  he  will 
continually  resort  •,  and  will  make  them  the  object  of  his  investiga- 
tion, and  reflection,  at  all  convenient  seasons.  Nor  will  he  be  less 
employed  in  exploring  the  recesses  of  his  oxon  heart  ;  that  he  may 
learn,  as  far  as  may  be,  the  moral  state  of  his  mind  ;  his  sins  and 
dangers,  the  improvements  which  he  has  made  in  holiness,  and  the 
means  of  future  safety. 

In  the  like  manner  will  the  renewed  Mind  solicit,  and  lay  hold 
on  the  company,  conversation,  and  friendship,  of  good  men.  Their 
views  of  the  Scriptures,  of  the  danger  of  sin  and  temptation,  and 
of  the  excellency  and  safety  of  holiness;  their  own  affections  and 
conduct ;  their  example  and  prayers ;  their  sympathy,  communion, 
and  encouragement ;  will  prove  ever-flowing  springs  of  spiritual 
life  and  consolation.  These  are  its  own  companions  in  the  path 
of  life;  the  disciples  of  its  own  Saviour;  the  children  of  its  own 
heavenly  Father.  All  its  interests  are  theirs.  One  common  cause 
unites,  one  common  family  embraces,  one  common  spirit  quickens, 
and  one  God,  the  Father,  the  Redeemer,  and  the  Sanctifier  of  all, 
loves,  purifies,  conducts,  supports,  and  brings  to  his  own  house, 
both  the  regenerated  man,  and  his  fellow-christians.  In  them,  there- 
fore, he  finds  an  interest,  a  friendship,  a  kindred  character  of  soul, 
which  binds  him  to  them  with  an  indissoluble  attachment.  With 
peculiar  satisfaction  he  enjoys  their  company  here ;  and  with  de- 
lightful hope  anticipates  their  endless  society  hereafter. 

Thus  have  I  endeavoured  summarily  to  explain  the  Work  of  Re- 
generation ;  and  to  describe  those  immediate  fruits  of  it,  by  means 
of  which  alone  it  is  discernible  by  man.  As  these  apparently  co- 
exist with  the  work  itself;  I  have,  in  general  language,  called  them, 
its  Attendants.  The  name,  I  confess,  is  not  metaphysically  exact; 
nor  will  I  insist  on  the  entire  propriety  of  adopting  it.  Vet  as  it 
naturally  coincides  with  the  views,  formed  on  this  subject  by  the 
mind  in  which  it  exists,  it  seems  sufficiently  descriptive  of  what 
wjis  intended,  for  my  purpose. 


SERMON  LXXVII. 


REGENERATION. ITS    ATTENDANTS. FAITH. REPENTANCE. 


Matthew  xxvii.  3 — 5. —  Then  Judas,  who  had  betrayed  him,  when  he  sato  that  he 
was  condemned,  repented  himself,  and  brought  again  the  thirty  pieces  of  silver  to 
the  chief  priests  and  elders  ;  Saying,  I  have  sinned  in  that  I  have  betrayed  the  inno- 
cent blood,  ^nd  they  said,  what  is  that  to  us?  see  thou  to  that ;  J}nd  he  cast  down 
the  pieces  of  silver  in  the  temple,  and  departed,  and  went  and  hanged  himself. 

IN  my  last  discourse,  I  gave  an  account  of  the  work  of  Regen- 
eration ;  and,  particularly,  of  its  immediate  effects  on  the  mind ; 
which,  because  they  apparently  co-exist  with  it,  I  styled  its  Attend- 
ants. Of  these,  I  particularly  mentioned  Faith  in  Christ,  Repent- 
ance, Love  to  God,  and  Love  to  mankind.  All  these  exercises  of 
the  renewed  mind  are  of  such  importance  in  the  Scriptural  scheme, 
as  to  demand  a  distinct  and  particular  consideration. 

Faith,  the  first  of  them  in  the  order  which  I  have  adopted,  has 
heretofore  been  largely  examined.  In  so  complex  a  science,  as 
that  of  Theology,  it  is  impossible  not  to  anticipate  particular  sub- 
jects of  discourse ;  because  among  several  things  which  are  col- 
lateral and  not  regularly  successive,  and  which  are  also  variously 
connected,  it  becomes  almost  necessary  to  select,  for  reasons  irre- 
sistibly occurring,  some  one  out  of  the  several  connexions,  which 
will  prove  in  a  measure  injurious  to  the  consideration  of  others. 
On  some  accounts,  the  natural  order  would  have  induced  me  to 
discuss  the  subject  of  Faith  in  this  place;  on  others,  it  seemed  de- 
sirable to  give  it  an  earlier  examination.  As  the  mind  can  very 
easily  transfer  it  to  that  period,  at  which,  in  the  order  of  time,  it 
begins  to  exist ;  the  disadvantage  will  be  immaterial,  should  it  upon 
the  whole  be  thought  a  disadvantage. 

The  next  subject  of  consideration  is  Repentance  unto  life;  usu- 
ally called  Evangelical  Repentance. 

In  the  text  we  are  informed,  that  Judas,  after  he  had  betrayed 
Christ,  seeing  that  he  was  condemned,  repented  himself.  It  is 
therefore  certain,  that  Judas  was  in  some  sense  a  penitent ;  yet  it  is 
equally  certain,  that  his  repentance  was  not  genuine ;  or,  in  other 
words,  was  not  the  repentance,  which  is  required  by  the  Gospel. 
As  one  of  the  most  useful  methods  of  distinguishing  that  which  is 
genuine,  from  that  which  is  spurious,  is  to  compare  them  ;  I  shall, 
in  the  discussion  of  this  subject, 

I.  Examine  the  repentance  of  Judas  ;  and, 

II.  The  J^ature  of  True  Repentance. 


436  REGENERATION.  [SER.  LXXVIf 

Concerning  the  Repentance  of  Judas,  I  observe, 

1st.  That  it  was  real. 

That  Judas  actually  felt,  and  did  in  no  sense  counterfeit,  the  sor- 
row, which  he  professed,  for  his  treachery,  and  its  consequences,  is 
evident  beyond  a  possible  doubt :  its  existence  being  evinced  by 
the  highest  of  all  proofs ;  its  influence  on  his  conduct.  False  Re- 
pentance, therefore,  by  which  I  mean  all  that  which  is  not  Evangel- 
ical, has  a  real,  and  not  merely  a  pretended,  existence.  Of  course, 
it  is  not,  in  this  respect,  at  all  distinguished  from  the  Repentance  of 
the  Gospel. 

2dly.  It  was  deep  and  distressing. 

This,  also,  is  equally  evinced  in  the  same  manner.  No  person, 
who  was  present  to  hear  what  Judas  said,  and  to  see  the  things 
which  he  did,  could  entertain  a  doubt,  that  he  was  exceedingly  dis- 
tressed by  the  remembrance  of  what  he  had  done.  False  Repent- 
ance may  not  only  be  real,  but  deeply  distressing  ;  and  cannot  by 
this  circumstance  be  distinguished  from  that  which  is  genuine. 

3dly.  It  was  attended  by  a  strong  and  full  conviction  of  his  guilt. 

This  is,  also,  amply  declared,  both  in  his  words,  and  in  his  ac- 
tions ;  so  as  not  to  admit  even  of  a  question.  False  Repentance, 
therefore,  cannot  be  distinguished  from  the  true  by  this  circum- 
stance. 

4thly.  It  was  followed  by  a  frank  confession  of  his  guilt.  I  have 
sinned,  said  this  miserable  man,  in  that  I  have  betrayed  theinnocenl 
blood. 

This  confession  he  made  before  those,  to  whom  we  should  natu- 
rally expect  him  last  to  make  it;  viz.  the  very  persons,  who  had 
hired  him  to  sin.  It  was  also  a  confession,  extorted  from  him  by 
a  sense  of  his  guilt  alone,  and  not  by  any  human  persuasion,  art, 
or  violence.  It  was  sincere  :  being  not  only  really,  but  intention- 
ally, true :  a  frank  declaration  both  of  his  views,  and  of  his 
conduct.  Such  a  confession  is,  therefore,  no  decisive  proof,  that 
Repentance  is  genuine. 

5thly.  It  was  also  followed,  so  far  as  was  now  possible,  by  a  de- 
parture from  his  former  conduct. 

Whatever  motives,  of  a  different  kind,  prompted  Judas  to  his 
treachery,  it  is  plain,  Covetousncss  had  his  share  of  influence. 
The  attainment  of  money,  he  himself  informs  us,  was  an  object, 
primarily  in  his  view.  Wiat  will  ye  give  me,  said  he  to  the  chief 
priests;  and  I  will  deliver  him  unto  you.  The  sum,  which  they 
offered,  was  indeed  very  small :  still,  it  plainly  operated  with  com- 
manding force  upon  his  mind.  Nor  need  we  wonder,  that  he,  who, 
when  he  kept  the  bag,  which  contained  the  little  means  of  subsist- 
ence, on  which,  when  not  supported  by  hospitality,  Christ  and  his 
Apostles  lived,  could  from  time  to  time  basely  plunder  so  small  a 
part  of  it,  as  not  to  be  detected  by  his  companions,  should  be  in- 
duced to  undertake  a  very  base  employment  for  thirty  pieces  of 
silver.    But  on  the  present  occasion,  covetous  as  he  habitually  was 


SER.  LXXVII]  REPENTANCE.  45< 

01  all  former  times,  he  voluntarily  returned  the  money,  which  he 
had  received,  to  the  chief  priests  ;  and,  in  the  anguish  of  his  heart, 
overcame,  for  a  season,  this  ruling  propensity.  Beyond  this,  he 
was  desirous  to  do  justice  to  the  character  of  Christ.  /  haze  sinned, 
said  he,  in  that  I  have  betrayed  the  innoctnt  bhod. 

Cthly,  It  was  followed  by  the  voluntary  injiiction  of  great  evils 
upon  himself. 

Beside  the  voluntary  surrender  of  the  money,  which,  if  we  may 
judge  from  what  the  attainment  of  it  cost  him,  must  have  been  given 
up  with  great  difficulty,  he  went  immediately  away,  and  put  a  vio- 
lent end  to  his  own  life :  thus  chobsing  to  encounter  the  greatest 
evil,  which  can  be  suffered  in  the  present  life,  rather  than  endure 
the  anguish  of  heart,  produced  by  the  dreadful  sin,  of  which  he  had 
been  guilty  in  betraying  his  Lord. 

From  this  melancholy  fact  it  is  clearly  evident,  that  no  voluntary 
penance  furnisher  the  least  proof,  that  the  repentance,  which  occa- 
sioned it,  was  genuine.  JVe  may  give  all  our  goods  to  feed  the 
poor;  nay,  to  ^  may  give  our  bodies  to  be  burned ;  and  yet  it  may 
profit  us  nothing. 

From  these  observations  it  is  unanswerably  evident,  that  a  false 
Repentance  may  wear  many  appearances  of  the  true ;  that  it  may 
in  many  respects  be  followed  by  the  same,  or  similar,  conduct ; 
and  that  it  may,  on  the  whole,  go  very  far  in  its  resemblance  ;  and 
still  not  be  Evangelical. 

In  other  circumstances,  the  false  penitent  may  exhibit,  still  fur- 
ther, such  resemblances  in  his  character.  Thus  Saul,  when  he 
pursued  David  to  the  cave  of  Engedi ;  and  David,  by  cutting  off 
the  skirt  of  his  robe  while  he  slept,  had  proved  to  him,  that  he 
had  spared  his  hfe,  when  it  was  in  his  power  to  have  killed  him  ; 
was  strongly  affected  by  a  sense  of  David'^s  superior  righteous- 
ness, and  benevolence  ;  and  exhibited  a  deep  conviction  of  his 
own  inhumanity,  and  injustice.  Nor  was  he,  in  a  small  degree, 
grateful  to  David  for  preserving  his  life,  when  so  entirely  in  Da- 
vid''s  power.  In  the  indulgence  of  this  emotion,  he  prayed,  and  so 
far  as  we  can  judge,  wished,  for  a  blessing  upon  David.  From 
this  example  it  is  evident,  that,  under  clear  and  strong  views  of 
sin,  persons  may  exercise  a  species  of  Repentance,  in  which  all 
these  emotions  shall  exist  together  with  all  the  conduct,  naturally 
springing  from  them  ;  and  yet  their  repentance  not  be  that  of  the 
Gospel. 

In  proportion  as  any  counterfeit  approximates  towards  that, 
which  it  is  designed  to  resemble,  is  the  importance  of  the  discrimi- 
nation, by  which  its  real  nature  is  to  be  distinguished.  Since 
False  Repentance,  therefore,  can  in  so  many  particulars  approach 
towards  the  true ;  it  is  indispensably  necessary  to  examine  them 
both,  in  such  a  manner,  as  to  acquire  distinct  apprehensions  con- 
cerning their  different  natures.  To  complete  this  design,  1  now 
proceed, 

Vol.  II.  58 


,]  j{3  REGENERATION.  [SER.  LXXVH. 

II.    To  txanunt  tht  nature  of  True  Repentance, 

Of  this  important  Evangelical  subject,  it  may  be  observed,  that 
it  includes, 

1st.  Just  views  of  Sin. 

Fools,  or  wicked  men,  inake  a  mock  at  siti ;  that  is,  they  regard 
it  as  a  thing,  destitute  of  any  real  importance ;  as  a  trifle,  about 
which  they  have  no  reason  to  be  seriously  concerned ;  as  an  ob- 
ject of  sport  and  diversion,  rather  than  of  solemn,  or  even  of  sober, 
thought.  To  these  views  of  sin  the  convinced  sinner,  so  long  as 
his  convictions  continue,  has  bidden  a  final  farewell.  To  his  eye 
sin  appears  as  a  great  and  terrible  evil,  fraught  with  consequences 
of  the  most  dreadful  nature.  But  even  his  views  are  principally 
generated  by  an  alarming  sense  of  its  dangerous  consequences, 
rather  than  by  any  just  emotions  arising  from  its  nature.  The 
views,  formed  by  the  penitent,  differ  from  both  these.  While  he 
realizes  all  the  apprehensions  of  the  convinced  sinner,  he  adds  to 
them,  also,  a  new  and  peculiar  sense  of  the  importance  of  sin,  as 
an  evil  in  itself.  To  him  it  appears  as  a  great  evil,  primarily,  as  it 
respects  God.  The  character  of  God  is,  in  his  view,  so  great  and 
so  good,  and  his  commands  are  so  reasonable,  that  obedience  to 
him  appears  supremely  excellent  and  desirable,  and  disobedience 
supremely  undesirable  and  unworthy.  Both  are  estimated  by  his 
eye  with  a  steady  reference  to  the  glorious  character  of  the  Crea- 
•  tor;  the  excellence  and  importance  of  the  law,  by  which  he  gov- 
erns the  universe  ;  the  auspicious  efficacy  of  obedience  to  it ;  and 
the  malignant  influence  of  disobedience  on  the  character  and  hap- 
piness of  intelligent  beings.  Wherever  God  is  concerned,  all 
regard  to  creatures  must  be  secondary,  and  comparatively  unim- 
portant. But,  when  we  consider  the  number  of  intelligent 
creatures  ;  the  dignified  nature  of  their  faculties  ;  the  importance 
of  their  actions  in  producing  happiness  or  misery;  and  their  capa- 
city of  enjoying  happiness,  or  suffering  misery,  throughout  eternity; 
their  combined  interests  become  an  object,  to  a  created  eye, 
literally  immense.  The  interest  of  one  immortal  mind,  and  the 
virtue  of  that  mind,  living  and  operating  throughout  endless  ages, 
severally  transcend  all  finite  estimation.  Of  this  virtue,  and  these 
interests,  sin  is  the  absolute  destruction.  It  will,  therefore,  neces- 
sarily seem  to  the  penitent  an  evil,  which  cannot  be  measured. 

As  his  own  interests  and  virtue  are  concerned,  he  will  feel  this 
subject  in  a  peculiar  manner.  These  he  naturally  realizes  in  a 
stronger  degree,  than  he  can  realize  the  same  things,  as  belonging 
to  others.  Particularly,  he  will  be  deeply  affected  by  a  conscious- 
ness of  that  debasement,  which  sin  had  produced  in  his  character. 
He  will  feel  himself  brought  low ;  degraded  beneath  the  proper 
level  of  a  rational  being;  lost  to  all  useful  and  honourable  purpo- 
ses ;  and  active  only  to  such,  as  are  unworthy  and  mischievous. 
Of  course,  he  regards  himself  as  having  been  a  nuisance  to  the 
universe ;  and  therefore  justly  loathsome  in  the  sight  of  God,  and 


SER.  LXXVII]  REPENTANCE.  459 

contemptible  in  that  of  all  virtuous  beings.  Of  necessity,  therefore, 
he  will  be  odious  and  contemptible  in  his  own  sight. 

To  atone  for  an  evil  of  such  vast  moment  will  appear  to  him 
utterly  beyond  his  power.     It  will  seem  plainly  impossible  to  him 
to  repair,  in  any  manner,  the  injury  which  he  has  done  to  God; 
the  dishonour,  which  he  has  cast  upon  his  law  ;  and  the  injustice, 
which  he  has  been  guilty  of  to  the  universe.     That  this  should  be 
done  will  appear  to  him  indispensable,  in  order  to  his  acceptance 
with  God.     The  condescension  of  God,  therefore,  in  providing,  and 
the  benevolence  of  Christ  in  accomplishing,  such  an  atonement, 
will  seem  to  him  vast,  wonderful,  and  eminently  divine. 
2dly.    True  Repentance  involves  in  it  Hatred  of  sin. 
Under  the  influence  of  Conviction,  every  sinner  hates  sin,  in  this 
sense ;  that  he  regards  it  as  the  cause  of  future  punishment ;  that 
is,  he  dreads  the  suffering,  and  hates  the  cause  of  it,  as  such ;  and 
under  the  influence  of  this  feeling  he  will  usually  abstain  from  many, 
perhaps  most,  overt  acts  of  transgression.     But  the  penitent  hates 
sin  in  its  very  nature.     He  does  not  merely  dread  the  punishment, 
but  the  sin,  independently  of  the  punishment :  so  that,  were  there 
no  punishment  to  follow,  he  would  still  carefully  avoid  the  sin.     In 
its  own  nature  it  is  loathsome  to  his  taste  :  just  as  certain  kinds  of 
food  are  disgusting  to  a  particular  taste ;  and  are  avoided,  not  be-" 
cause  they  are  supposed  to  be  injurious  to  the  health,  but  merely 
because  they  are  disgusting. 

It  ought,  perhaps,  here  to  be  observed,  to  prevent  perplexity  in 
the  minds  of  those  who  hear  me,  that  I  do  not  intend  to  represent 
the  penitent  as  hating  or  loathing  those  kinds  of  enjoyment,  which 
in  their  nature  may  be  lawful,  and  are  sinful  only  by  some  attendant 
circumstances,  with  which  they  are  at  times  enjoyed;  nor  to  rep- 
resent him  as  hating  the  objects,  whence  such  enjoyment  is  derived. 
Objects,  of  this  kind,  and  the  enjoyments  springing  from  them,  are 
made  agreeable  to  our  nature  by  the  Creator  himself;  are  equally 
pleasing  to  the  penitent  and  impenitent ;  and  are  in  themselves 
lawful,  when  existing  in  the  proper  degrees,  and  in  the  proper  cir- 
cumstances. Food  and  wine  are  both  means  of  pleasure,  which  may 
be  lawfully  enjoyed ;  but  they  are  also  the  means  of  gluttony  and 
drunkenness.     The  penitent  hates  the  gluttony  and  drunkenness ; 
but  he  does   not,  therefore,  hate  the   food  and  the  wine;  nor  the 
pleasure  which  they  communicate,  when  lawfully  enjoyed.     Nor 
has  God  required  this  at  his  hands.     If,  indeed,  he  has  found  them 
to  be  dangerous  to  him,  as  temptations  to  inordinate  and  sinful  in- 
dulgence ;  he  will  dread,  and  watch,  and,  as  the  case  may  be,  shun, 
them  on  this  account.     Yet  the  pleasure,  which  they  communicate 
when  lawfully  enjoyed,  neither  is,  nor  is  required  to  be,  the  object 
of  his   hatred.     The  sin,  committed  in  an  inordinate,  or  otherwise 
unlawful,  use  of  the  object,  will  be  hated  by  the  penitent;  and  not 
ihe  object  itself. 


460  REGENERATION.  [SER.  LXXVII. 

1  have  mentioned,  under  the  preceding  head,  that  sin  will  be 
viewed  by  the  penitent  as  being  primarily  evil,  because  it  is  an  in- 
jury done  to  God.  This  consideration  will  peculiarly  awaken  his 
hatred  of  sin.  An  injury  done  to  a  being  so  great  and  glorious, 
will  appear  to  him  pre-eminently  unreasonable  and  ill-deserving. 
He  will  remember  with  peculiar  solemnity,  and  lively  affection,  that 
this  glorious  Being  has  forbidden  sin  in  every  form  and  degree; 
and  that  every  transgression  is,  therefore,  an  open,  as  well  as  cause- 
less, affront  to  his  infinite  authority.  Nor  will  he  fail  to  recollect, 
that  the  same  exalted  Being  is  his  own  supreme  Benefactor;  and 
that  every  blessing,  which  he  has  received,  has  come  down  from  the 
Father  of  lights.  With  this  great  consideration  in  view,  he  will  be 
deeply  pained  by  a  sense  of  the  ingratitude,  exercised  toward  his 
Creator  in  every  transgression. 

Nor  will  he  be  less  deeply  affected,  when  he  remembers,  that  sin 
alone  occasioned  all  the  sufferings  of  the  Redeemer.  That  so  glo- 
rious and  excellent  a  person,  as  Christ,  should  suffer  at  all,  and  es- 
pecially in  so  dreadful  a  manner,  every  penitent  will  feel  to  be  of  all 
things  the  most  undesirable,  and  the  most  to  be  regretted.  How 
evil,  then,  in  its  nature,  must  be  the  cause  of  these  sufferings;  and 
how  distressing  to  know,  that  in  this  evil  his  own  sins  have  their 
share ! 

Besides,  all  his  own  sins  have  been  committed  in  a  full  view  of 
these  sufferings,  with  an  ample  knowledge  of  their  greatness,  and 
intensity,  together  with  a  complete  discovery  of  Christ's  excellence 
in  consenting  thus  to  suffer,  and  amid  the  very  sound  of  those  of- 
fers of  mercy,  which  Christ  proclaimed  through  the  agonies  of  the 
cross.  By  these  considerations  the  penitent  will  feel  his  own  un- 
worthiness,  particularly  his  ingratitude,  mightly  enhanced  ;  and  will 
abhor  himself  repenting  in  dust  and  ashes. 

Nor  will  the  mischiefs,  occasioned  by  sin  to  his  fellow  creatures, 
fail  to  increase,  mightily,  his  hatred  of  this  dreadful  evil.     All  the 
sufferings,  found  throughout  this  great  world,  will  be  easily  seen  by 
him  to  have  sprung  from  this  cause  only ;  and  a  great  part  of  them 
to  be  its  immediate  eflects.     These,  being  its  proper  fruits,  exhibit 
in  the  clearest  and  most  forcible  manner  the  nature  of  the  tree.    In 
deceit,  fraud,  contention,  cruelty,  oppression,  and  bloodshed,  he 
will  see  portrayed  in   living  colours  the  detestable  nature  of  the 
spirit,  which  gives  them  birth.     But  this  is  not  all.     A  much  more 
important  consideration  will  every  where  present  itself  to  his  view ; 
and  much  more  powerfully  aflect  his  heart.     All  his  fellow-men 
are  immortal ;  and  are  capable  of  endless  happiness,  or  endless 
suffering.     Nay,  it  will  be  the  actual  lot  of  every  one  of  them  to  be 
happy,  or  miserable,  for  ever.     Viewed  in  this  light,  their  interests 
become  infinitely  valuable.     Sin,  the  cause  of  all  their  future,  as 
well  as  present,  misery,  is  thus  invested  with  an  importance,  which 
to  the  eye  of  the  penitent  becomes  literally  immense.     With  deep 
concern  and  amazement  he  will  behold  a  vast  multitude  of  rational 


SERLXXVII]  REPENTANCE.  46| 

beings,  bone  of  his  bone,  and  Jlesh  of  his  fiesh,  corrupted  by  this 
moral  pollution  in  such  a  manner,  as  to  render  them  incapable  of 
happiness  ;  and  to  such  a  degree,  as  to  render  it  wholly  improper 
for  God  to  make  them  happy.  Beyond  this,  he  will  see  them  not 
only  cast  off  for  ever  by  God,  as  wholly  unfit  to  be  members  of  the 
kingdom  of  happiness,  and  made  objects  of  his  wrath  and  indigna- 
tion ;  but  finally  ruined,  and  made  for  ever  wretched,  by  the  prop- 
er influence  of  the  sin  itself.  The  same  malignant  efficacy,  with 
which  it  produces  the  sufferings  of  the  present  world,  will  produce 
similar  sufferings  in  every  other  world,  Avhere  it  predominates ; 
greater,  always,  in  proportion  to  the  degree  in  which  it  prevails. 
In  the  world  of  perdition,  therefore,  being  unmingled  and  perfect, 
it  will  produce  finished mn  to  all  its  wretched  inhabitants.  With 
these  views  of  this  mighty  evil,  he  will  behold  it  with  the  deepest 
loathing  and  abhorrence.  With  these  views  he  will  regard  that 
example,  which  may  tempt  others  to  sin  ;  those  arguments,  which 
may  perplex  or  bewilder  them  ;  those  doctrines,  which  may  en- 
courage or  quiet  them  in  disobedience  ;  and,  generally,  all  those 
motives,  which  may  slacken  their  course  in  the  path  of  virtue,  or 
quicken  their  progress  in  iniquity,  only  with  alarm  and  horror. 
Necessarily,  therefore,  will  he  refuse  to  become  the  instrument  of 
setting  these  snares  for  the  feet  of  his  fellow-men,  and  of  digging 
the  pit  of  destruction  in  their  way.  Anxiously  will  he  watch,  and 
strive,  and  pray,  that  he  may  not  become  the  means  of  leading  im- 
mortal minds  to  final  ruin. 

Nor  will  he  fail  to  be  deeply  affected  with  the  evils,  done  by  sin 
to  himself  This  part  of  the  subject  he  will  be  able  to  understand 
more  clearly,  and  to  realize  more  strongly,  than  perhaps  any  other. 
The  debasement  of  his  nature  as  a  rational  being,  mentioned 
under  the  former  head,  will  seem  to  him  an  evil  of  no  secondary 
magnitude.  The  complete  perversion  of  his  noble  faculties,  the 
frustration  of  the  end  of  his  existence,  the  continual  inroads  made 
upon  his  peace,  the  prevention  of  his  usefulness,  together  with 
his  exposure  to  final  perdition,  all  accomplished  by  this  malig- 
nant cause,  render  it  necessarily,  and  supremely,  detestable  in  his 
sight. 

At  the  same  time,  this  hatred  will  be  directed  towards  sin  of  every 
kind.  The  same  odious  nature  is  inherent  in  sins,  whatever  form 
they  may  assume,  and  in  whatever  manner  they  may  exist ;  wheth- 
er they  are  secret  or  open  ;  whether  they  exist  in  thought,  word,  or 
action  ;  whether  they  immediately  respect  God  or  man,  his  fellow- 
men  or  himself ;  whether  they  are  reputable  or  disreputable  ; 
whether  productive  of  gain  or  followed  by  loss.  In  every  one  of 
these  forms  they  have  still  the  same  evil,  shameful,  odious  charac- 
ter; and  will,  therefore,  universally  awaken  his  hatred. 

Finally;  he  will  hate  sin  in  all  persons  ^  in  himself,  his  family, 
his  friends,  his  fellow-christians,  his  countrymen,  and  mankind. 
The  only  difference,  here,  will  be :  the  nearer  it  comes  home  to 


409  REGENERATION.  [9ER.  LXXVII. 

him,  he  will  hate  it  the  more.  In  his  friends  and  fellow-christians, 
therefore,  his  family  and  himself,  he  will  hale  it  more  than  in  oth- 
ers ;  especially,  as  the  expressions  of  his  hatred  towards  their  sms, 
and  his  opposition  to  his  own,  may  have  a  peculiar  efficacy  in  pre- 
venting future  transgressions.  Nor  will  the  kindred,  or  amiable- 
ness,  of  any  person,  prevent  him  from  regarding  his  sins  with  dis- 
gust and  abhorrence. 

3dly.    True  Repentance  involves  m  it  a  sincere  Sorrow  for  sin. 

A  ilutiful  child,  who  has  disobeyed  his  father,  feels,  after  all  the 
fears  of  punishment  are  over,  sincere  regret,  because  he  has  dis- 
obeyed. A  good  man,  when  he  has  done  an  injury  to  a  friend, 
even  when  the  fact  is  unknown,  and  himself  is  secure  from  possible 
detection,  laments  secretly  his  unworthy  conduct.  A  penitent  teels 
a  simdar  regret,  that  he  has  offended  God,  and  injured  his  fellow- 
men  ;  not  from  the  apprehension  of  their  resentment,  or  of  the  an- 
ger of  God,  merely ;  but  also  from  the  sense  of  the  evil  which  he 
has  done ;  from  a  realizing  view  of  the  unvvorthiness  of  which  he 
has  been  guilty.  Witli  this  view,  he  will  be  ever  ready  to  cry  out, 
with  St.  Paul,  O  wretched  man  that  I  am :  who  shall  deliver  me  from 
the  body  of  this  death? 

4thly.  True  Repentance  will  prompt  the  subject  of  it  freely  to  con- 
fess his  sins  before  God. 

Confession  is  the  first,  the  proper,  the  natural,  language  of  Re- 
pentance. In  this  manner  Job  confessed,  when  God,  appearing  to 
him  with  divine  glory,  discovered  to  him  the  corruption  of  his  heart, 
and  the  guiltiness  of  his  life.  I  have  heard  of  thee  by  the  hearing  of 
the  ear  j  but  now  mine  eye  seeth  thee.  Wherefore  I  abhor  myself 
and  repent  in  dust  and  ashes.  In  the  same  manner  David,  also,  con- 
fessed :  /  acknowledge  my  transgression,  and  my  siji  is  ever  before 
thee.  Thus,  also,  Nehemiah  and  his  companions,  the  captives  who 
had  returned  from  Babylon,  spent  one  fourth  part  of  the  day  of 
their  public  humiliation  in  confessing  their  sins  ;  and  said  :  Thou  art 
just  in  all  that  is  brought  upon  us  :  for  thou  hast  done  right  j  but 
we  have  done  7oickedly.  Thus  the  Lamentations  of  Jeremiah  are 
extensively  occupied  in  this  employment.  Thus  Daniel,  in  strong 
terms,  declared  to  God  the  sins  of  himself  and  his  people.  Thus, 
finally,  have  all  sincere  penitents  done  in  every  age,  and  in  every 
country.  The  heart,  in  the  clear  view  of  its  sins,  in  the  strong 
apprehension  of  the  wrongs,  which  it  has  done  to  God,  and  to  man- 
kind, is  full,  and  overflows  ;  and  out  of  its  abundance  the  mouth  is 
compelled  to  speak.  Besides,  confession  is  the  first  attempt  to- 
wards making  amends  for  the  injury;  and  the  ])cnitent  is  ready  to 
adopt  every  measure,  which  may,  in  his  view,  contribute  to  the  ac- 
complishment of  an  end,  befieved  to  be  so  important,  and  relished 
as  so  desirable. 

5thly.   True  Repentance  is  followed  by  Reformation. 

Every  penitent  will,  like  Elihu,  pronounce  concerning  himself, 
as  well  as  concerning  others :  Surely  it  is  meet  to  be  said  unto  Godf 


SER.  LXXVIL]  REPENTANCE  463 

/  have  home  chastisement :  I  will  not  offend  any  more,.  That, 
which  I  see  not,  teach  thou  me  ;  if  I  have  done  iniquity,  I  will  do  no 
more. 

Amendment  is  the  End  of  all  Repentance:  and  this  involv<^sthe 
two-fold  office  o{  forsaking  sin,  and  practising  holiness.  It  will 
easily  be  believed,  that  he  who  hates  and  mourns  for  his  sins,  must, 
under  the  influence  of  this  disposition,  regard  the  future  commis- 
sion of  them  with  dread,  and  proceed  to  it  only  under  the  infiuence 
of  frailty,  the  occasional  predominance  of  lust,  or  the  pow  Tful 
influence  of  external  temptations.  To  forsake  it  will  also  be  be- 
lieved to  be  a  commanding  object  of  his  designs,  and  efforts.  With 
this  object  is  intimately  connected  a  fixed,  and  universal,  determin- 
ation faithfully  to  practise  future  Obedience.  This  is  the  sum  of 
the  divine  pleasure  concerning  his  remaining  life ;  the  substance  of 
all  the  precepts,  contained  in  the  law  of  that  glorious  Being,  to 
have  offended  whom  excites  his  deepest  sorrow,  and  to  please 
whom  is  now  the  object  of  his  most  earnest  desire.  A  general  re- 
formation of  life  will,  therefore,  be  the  only  conduct,  originated  by 
the  present  temper  of  his  heart.  Against  sin,  against  all  sin,  he 
will  set  his  face  as  a  flint.  His  passions,  henceforth,  will  be  sub- 
ordinated to  his  conscience ;  and  his  conscience  enlightened  and 
directed  by  the  Scriptures  of  Truth.  Every  lust  will  he  labour  to 
subdue,  every  enemy  to  overcome,  and  every  temptation  to  resist 
or  escape.  More  and  more,  continually,  will  this  be  the  purpose 
and  employment  of  his  life.  With  increasing  resolution  he  will  go 
from  strength  to  strength^  improve  in  holiness,  as  he  increases  in 
years  ;  and  become,  from  time  to  time,  more  and  more  meet  to  be 
a  partaker  with  the  Saints  in  light,  in  their  communion  and  their 
joys. 

REMARKS. 

1st.  From  these  observations  we  learn,  that  a  Repentance  may  ex- 
ist, and  go  far,  and  yet  not  be  Evangelical. 

From  the  account  already  given  of  the  repentance  experienced 
by  Judas,  it  is  plain,  that  he  entertained  such  views,  and  felt  such 
emotions,  as  are  also  felt  by  true  penitents.  There  is  nothing  in 
the  nature  of  the  case,  which  hinders  all  these  and  others  like 
them,  from  being  experienced  by  any  false  penitent.  From  this 
fact  it  is  clear,  that  False  repentance  may  be  easily  mistaken  for 
the  True  ;  and  equally  clear,  that  a  careful  discrimination  is  indis- 
pensably necessary  to  distinguish  them  from  each  other.  Other 
wise,  the  false  penitent  may  be  easily,  and,  for  ought  that  appears, 
fatally,  deceived.  If  the  account,  here  given  of  Evangelical  re- 
pentance, be  admitted ;  the  distinction  between  this  and  all  coun- 
terfeits is  clear  and  decisive.  The  false  penitent  never  forms  just 
views  of  the  nature  of  sin;  never  hates  it,  as  evil  done  to  God  and 
his  fellow-creatures  ;  never  in  this  view,  mourns  for  it ;  never  con- 
fesses it  ingenuously ;  and  never  faithfully  forsakes  it.     He,  who 


454  RKGENERATION.  fSKR.  LXXVI/ 

cannot  find  ihcsc  things  in  his  heart  and  conduct,  may  .salcly  con- 
clude, that  his  repentance  is  not  that  of  the  Gospel. 

2dly.  Tke  same  observations  prove,  that  Repentance  is  a  spirit, 
justly  according  with  the  real  slate  of  things. 

The  penitent  is  really,  as  he  pronounces  himself  to  be,  a  sinner; 
guilty  in  the  sight  of  God,  and  deserving  of  his  wrath.  Sin  is  really 
the  great  evil,  which  he  feels,  and  acknowledges,  it  to  be  ;  and  is 
therefore  to  be  hated,  lamented,  confessed,  and  forsaken,  in  the 
very  manner,  determined  on  by  himself.  His  situation  is  in  all 
respects  as  bad,  and  his  character  as  unworthy,  as  he  supposes 
them.  The  views  which  he  entertains  of  himself,  therefore,  are 
exactly  agreeable  to  truth  ;  and  such  as  he  is  plainly  bound  to 
entertain.  All  views  of  himself,  and  of  his  condition,  which  are 
discordant  with  these,  would  be  contrary  to  truth,  and  a  mere  mass 
of  falsehood.  Of  the  same  nature  are  the  affections,  involved  in 
Evangelical  Repentance.  They  are  the  very  affections,  which 
necessarily  arise  out  of  these  \ie\vs ;  and  the  only  affections,  which, 
in  the  penitent's  case,  correspond  with  truth.  Of  course,  they  are 
plain  and  indispensable  parts  of  his  duty. 

3dly.  These  observations  teach  ns,  that  Repentance  is  absolutely 
necessary  to  salvation. 

Without  Repentance,  the  siimer  would  still  continue  to  be  a 
sinner ;  an  enemy  to  holiness  and  to  God,  to  happiness  and  to 
heaven.  If  he  did  not  hate  sin;  it  would  be  physically  impossi- 
ble,  that  he  should  forsake  it ;  that  he  should  love  or  practise 
holiness ;  that  he  should  be  cordially  reconciled  to  God  ;  that  he 
should  relish  the  happiness  of  heaven  ;  or  that  he  should  desire,  or 
enjoy,  the  friendship  of  virtuous  beings.  It  would  be  impossible, 
that  he  should  receive  Christ  as  his  Saviour ;  trust  in  his  righteous- 
ness for  acceptance  ;  love  his  character;  or  welcome  his  mediation. 
At  the  same  time,  it  would  be  morally  impossible,  that  God  should 
receive,  or  justify,  the  sinner;  unite  him  to  his  family;  or  restore 
him  to  his  favour.  To  all  these  things  Repentance  is  plainly,  and 
absolutely  indispensable. 

The  views,  which  the  penitent  entertains  of  moral  subjects,  and 
the  affections,  with  which  he  regards  them,  prepare  him,  and  are 
indispensably  necessary  to  prepare  him,  to  partake  of  the  favour 
of  God,  the  employments  of  holiness,  and  the  blessings  of  Re- 
demption. Evangelical  Repentance  is  the  beginning  of  moral 
health  in  the  soul.  At  the  commencement  of  its  exist(>nce,  the 
former  evil,  morbid  principles,  begin  to  lose  their  hold,  and  to 
have  their  power  diminished.  The  divine  Physician  then  first 
achieves  his  victory  over  the  moral  diseases,  which  were  before 
incurable  ;  and  the  balm  of  Gilead  begins  to  restore  its  decayed 
and  ruined  faculties.  From  this  moment,  immortal  health,  the  life 
of  Heaven,  returns  to  the  languishing  mind  ;  health  that  cannot 
decay,  life  that  cannot  terminate  :  the  youth  of  angels,  which  can- 
not grow  old,  but  is  formed  to  increase,  and  bloom,  and  flourish 
for  ever. 


SERMON  L.XXVII1. 


REGENERATION. ITS    ATTENDANTS. LOVE. 


Galatians  v.  22. — But  the  fruit  of  the  Spirit  is  love. 

Having  considered,  in  preceding  discourses,  Faith  in  Christ, 
and  Repentance  unto  life,  the  two  first  of  those  moral  attributes, 
which  I  called  the  Attendants  of  Regeneration  ;  I  shall  now  go  on 
to  examine  the  nature  of  the  third,  and  fourth,  of  these  attributes  : 
Love  to  God,  and  Love  to  mankind.  As  both  these  are  only  exer- 
cises of  the  same  disposition,  directed  towards  different  objects,  I 
shall  here  consider  them  together  ;  reserving  a  separate  discussion 
of  them  to  a  future  occasion.  St.  Paul  informs  us,  that  Love,  viz. 
the  disposition  mentioned  in  the  text,  is  the  fulfilling  of  the  Law  ; 
that  is,  of  the  two  great  commands,  Thou  shall  love  the  Lord  thy 
God  with  all  thy  heart,  and  thy  neighbour  as  thyself.  These  com- 
mands constitute  a  primary  part  of  a  Theological  system;  and  will 
necessarily  become  a  subject  of  particular  investigation  in  the 
progress  of  these  discourses.  They  will,  therefore,  furnish  an 
ample  opportunity  for  the  separate  consideration  of  these  two  great 
exercises  of  Love. 

In  examining  this  subject,  at  the  present  time,  it  is  my  design, 

I.  To  exhibit  the  Nature  of  this  Love  ^  and, 

II.  To  prove  its  Existence. 

I.  I  shall  endeavour  to  exhibit  the  Nature  of  Evangelical  Love. 

1st.  The  Love  of  the  Gospel,  is  a  Delight  in  happiness  :  or,  in 
other  words.  Good-will  towards  percipient  beings,  as  capable  of 
happiness. 

Happiness  is  the  object,  ultimately,  and  alway,  aimed  at  by  the 
mind,  under  the  influence  of  this  affection.  As  percipient  beings 
are  the  only  beings  capable  of  happiness,  the  love  of  happiness  is, 
of  course,  the  love  of  percipient  beings.  Of  these.  Intelligent  beings 
are  capable  of  so  much  greater  and  more  important  happiness, 
than  mere  animals,  as  scarcely  to  allow  of  any  comparison  between 
them.  The  love  of  happiness,  therefore,  is  supremely  the  love  of 
Intelligent  beings.  This,  accordingly,  has  been  assumed  as  a 
definition  of  Love.  It  is  not  however  metaphysically  correct.  A 
righteous,  or  virtuous,  man  will,  as  such,  regard  the  life,  and  of 
course  the  happiness  universally,  of  his  beast }  and  this,  though  a 
small,  cannot  fail  to  be  a  real,  object  of  his  regard. 

A  delight  in  happiness,  metaphysically  considered,  supposes  it 
enjoyed,  or  already  in  possession.  When  it  is  not  enjoyed,  and 
yet  is  supposed  to  be  possible,  the  same  affection  becomes,  and  is 

Vol.  II.  59 


4GG  REGENERATION.  [9ER.  LXXVIU. 

atylcd,  the  Desire  of  happiness.  Whatever  we  delight  in,  when 
present  and  possessed,  we  desire,  when  absent,  or  unpossessed. 
The  mind  under  the  influence  of  this  affection,  therefore,  while  it 
rejoices  in  happiness  actually  enjoyed,  necessarily  wishes  its  exist- 
ence, wherever  it  is  capable  of  being  enjoyed. 

2dly.    This  love  of  happiness  is  Universal. 

This  proposition  follows,  unavoidably,  from  the  former.  If  the 
mind  delights  in  happiness,  as  such;  it  is  plain,  that  this  delight 
will  exist,  wherever  the  happiness  is  found.  If  it  desire  happiness, 
as  such,  this  desire  will  be  extended  to  every  case,  in  which  it 
perceives  that  happiness  may  be  enjoyed.  The  delight,  there- 
fore, will  be  co-extended  with  the  knowledge,  which  the  mind  at 
any  given  time  possesses,  of  actual  enjoyment ;  and  the  desire, 
with  its  knowledge  of  possible  enjoyment.  So  far,  then,  as  the 
views  of  any  mind,  in  which  this  disposition  exists,  extend,  its  love 
of  happiness  will  be  universal. 

3dly.   This  love  of  happiness  is  Just, 

By  this  I  intend,  that  the  greater  happiness,  whether  actual,  or 
possible,  will  be  loved  more,  and  the  smaller  happiness  less.  This, 
also,  is  inherent  in  the  very  nature  of  the  affection.  If  the  mind 
delight  in  happiness ;  it  follows,  necessarily,  that  this  delight  must 
increase,  as  the  object  of  it  increases.  For  example  :  if  it  delight 
in  the  happiness  of  one  being,  it  will  equally  delight  in  the  same 
happiness  of  a  second ;  in  the  same  manner  in  that  of  a  third ;  of 
a  fourth  ;  a  fifth  ;  a  sixth ;  and  so  on,  in  that  of  any  given,  or  sup- 
posable,  number.  Or,  should  we  suppose  one  of  these  beings  to 
be  happy  in  any  given  degree  ;  and  that  happiness  doubled,  trip- 
led, quadi-upled,  or  increased  in  any  other  degree  ;  the  delight  of 
such  a  mind  in  this  object  would  be  increased  in  the  same  propor- 
tion. I  do  not  here  intend,  that  this  affection  will  operate  with  the- 
mathematical  exactness,  here  stated.  I  am  well  aware,  that  such 
minds  as  ours,  are  utterly  incapable  of  operating  with  their  affec- 
tions in  this  perfect  manner.  This  mode  of  illustration  has  been 
here  used,  for  the  sake  of  exhibiting  the  general  proposition  in  a 
manner  clear  and  decisive  ;  and,  if  I  mistake  not,  it  unanswerably 
evinces  the  truth  of  the  proposition. 

In  entire  accordance  with  this  doctrine  we  are  commanded  to 
love  God  with  all  the  heart,  not  only  as  an  object  of  our  Compla- 
cency, but  of  our  Benevolence  also.  We  are  not  only  rec|uired  to 
approve  of  his  perfect  character,  but  also  to  delight  in  his  perfect 
happiness,  or,  as  we  more  usually  term  it,  blessedness.  His  perfect 
character  is  the  cause,  of  which  his  perfect  happiness  is  the  effect. 
The  former,  it  is  our  duty  to  regard  with  supreme  complacency  ; 
the  latter,  it  is  equally  our  duty  to  regard  with  supreme  benevo- 
lence. 

No  less  accordant  with  this  disposition,  also,  is  the  second  com- 
mand of  the  same  law.  Our  neighbour,  that  is,  any,  and  every  in- 
dividual of  the  human  race,  is  the  subject  of  the  same  happines^ 


SER.  LXXVIII.]  LOVE.  467 

as  ourselves.  We  are  therefore  required  to  love  our  neighbour^  as 
ourselves:  viz.  because  his  happiness  is  of  the  same  importance, 
as  our  own :  not  indeed  mathematically,  but  generally,  and  indefi- 
nitely; as  the  words  of  the  command  import. 

It  is  to  be  observed,  here,  that  Benevolence  is  the  only  object  of 
this  command.  The  greater  part  of  those,  who  are  included,  here, 
under  the  word  neighbour,  are  wholly  destitute  of  virtue,  in  the 
Evangelical  sense.  But  towards  any,  and  all,  of  these,  it  is  physic- 
ally impossible  to  excercise  Complacency :  this  affection  being  no 
other  than  the  love  of  such  virtue. 

4thly.    This  affection  is  Disinterested. 

If  the  preceding  positions  be  allowed,  this  follows,  of  course. 
Nothing  is  more  evident,  than  that  the  mind,  which  loves  happiness 
wherever  it  is,  and  in  proportion  to  the  degree  in  which  it  exists, 
must  of  course  be  disinterested.  In  other  words,  it  must  be  with- 
out any  partiality  for  its  own  enjoyment,  or  any  preference  of  it  to 
that  of  others,  its  delight  in  the  happiness,  enjoyed  by  others, 
will  be  the  same  with  that,  which  it  finds  in  its  own  enjoyment ;  so 
far  as  it  is  able  to  understand,  and  realize,  it  in  the  same  manner. 
We  cannot,  I  acknowledge,  cither  understand,  or  feel,  the  concerns 
of  others  in  the  same  degree,  as  our  own  ;  and  from  this  imperfec- 
tion would  arise,  even  if  our  benevolence  were  perfect,  a  dift'erence 
in  our  estimation  of  these  objects,  which  so  far  as  I  see,  could  not 
be  avoided.  But  in  cases,  not  aflfected  by  this  imperfect  state  of 
our  minds,  cases,  which  even  in  this  world  are  numerous,  no  rea- 
son can,  in  my  view,  be  alleged,  why  the  estimation  should  not  be 
the  same.  In  a  more  perfect  state  of  being,  it  is  probable,  the 
number  of  such  cases  may  be  so  enlarged,  as  to  comprehend  al- 
most all  the  interests  of  Intelligent  creatures. 

5thly.   This  love  is  an  Active  principle. 

By  this  I  intend,  that,  in  its  nature,  it  controls  all  the  faculties  in 
such  a  manner,  as  to  engage  them  supremely  in  the  promotion  of 
the  great  object,  in  which  it  delights.  Of  this  truth  we  have  the 
most  abundant  proof  in  the  Scriptural  exhibitions  of  the  character 
of  God ;  of  the  Redeemer ;  and  of  those  saints,  whose  history 
they  record.  God,  saith  St.  John,  is  love.  Every  good  gift,  saith 
St.  James,  and  every  perfect  gift,  is  from  above  ;  and  cometh  down 
from  the  Father  of  lights.  Nevertheless,  saith  St.  Paul,  he  left  him- 
self not  without  witness  j  in  that  he  did  good,  giving  us  rain  from 
heaven,  and  fruitful  seasons,  filing  our  hearts  with  food  and  glad- 
ness. Thou  art  good,  says  David,  and  dost  good  ^  and  thy  tender 
mercies  are  over  all  thy  works.  Jesus  Christ,  says  St.  Peter,  a  man 
who  went  about  doing  good.  It  is  hardly  necessary  to  observe, 
that  the  whole  body  of  worthies,  presented  to  us  in  the  Scriptures, 
were  in  this  respect  followers  of  God,  as  dear  children  ;  or  that  the 
same  mind  was  in  them,  which  was  also  in  Christ.  The  Epistles  of 
St.  Paul,  particularly,  and  his  whole  history,  after  his  conversion, 
as  given  to  us  by  St.  Jjiike,  are  one  continued  proof,  that  this  was 


468  REGENERATION.  [SER.  LXXVlll. 

his  ruling  character.  The  love,  which  exists  in  word,  and  in 
tongue,  the  Scriptures  reprobate  ;  and  approve,  and  enjoin,  that 
only,  which,  in  their  emphatical  language,  exists  in  deed  and 
truth.  We  hardly  need,  however,  look  to  this  or  any  source,  for 
evidence  concerning  this  subject.  Love,  in  all  cases,  so  far  as  our 
experience  extends,  prompts  him,  in  whom  it  exists,  to  promote  the 
happiness  of  the  object  beloved.  So  plain  is  this  to  the  eye  of 
common  sense,  that  no  person  believes  love  to  exist  in  any  mind, 
which  does  not  labour  to  accomplish  happiness  for  the  object, 
which  it  professes  to  love.  Thus  a  parent,  who  neglects  the  hap- 
piness of  his  children,  is  universally  pronounced  not,  to  love 
them ;  and  thus  persons,  professing  friendship  for  others,  and  inat- 
tentive at  the  same  time  to  their  welfare,  are  with  a  single  voice 
declared  to  be  friends  in  pretence  merely.  What  is  true,  in  this 
respect,  of  these  natural  affections,  is  altogether  true  of  Evangelical 
love.     Its  proper  character  is  to  do  good,  as  it  has  opportunity. 

6thly.   This  principle  is  the  only  Voluntary  Cause  of  happiness. 

The  benevolence  of  Intelligent  creatures  is  the  same,  in  kind, 
with  the  benevolence  of  God  ;  and  for  this  reason  is  styled  the 
image  of  God.  But  the  Benevolence  of  God  is  the  single  original 
cause,  the  sole,  as  well  as  boundless,  source,  of  all  the  happiness 
found  in  the  creation.  In  the  great  design  of  producing  this  hap- 
piness he  has  required  Intelligent  creatures  to  co-operate  with  him- 
self. Of  their  labours  to  this  end  their  own  benevolence  is  the 
only  immediate  cause.  Benevolence,  therefore,  in  God  and  his  In- 
telligent creatures,  considered  as  one  united  principle  of  action,  is 
the  only  voluntary  source  of  happiness  in  the  universe.  As, 
therefore,  none  but  voluntary  beings  can  produce,  nor  even  con- 
trive, happiness ;  and  as  no  voluntary  beings,  except  benevolent 
ones,  are  active  to  this  end  ;  it  is  plain,  that  happiness  is  ultimately 
derived  from  benevolence  alone ;  and  but  for  its  exertions  would 
never  have  existed. 

7thly.   This  principle  is  One. 

By  this  I  intend,  that  the  same  love  is  exercised  by  a  virtuous 
mind  towards  God,  towards  its  fellow-creatures,  and  towards  itself. 
The  affection  is  one.  The  difference  in  its  exercises  springs  only 
from  the  difference  of  its  objects.  Love  is  the  fulfilling  of  the 
law:  that  is,  one  affection  exercised  towards  God,  and  towards 
man,  is  alternately  the  fulfilling  both  of  the  first  and  second  com- 
mands. He  who  is  the  subject  of  one  of  these  exercises  is  of 
course  a  subject  of  the  other  also.  He,  who  loves  God,  loves 
mankind  :  he,  who  loves  mankind,  loves  Cod.  There  are  not  two 
affections  of  the  mind,  in  the  strict  and  nietaphysical  sense ;  one 
of  which  is  called  love  to  God,  or  Piety  ;  and  the  other  love  to 
mankind,  or  Benevolence :  but  there  is  one  love,  now  exercised  to- 
ward God,  and  now  toward  mankind. 

II.  f  shall  now  proceed  to  prove  the  Existence  of  this  principle. 


^ER.  LXXVIII.]  LOVE.  469 

The  evidence,  which  I  shall  adduce  for  this  purpose,  will  be  de- 
I'ived, 

1st.  From  the  Scriptures  ;  and, 
2dly.  From  Reason. 

The  first  argument^  which  I  shall  allege  from  the  Scriptures,  is  the 
JMoral  Law :  Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God,  with  all  thy  heart  ; 
and  thy  neighbour  as  thyself. 

I  have  already  observed,  that  Benevolence,  or  love  to  hap- 
piness, or  to  Intelligent  beings  as  capable  of  happiness,  is  the  ob- 
ject, and  the  only  object,  of  the  second  of  these  commands. 
Should  any  doubt  remain  on  this  subject,  it  may  easily  be  removed 
by  the  consideration,  that  our  Saviour  has  taught  us  to  consider  our 
enemies,  universally,  as  included  under  the  word,  neighbour.  The 
enemies  of  a  good  man,  knowing  him  to  be  such,  are  always  wick- 
ed men;  and,  having  no  holiness,  or  evangelical  virtue,  cannot,  in 
the  physical  sense,  be  loved  with  Complacency,  ov  the  love  of  virtue. 
The  love  of  happiness,  therefore,  or  Benevolence,  is  the  principle, 
especially,  if  not  only,  enjoined  in  this  law.  Accordingly,  our  Sa- 
viour called  the  command,  enjoining  brotherly  love,  that  is,  the  love 
of  his  disciples  toward  each  other,  or,  in  other  words,  Complacency, 
a  JVew  commandment. 

As  the  moral  law,  then,  enjoins,  especially,  the  love  of  happi- 
ness ;  that  is  Benevolence  ;  so  it  evidently  enjoins  this  disposition 
in  a  proportion,  corresponding  with  that,  which  has  been  insisted 
on  in  this  discourse.  We  are  required  in  it  to  love  God  with  all  the 
heart;  and  our  neighbour  as  ourselves.  In  other  words,  we  are 
required  to  exercise  this  love  proportionally  to  the  importance, 
or  greatness,  of  the  object  loved  :  supremely  towards  that  object, 
which  is  supremely  great  and  important;  and  equally  towards 
those  objects,  whose  importance  is  equal. 

With  this  view  of  the  law  perfectly  accords  our  Saviour's  prac- 
tical comment  on  the  second  command :  Whatever  ye  would  that 
men  should  do  unto  you,  do  ye  even  so  to  them  ',  for  this  is  the  Law 
and  the  Prophets.  In  this  command,  our  own  equitable  wishes  for 
good  to  be  done  to  ourselves  are  made  the  measure  of  the  good, 
which  we  are  bound  to  do  them. 

2dly.  .^s  another  proof,  I  allege  Luke  vi.  32,  33,  35,  For  if  ye 
love  them,  that  love  you,  what  thank  have  ye?  for  sinners,  also,  love 
(hose,  that  love  them.  But  love  ye  your  enemies  ;  and  do  good,  and 
lend,  hoping  for  nothing  again  :  and  your  reward  shall  be  great  ; 
and  ye  shall  be  the  children  of  the  Highest :  for  he  is  kind  to  the 
unthankful  and  to  the  evil. 

In  these  declarations  of  our  Saviour,  it  is  manifest.  First,  that  the 
love,  which  he  enjoins,  is  Disinterested  love  :  for  it  is  productive  of 
beneficence,  without  reference  to  a  reward.  Secondly ;  we  learn 
from  them,  that  even  this  is  not  sufficient  to  constitute  the  disinte- 
restedness of  the  Gospel.  It  is  still  further  required,  that  the  be- 
nevolence shall  operate  towards  enemies;  overcoming  all  hostil- 


,j70  REGENERATION.  [SER.  LXXVIII 

ity  towards  those,  who  hate  us;  requiring  us,  instead  of  being 
enemies,  to  become,  friends  to  our  enemies  ;  to  render  good  for  their 
evd  ;  and  blessing  for  their  cursing.  Unless  we  do  this,  wc  are 
elsewhere  informed  in  the  Gospel,  we  are  not  and  cannot,  be  the 
children  of  our  Father,  who  is  in  heaven.  Thirdly  ;  we  are  taught 
that  the  disposition,  with  which  we  do  good  to  others,  for  the  siike 
of  gaining  good  at  their  hands ;  or  the  spirit,  with  which  we  do 
good  merely  to  those  who  do  good  to  us ;  tJiat  is,  Selfishness,  in  its 
fairest  and  most  reputable  form,  neither  merits,  nor  will  receive,  a 
reward;  and  is  only  the  spirit  of  publicans  and  sinners. 

3dly.  I  allege,  as  another  proof  the  declaration  of  the  Apostle, 
1   Cor.  xiii.  5,  Love  seeketh  not  her  own. 

In  this  declaration,  St.  Paul  has  asserted  the  disinterestedness 
of  Evangelical  love,  not  only  in  the  most  explicit  manner,  but  with 
the  force,  peculiar  to  himself.  Literally,  he  declares,  that  love 
does  not  seek  her  own  interest  at  all;  but  is  so  absorbed  in  her 
care  for  the  common  good,  as  to  be  wholly  negligent  of  her  per- 
sonal concerns.  This,  however,  I  do  not  suppose  to  have  been 
the  meaning  of  the  Apostle.  But  he  plainly  intends,  that  this 
spirit  is  wholly  destitute  of  any  selfish  character.  Less  than  this, 
it  will,  I  think,  be  impossible  to  consider  as  meant  by  him  in  this 
passage. 

With  these  three  passages  the  whole  volume  of  the  Scriptures 
accords :  and  that  these  clearly  determine  the  love,  required  m  the 
Gospel,  to  be  the  love  of  happiness,  proportioned  to  the  importance 
of  the  object  loved,  and  disinterested  in  its  nature  ;  the  points,  rela- 
tive to  this  subject,  which  are  chiefly  disputed ;  cannot,  I  think,  be 
denied  without  violence. 

To  this  decisive  voice  of  Revelation,  Reason  adds  its  own  un- 
qualified testimony :  as  I  shall  endeavour  to  show  in  the  following 
observations. 

1st.  The  Benevolence,  which  I  have  described,  is  the  only  equitable 
spirit  towards  God  and  our  fellow-creatures. 

That  the  interests  of  God  are  inestimatdy  more  valuable  than^ur 
own,  will  not  be  questioned  by  any  man.  This  being  allowed ;  it 
,can  no  more  be  questioned,  that  they  deserve  incomparably  more 
regard,  than  our  own.  Nor  can  it  any  more  be  doubted,  that  the 
interests  of  our  neigbour  are,  at  a  fair  average,  equally  valuable 
with  our  own.  The  fact,  Ihat  they  are  ours,  certainly  adds  nothing 
to  their  value.  For  what,  then,  it  may  be  asked,  can  they  be  more 
valuable,  than  those  of  our  neighbour?  God  unquestionably  regards 
them  alike ;  and  it  will  not  be  denied,  that  He  regards  them  equi- 
tably, and  in  the  very  manner  in  which  wc  ought  to  regard  them. 

A  public  or  common  good,  therefore,  is  more  valuable,  and  ought 
to  be  more  highly  regarded,  than  the  good  of  on  individual;  for 
this  plain  reason,  that  it  involves  the  good  of  many  individuals. 
This  has  ever  been  the  only  doctrine  of  common  sense.  In  free 
countries,  particularly,  where  men  have  had  the  power,  as  well  as 


SER.  LXXVIII.]  LOVE.       .  471 

the  right,  to  act  according  to  their  own  judgment,  a  majority  of 
votes  has  always  constituted  a  law  :  obviously  because  a  majority 
of  interests  ought  ever  to  be  preferred  to  those  of  a  minority,  and 
still  more  to  those  of  an  individual.  On  the  same  pnnciple,  laws, 
which  consult  the  general  good,  are  ever  pronounced  to  be  right; 
although  they  may  operate  against  the  good  of  individuals.  On 
the  same  pi'inciple,  only,  are  individuals  required  to  devote  their 
labour,  their  property,  and  at  times  their  lives,  for  the  promotion, 
or  security,  of  the  general  welfare.  Selfishness,  on  the  contrary, 
which  always  prefers  private  good  to  public,  would,  if  permitted 
to  operate,  produce  an  entire  subversion  of  public  good.  All  the 
views,  affections,  ^nd  operations,  of  selfishness,  are  unjust;  the  in- 
terests of  an  individual  being  invariably  estimated  more  highly  by 
this  disposition,  and  loved  more  intensely,  than  their  comparative 
value  can  ever  warrant.  It  can  never  be  a  just  estimation,  which 
prefers  the  private  good  of  one  to  the  good  of  many,  the  interests  of 
each  of  whom  are  just  as  valuable,  as  those  of  that  one;  or  which 
prefers  the  interests  of  man  to  those  of  God.  If  this  estimation  is 
right;  and  the  regard,  which  accompanies  it;  then  God  ought  to 
give  up  his  own  kingdom,  purposes,  and  pleasure,  for  the  sake  of 
the  least  of  his  Intelligent  creatures  :  and  the  good  of  the  universe 
ought  to  be  sacrificed  to  the  good  of  one. 

2dly.  It  is  reasonable  to  suppose  that  God  would  create^  and  that 
he  has  created^  Intelligent  creatures  with  this  just  disposition. 

That  there  should  no  where  exist,  in  the  Intelligent  kingdom,  a 
disposition,  regarding  things  according  to  their  value,  is  a  supposi- 
tion too  absurd  in  itself,  and  too  dishonourable  to  the  Creator, 
*  to  be  made  by  a  sober  man.  Such  a  disposition,  it  is  plain,  must 
be  more  estimable,  and  lovely,  to  the  eye  of  the  Divine  Mind,  than 
any  other,  which  is  supposable.  If,  then,  God  made  his  works, 
with  a  design  to  take  pleasure  in  them ;  or  to  be  glorified  by  them, 
he  could  not  fail  to  give  existence  to  such  a  disposition  ;  unless  it 
was  because  he  was  unable.  But  this  will  not  be  pretended. 
Such  a  disposition,  therefore,  certainly  exists. 

3dly.  If  there  be  no  such  disposition,  there  can  be  no  pure  or  last' 
ing  happiness. 

For,  in  the  first  place,  there  is  no  original  cause  of  happiness, 
but  the  action  of  minds.  Minds  are  the  only  active  beings  in  the 
universe.  Matter,  if  eternal,  must  have  been  eternally  quiescent. 
But  minds  never  act,  to  the  production  of  that,  which  they  do  not 
love.  If,  then,  they  did  not  love  happiness,  they  could  not  act,  to 
the  production  of  it.  Of  course,  If  God  had  not  been  benevohnt, 
that  is,  if  he  had  not  loved  happiness  ;  he  never  could  have  produced 
it  f  nor  created  those  beings,  who  were  to  be  made  happy. 

In  the  second  place ;  without  the  same  disposition,  Intelligent 
creatures  could  never  produce  happiness  for  each  other.  Under  the 
divine  government,  happiness,  in  an  endless  variety  of  forms,  is 
produced  by  Intelligent  creatures  for  each  other.     The  degree, 


472  REGENERATIO.  [SER.  LXXVIII 

in  which  their  benevolent  offices  accomplish  good  for  each  other, 
is,  to  a  finite  eye,  hterally  immense.  But  it  is  clearly  evident, 
that  if  they  were  not  benevolent,  no  part  of  this  good  would  ever 
exist. 

Should  it  be  said,  that  creatures,  who  are  not  benevolent,  do  in 
fact  produce  happiness  for  each  other  in  the  present  rvorld  ;  as  is 
unanswerably  manifest  in  the  proper  influence  of  natural  affection, 
and  -oarious  other  attributes  of  the  human  mind:  I  answer,  first," 
that  all  this  happiness,  like  all  other,  is  ultimately  derived  from  the 
benevolence  of  God ;  and  would  have  had  no  existence,  had  he 
not  possessed  this  disposition.  Secondly,  the  happiness,  thus 
produced,  is  far  from  being  pure,  or  lasting.  Thirdly,  Natural 
Affection  is  not  an  original  and  necessary  attribute  of  a  rational 
being  ;  but  has  its  origin,  and  continuance,  in  circumstances, 
which  may  be  termed  accidental,  and  accordingly  has  no  existence, 
where  those  circumstances  are  not  found.  Fourthly,  Natural  Af- 
fection is  an  attribute  of  a  benevolent  as  well  as  of  a  selfish  being; 
and  is  therefore  no  part  of  selfishness.  Fifthly,  the  Scriptures 
teach  us,  that  even  this  good  is  not  derived  from  the  proper  ten- 
dency of  our  selfish  nature,  but  from  a  particular  restraining 
influence  of  God  on  its  proper  operations ;  which  either  prevents 
their  existence,  or  lessens  their  malignant  efficacy.  That  the 
world  is  so  comfortable,  as  it  actually  is,  is,  I  apprehend,  the  result 
of  a  mere  act  of  mercy  on  the  part  of  God,  rather  than  of  the  gen- 
uine tendency  of  the  human  character.  Finally,  should  all  be 
allowed  to  this  source,  which  is  claimed  for  it,  the  happiness  which 
it  yields  is  so  mixed,  and  so  transient,  as  to  form  an  exception  to 
the  doctrine,  which  I  am  defending,  too  unimportant  to  deserve  ♦ 
any  serious  attention. 

In  the  third  place,  there  is  no  other  dispositioti  which  is  happy. 

The  happiness,  inherent  in  a  disposition,  is  the  enjoyment  either 
experienced  in  the  exercises  of  the  disposition  itself ;  or  springing 
from  the  consciousness  of  its  excellence;  or  re sxdting  from  a  knowl- 
edge of  the  desirable  nature  of  its  consequences.  Some  of  the  exer- 
cises of  selfishness  are  pleasant  in  themselves,  and  some  in  a 
knowledge  of  their  consequences.  Thus  pride  is,  in  a  degree, 
always  pleasing  to  the  proud  man ;  pleasing,  [  mean,  in  its  very 
nature.  The  same  thing  may  be  said  also  of  the  sensual  appe- 
tites, whenever  they  are  gratified.  Some  of  them,  also,  are  plea- 
sant in  the  knowledge  of  their  consequences  ;  particularly  those, 
which  respect  fame,  power,  and  property.  But  the  pleasure,  fur- 
nished by  all  of  them,  is  in  itself  poor,  transient,  and  mixed  with 
no  small  pain  and  mortification.  The  pleasure,  furnished  by  our 
sensual  appetites,  is  also,  a  part,  not  of  a  selfish,  but  of  a  merely 
animal,  nature  ;  and,  so  far  as  it  is  temperately  enjoyed,  belongs 
equally  to  a  benevolent  as  to  a  selfish  being.  Selfishness  can 
here  claim  nothing,  as  being  peculiar  to  itself,. except  inordinate 
indulgence ;  and  this  is,  regularly,  a  diminution  of  the  enjoyment. 


SER.  LXXVIII.]  LOVE.  473 

and  an  accumulation  of  pain  and  sorrow.  In  the  mean  time,  none 
of  the  affections  of  Selfishness  yield  happiness  from  a  conscious- 
ness of  their  nature  and  operaiioiis.  They  cannot  be  seen  to  be 
excellent,  because  they  are  all  obviously  evil,  and  odious.  They 
cannot  be  seen  to  be  honourable,  because  they  are  all  base  and 
contemptible.  Of  course,  the  mind  cannot  approve  of  these 
affections,  nor  of  itself,  while  indulging  them ;  but  must  condemn 
both  them,  and  itself,  for  cherishing  them,  as  being  vile  and  despi- 
cable. 

A  great  part  of  the  happiness^  enjoyed  by  Intelligent  beings,  arises 
from  the  knowledge,  that  they  arc  esteemed,  and  loved,  by  other 
Intelligent  beings.  This  is  an  enjoyment,  to  wliich  Selfishness  can 
make  no  claim  :  for  no  being  can  approve  of  Selfishness.  Whether 
it  exists  in  himself,  or  in  others,  it  necessarily,  and  always,  awa- 
kens contempt.  The  selfish  man  is,  therefore,  cut  off  by  his  very 
nature  from  this  delightful  enjoyment. 

At  the  same  time,  this  spirit  produces,  of  course,  evils,  immense 
in  their  number,  and  surpassing  all  finite  estimation  in  their  degree. 
Self-condemnation,  the  hatred  and  contempt  of  others,  contentions, 
oppression,  tyranny,  war,  and  bloodshed  ;  in  a  word,  all  the  evils, 
occasioned  by  man  to  himself,  or  to  his  fellow-men,  arc  uniformly, 
and  universally,  the  effects  of  this  dis]30sition.  No  clearer  proof 
can  be  reasonably  demanded  of  its  unhappy  nature,  and  miserable 
consequences,  than  the  unceasing,  bitter  complaints,  with  which 
this  world  every  where  resounds  ;  almost  all  of  which  terminate  in 
the  deplorable  nature  of  this  disposition,  or  its  malignant  efficacy 
on  the  interests  of  man.  It  cannot  be  believed  ;  it  cannot  with 
decency  be  said  ;  that  God  has  formed  a  universe  of  Intelligent 
creatures,  and  withheld  from  them  all,  that  disposition,  which  alone 
is  productive  of  happiness ;  and  left  them  wholly  to  that,  which  is 
the  source  of  misery  alone.  That  God  made  the  universe  with  an 
intention  to  make  it  happy,  and  upon  the  whole  to  make  it  su- 
premely happy,  will  be  denied  by  gross  Infidels  only.  But  it  is 
plain,  that  this  end  would  be  impossible,  unless  he  should  give  to 
Intelligent  creatures  this  disposition. 

4thly.  This  is  the  only  disposition,  which  can  be  approved,  or 
loved,  by  God. 

It  is  the  only  disposition,  which  is  like  that  of  God.  But  all  be- 
ings approve,  and  love,  that  in  others,  which  they  approve,  and 
love,  in  themselves.  God  approves,  and  loves,  himself  for  his 
benevolence.  Of  course,  he  cannot  but  approve,  and  love,  the 
same  disposition  in  his  Intelligent  creatures ;  and,  by  unavoida- 
ble consequence,  must  equally  hate  that,  which  is  of  an  opposite 
nature. 

/(  is  the  only  disposition,  which  can  voluntarily  become  the  means, 
of  his  glory.  It  has  been  already  seen,  that  benevolence  is  the 
only  fulfilment  of  his  law.  It  was  formerly  shown,  and  is  abun- 
dantly evident,  that  this  disposition,  and  no  other,  voluntarily  coin- 

VoL.  II.  60 


474  REGENERATION.  [SEE.  LXXVllI 

cides  \vitli  him  in  promoting  the  great  end  of  all  his  works  ;  viz. 
the  happiness  of  his  immense  kingdom.  But  it  is  plain,  that  this 
voluntary  coincidence  of  his  Intelligent  creatures  he  must  neces- 
sarily approve,  and  love  :  such  approbation  and  love  being,  in 
every  such  case,  inseparable  from  an  Intelligent  nature.  All  be- 
ings, and  God  as  truly  as  any  other,  love,  of  course,  a  voluntary 
coincidence  with  their  favourite  designs  ;  and  necessarily  approve 
of  it  also,  whenever  the  designs  themselves  receive  their  appro- 
bation. 

Finally  ;  it  is  the  only  amiable  disposition.  There  is  nothing 
amiable,  beside  the  voluntary  promotion  of  happiness,  and  those 
minds  which  voluntarily  promote  it.  But  benevolence  is  the  only 
disposition,  and  the  minds  in  which  it  exists  are  the  only  beings, 
by  which  happiness  is  voluntarily  promoted.  These,  therefore, 
are  not  only  amiable,  but  the  only  things  in  the  universe,  which  are 
amiable  in  any  serious  degree. 

But  to  suppose,  that  God  has  not  created  such  beings  in  the 
universe,  as  he  can  approve  and  love  ;  such  beings,  as  voluntarily 
become  the  instruments  of  his  glory;  such  beings,  as  in  their  na- 
ture and  efforts  show,  incomparably  more  than  all  others,  his 
wisdom  and  goodness,  as  the  Creator  of  all  things ;  is  an  absurdi- 
ty, too  monstrous  to  be  admitted  by  a  sober  man. 

I  shall  only  add  to  the  proofs,  already  alleged,  that  the  existence 
of  this  disposition  is  unansioerably  evinced  by  facts  ^  partly  disclosed 
by  Revelation,  and  partly  obvious  to  Reason. 

God,  as  was  shown  in  a  former  discourse,  is  infinitely  benevolent, 
and  wholly  disinterested.  Christ  has  also  been  proved  to  sustain 
the  same  character.  That  the  same  mind  was  in  the  Apostles, 
which  was  also  in  Christ,  cannot  be  disputed;  nor  can  it  reasonably 
be  disputed,  that  it  is  possessed  by  every  good  man,  and  is  that 
which  constitutes  the  excellence  of  his  character. 

REMARKS. 

1  St.  If  these  things  be  true  ;  it  is  manifest,  that  Evangelical  Reli- 
gion is  a  very  different  thing  from  what  it  has  been  very  frequently 

supposed. 

Evangelical  Benevolence  is  the  sum  and  substance  of  Evangeli- 
cal relio-ion;  that,  which,  entering  into  Faith  and  Repentance,  ren- 
ders them  excellent  and  lovely  in  the  sight  of  God.  It  has  its  seat 
in  the  heart  only ;  and  not  in  external  conduct,  nor  in  the  under- 
standing. It  is,  therefore,  totally  different  from  all  the  external 
worship,  and  the  external  actions,  sometimes  termed  moral,  of 
the  superstitious  or  merely  moral  man ;  from  the  rhapsodies,  vis- 
ions, and  pretended  revelations  of  the  enthusiast ;  and  from  the 
speculative  faith,  and  the  enlarged  understanding,  of  the  mere 
philosopher.  ,     n  i 

2dly.  From  these  observations,  also,  it  is  evident,  that  the  Reli' 
gion  of  the  Bible  is  as  noble,  as  divine,  as  coxdd  be  expected  in  ^ 
Revelation  from  God. 


tJER.  LXXVUI]  LOVE.  475 

The  disposition,  required  of  mankind  by  their  Creator,  as  the 
amount  of  all  that,  which  he  chooses  them  to  be,  must  be  supposed 
to  accord,  in  some  good  measure,  with  the  excellence  and  dignity 
of  his  own  nature.  If,  therefore,  in  a  book,  professing  to  be  a  Re* 
velation  from  him,  we  should  find  the  contrary  character ;  viz.  one, 
which  was  chiefly  useless,  and  destitute  of  dignity  and  worth ;  de- 
manded, as  the  sum  of  human  duty  ;  this  fact  would  greatly  weak- 
en, nay,  it  would  wholly  destroy,  its  pretensions  to  be  a  Revelation 
from  God.  But,  if  the  character,  required  in  such  a  book,  should 
be  wholly  pure,  noble,  and  excellent ;  should  this  book  be,  at  the 
same  time,  the  only  one,  which  either  disclosed,  or  required,  such 
a  character;  and  should  every  thing,  contained  in  it,  perfectly  ac- 
cord with  the  requisition ;  strong  presumption  would  be  furnished 
in  this  manner,  that  it  was  indeed  a  revelation  from  God.  Such  is 
the  character,  required  in  the  Scriptures. 

3dly.  How  desirable  is  that  Change  of  heart,  to  which  this  dispo- 
sition in  man  owes  its  existence. 

Who,  with  calm  and  just  consideration  of  this  subject,  w^ould  not 
rejoice  to  be  delivered  from  a  narrow-minded,  partial,  bigoted,  en- 
vious, proud,  avaricious,  malignant  temper;  and  to  become  the 
subject  of  a  benevolent,  sincere,  disinterested,  pious,  and  expansive 
disposition,  inclined  to  all  good,  and  effectually  prepared  to  love 
and  promote,  as  well  as  to  enjoy,  it  ?  a  disposition,  the  same  with 
that  of  the  general  assembly  of  the  Jirst  born;  the  same  with  tiiat  of 
angels  ;  the  same  with  that  of  Christ;  the  same  with  that  of  God? 
All  real  and  enduring  good  commences  within  the  soul.  This  dis- 
position is  itself  that  commencement ;  the  beginning  of  all  noble 
pursuits,  and  dignified  enjoyments  ;  the  means  of  ensuring  peace 
and  joy,  within  and  without;  of  securing  the  love  of  all  virtuous 
and  excellent  beings,  and  of  gaining  the  favour  and  complacency 
of  God.  It  fits  us  to  live  eternally;  eternally  to  do  good  to  our 
fellow-creatures ;  to  improve  and  benefit  ourselves ;  and  to  glorify 
our  Maker  and  Redeemer,  for  ever.  Eternal  life,  beauty,  and 
happiness,  in  itself;  it  is  the  source  of  all  other  happiness,  and 
peculiarly  of  the  happiness  and  glory  of  heaven. 

4thly.  How  manifest  is  the  Wisdom  of  God  in  effectuating,  and 
requiring,  this  excellent  disposition. 

Benevolence  is  to  the  Intelligent  universe  what  Attraction  is  to 
the  material  one  :  the  power  which  holds  the  parts  together,  and 
unites  them  in  one  immense  and  incomprehensible  system.  In  ac- 
complishing this  end,  it  first  forms  them  of  such  a  character,  as 
renders  them  capable  of  this  union ;  a  spirit  expansive,  harmoni- 
ous, discerning  the  universal  good,  and  delighting  in  it  with  com- 
placency supreme  and  eternal.  Each  member  of  this  great  king- 
dom it  attaches  to  each ;  and  all  to  God.  Each  it  prepares  to  under- 
stand, and  to  love,  his  own  place,  allotments,  and  enjoyments;  and 
to  be  equally  satisfied  with  the  stations,  and  circumstances,  of  oth- 
ers.    These,  universally,  he  knows,  are  determined  by  Wisdom, 


476  RKCiLNERAl  ION,  iic.  [SER.  LXXVlll 

which  cannot  err,  and  by  Benevolence,  which  cannot  injure,  in  such 
a  manner,  as  most  perfectly  to  accomphsh  the  supreme  good  of 
each,  and  of  all.  This  good  he  prefers  to  every  otiier :  in  this  he 
unceasingly  rejoices  ;  to  t.  e  accomplishment  of  this  he  consecrates 
all  his  powers.  Whatever  coincides  with  it  he  approves :  whatever 
voluntarily  promotes  it  he  loves.  To  every  such  bemg  lie  is  bound 
by  this  j^reat  bond  of  perfection  ;  perfectly  binding  together  all  per- 
fect beings. 

God,  at  the  head  of  this  amazing  kingdom,  he  sees  labouring  with 
infinite  power  and  goodness  to  accomplish  this  mighty  purpose  ; 
and  rejoices,  that  these  perfections  ensure  its  certain  accomplish- 
ment. His  virtuous  creatures,  also,  he  beholds  honourably  and 
delightfully  employed,  as  voluntary  agents  and  instruments,  in  the 
same  exalted  design.  To  love,  and  do,  this  is  equally  his  glory, 
and /Aeir  excellence  and  beauty.  To  both,  therefore,  he  is  insep- 
arably and  eternally  united,  with  an  attachment,  which  nothing  can 
sunder ;  nothing  weaken  ;  by  bands,  which  improve  and  strengthen 
for  ever. 

This  divine  union  includes,  alike,  every  member  of  the  great 
system  of  Virtue.  In  Jehovah,  it  unites  him  with  infinite  attach- 
ment to  his  children.  In  them,  it  unites  all,  as  one  vast  family,  to 
him,  with  an  attachment  occupying  all  the  faculties  of  the  soul.  He 
is  the  Sun,  they  the  worlds  and  systems,  which  with  perfect  harmo- 
ny move  around  him  ;  attracting  and  being  attracted ;  enlightened 
and  reflecting  light;  enjoying  and  being  enjoyed.  With  a  perpet- 
ual emanation,  his  glory  informs,  pervades,  and  animates,  the 
whole  :  while  the  respective  stars,  differing  indeed  from  each  other, 
are  yet  all  really  glorious  ;  and  shine  with  immortal  beauty,  and 
lustre. 

This  system  of  good,  Selfishness  aims,  and  attempts,  to  destroy. 
The  atoms,  which,  when  joined  together,  formed  worlds  and 
systems  of  usefulness  and  beauty,  it  finally  separates  by  annihi- 
lating the  attracting  influence,  which  held  them  together.  No 
longer  drawn  to  their  great  Centre,  no  longer  united  to  each  other, 
they  recede  continually  from  God,  and  light  and  good,  and  from 
all  future  connexion  with  the  IntelligeiU  universe.  The  soul 
ceases  from  its  union  to  its  Maker,  and  becomes  a  stranger  to  its 
fellow-creatures.  Deserting  voluntarily  all  social  beings,  and 
by  all  deserted,  it  is  henceforth  alone,  sc})arated,  and  solitary, 
in  the  universe  ;  a  wanderer  beyond  the  limits  of  the  virtuous  cre- 
ation ;  moves  only  to  disorder,  and  operates  only  to  mischief:  a 
dishonour  henceforth  to  its  Creator,  and  a  nuisance  to  his  Intelligent 
kingdom. 

How  infinitely  important  is  it,  then,  that  this  glorious  principle  of 
Love  should  exist;  that  it  should  be  efl'ectuated  by  God;  and  that 
it  should  be  required  by  the  solemn  authority,  the  supreme  sanc- 
tions, of  that  Law,  by  which,  throughout  immensity  and  eternity, 
he  governs  the  universe  of  virtuous  beings. 


SERMON  LXXIX. 


REGENERATION. ITS    ATTENDANTS. CONSISTENCY     OF    BENEVO- 
LENCE   WITH    PROVIDING    PECULIARLY    FOR    OUR    OWN. 


1  Timothy  v.  8. — But  if  any  provide  not  for  his  own,  especially  for  those  of  his  own 
house  ;  he  hath  denied  the  faith,  and  is  worse  than  an  infidel. 

In  the  last  discourse,  I  attempted  to  explain  (he  Nature,  and  to 
prove  the  Existence,  of  disinterested  Love.  To  this  doctrine  there 
have  been  many  Objections;  as  there  have  also  been  to  every  other 
peculiar  doctrine  of  the  Scriptures.  It  Js  now  my  design  to  consider 
some  of  the  principal. 

None  of  these  objections  is  more  frequently  made,  or  made  with 
stronger  appearances  of  confidence,  than  the  following  :  that  if  we 
are  required  to  love  others  as  ourselves,  we  are,  of  course,  required 
also  to  do  as  much  for  them,  as  for  ourselves  ;  to  make  the  same  pro- 
vision for  their  wants,  and  to  take  the  same  effectual  care  of  their 
concerns.  "The  Scriptures,"  say  the  objectors,  "inform  us,  that 
love,  existing  merely  in  word  and  in  tongue,  is  not  the  love,  which 
they  require,  nor  at  all  the  object  of  their  approbation  ;  that,  as  it 
is  productive  of  no  real  good  to  others,  it  is  clearly  of  no  value. 
The  love,  which  they  require,  is  that,  which  exists  indeed,  and  in 
truth ;  which,  being  the  source  of  solid  good,  is  necessarily  the 
object  of  rational  esteem.  If,  then,  we  are  required  to  love  ;  we 
are,  of  course,  required  to  perform  the  actions  which  flow  from 
love,  and  which  prove  its  reality,  and  sincerity.  If,  therefore,  we 
are  required  to  love  in  any  given  degree  ;  we  are  required  also  to 
perform  the  actions,  which  flow  from  it,  in  that  degree.  If  we  are 
to  love  others  as  ourselves  ;  we  are  bound  to  do  for  them  the  same 
things,  which  we  are  bound  to  do  for  ourselves." 

I  can  easily  suppose  this  objection  to  be  made  with  soberness 
and  conviction.  The  reasoning,  by  which  it  is  supported,  has  a  fair 
appearance  ;  and  cannot  be  denied  to  be  specious.  It  deserves, 
therefore,  a  sober  consideration,  and  a  rational  answer.  Such  an 
answer  1  will  endeavour  to  give  ;  and  will  attempt  to  show,  that 
the  conclusion,  drawn  from  this  reasoning  by  the  objector,  is 
disproved  by  the  very  principles,  on  which  it  is  founded  ;  by 
the  very  nature  of  disinterested  love,  when  considered  in  connex- 
ion with  the  circumstances  of  the  present  world.  To  this  end,  I 
observe, 

I.  That,  whenever  the  conduct  proposed  is  physically  impossible^  it 
cannot  he  our  duty. 


478  CONSISTENCY  OF  BENEVOLENCE  [SER.  LXXIX 

This  assertion  will  be  denied  by  no  man.  It  can  no  more  be 
denied,  that  it  excludes  from  our  active  beneficence  a  very  great 
proportion  of  the  human  race ;  viz.  all,  or  almost  all,  those  who  are 
remote  from  us,  and  a  very  great  proportion  of  those  who  are  near 
to  us.  From  doing  good  to  the  former  we  are  prevented  by  dis- 
tance of  place.  From  doing  good  to  very  many  of  the  latter  avc 
are  equally  prevented  by  their  multitude  :  the  number  being  so 
great,  that  we  cannot  benefit  all,  unless  we  give  up  the  duty  of  be- 
ing really  useful  to  any. 

It  ought,  however,  to  be  here  remarked,  that  all  men  can  exer- 
cise a  benevolent  spirit  towards  all  men,  and  can  supj)licate  bless- 
ings for  all  in  their  prayers.  It  is  also  to  be  observed,  that  some 
persons  can  extend  their  acts  of  kindness  very  far  ;  to  distant  na- 
tions, and  to  distant  ages :  particularly  those,  who  are  eminently 
qualified  to  instruct  and  inform  mankind  by  their  writings  ;  and 
those  who  regulate  the  affairs  of  nations,  and  thus  seriously  affect 
the  state  of  the  world.  I  need  not  say  how  few  of  the  human  race 
are  included  in  both  these  classes. 

II.  Wherever  this  conduct  would  frustrate  the  great  end  of  bene- 
volence by  lessening  human  happiness,  it  cannot  be  our  duty. 

It  will  not  be  pretended,  that  the  law,  which  requires  us  to  exer- 
cise benevolence,  or  the  love  of  doing  good,  requires  us  also  to  act 
in  such  a  manner,  as  to  prevent  the  existence  of  that  good.  That 
this  would  be,  necessarily,  the  effect  of  the  conduct,  proposed  by 
the  objector,  will  be  evident  from  the  following  considerations. 

1st.  If  the  affairs,  interests,  and  duties,  of  mankind  zoere  all 
thrown,  as  according  to  the  objection  they  must  be  thrown,  into  a  com- 
mon stock  ;  there  would  be  little  or  no  good  done  to  any. 

The  mass  of  concerns  would  be  immense  ;  could  never  be  com- 
prehended by  the  mind  of  man  ;  and  could,  therefore,  never  be  ar- 
ranged into  any  order  or  method.  But,  without  such  arrangement. 
there  could  be  no  knowledge  of  what  would  be  necessary,  useful, 
or  desirable.  Without  such  knowledge,  the  interests  of  men  could 
never  be  so  disposed,  as  to  be  pursued  with  any  advantage.  With- 
out such  knowledge,  the  duties  of  men  would  never  be  wrought 
into  such  a  system,  as  to  be  understood  by  him,  who  directed  the 
efforts  of  others.  Much  less  could  they  be  understood  by  those, 
who  are  to  make  the  efforts ;  or,  in  other  words,  to  perform  the  ac- 
tive duties  of  society. 

A  small  mass  of  ideas  easily  becomes  too  complex  an  object  for 
the  mind  distinctly  to  comprehend,  until  the  ideas  are  arranged  in 
a  regular  scheme.  Without  such  arrangement,  the  human  capaci- 
ty is  too  limited  to  think  with  any  clearness,  or  success,  wherever 
the  objects  of  thought  are  even  moderately  numerous.  But,  in  the 
case  proposed,  the  number  of  objects  in  the  affairs  of  a  single  town 
woula  be  exceedingly  numerous ;  and  would  wholly  surpass  the 
utmost  comprehension  of  man. 


aER.  LXXIX.]  WITH  PROVIDING  FOR  OUR  OWN.  479 

In  consequence  of  our  want  of  capacity  to  comprehend,  and 
methodize,  these  concerns,  they  would  he  in  a  state  of  universal  dis- 
order and  confusion ;  and  all  would  of  course  go  to  ruin.  Instead 
of  the  good,  which  is  now  contrived,  and  done,  there  would  be 
comparatively  noth.ng  done,  or  contrived.  Instead  of  the  abund- 
ant food  and  raiment,  instead  of  the  comfortable  habitations,  the 
extensive  instructions,  and  the  multiplied  kind  offices,  now  furnish- 
ed by  mankind  to  themselves,  and  each  other ;  none  of  these  things 
would  be  supplied ;  nor  any  thing  else,  which  is  useful ;  nor,  in- 
deed, any  thing  else,  which  is  necessary.  Mankind,  on  the  contra- 
ry, would  be  houseless,  hungry,  and  naked ;  and  in  endless  multi- 
tudes would  perish  with  famine,  heat,  and  frost. 

Besides,  every  kind  of  human  business  is  imperfectly  done,  and 
to  little  purpose,  when  it  is  done  in  the  gross  ;  compared  with  what 
is  accomplished,  when  it  is  separated  into  parts,  and  these  are  sev- 
erally distributed  to  diftcrent  hands.  In  this  case,  the  whole  business 
is  rendered  simple,  easy  to  be  understood,  and  easy  to  be  accom- 
plished. In  this  manner,  every  thing  is  done  much  more  expeditious- 
ly, and  more  perfectly.  Much  more  is,  therefore,  done,  and  that 
which  is  done,  being  better  done,  will  answer  a  much  better  purpose. 
Such  has  been  the  regular  progress  of  things  in  all  civilized  nations  ; 
and  it  has  ever  borne  an  exact  proportion  to  the  degree  of  their  im- 
provement. The  business  of  life  has  thus  been  actually,  and  sedu- 
lously, divided,  wherever  considerable  designs  have  been  skilfully 
carried  on.  In  this  manner,  the  effects  of  human  industry,  (or  the  bu- 
siness actually  done)  have  been  increased  beyond  what  the  most  san- 
guine mind  could  imagine.  One  man,  for  example,  to  whom  the  whole 
business  of  making  so  simple  a  thing,  as  a  pin,  was  allotted,  could 
hardly  finish  twenty  in  a  day.  Ten  men,  dividing  the  several  parts 
of  the  business  among  them,  can  easily  finish  more  than  forty-eight 
thousand.  What  is  true  of  this  subject  is  true,  in  different  de- 
grees, of  all  human  business ;  and  extends  to  the  ship,  the  manu- 
factory, and  the  farm,  with  an  influence,  generally  the  same. 

2dly.  //  is  indispensable  to  the  accomplishment  of  human  concerns, 
that  the  division  of  human  industry  should  be  Voluntary. 

Force,  and  pleasure,  are  the  only  causes,  by  which  men  have 
been  induced  to  labour.  Under  a  free  government,  force  cannot 
be  applied  to  this  end  ;  nor,  except  very  imperfectly,  under  a  des- 
potic one.  Even  where  it  is  thus  applied,  it  is  so  far  unavailing, 
as  to  reduce  the  quantity,  and  value,  of  that  which  is  done  by- 
slaves,  or  men  compelled  to  labour,  to  one  half,  one  third,  or  one 
fourth,  of  that  which  is  voluntarily  done  by  the  same  number  of 
freemen.  A  single  family,  at  the  head  of  one  hundred  slaves,  will 
easily  consume  all  that  is  produced  by  the  labour  of  those  slaves : 
while  that  of  an  equal  number  of  freemen  would  amply  support 
five-and-twenty  families.  From  these  observations  it  is  plain,  that 
if  the  voluntary  industry,  now  exerted,  were  to  cease,  and  forced 
labour  to  be  substituted  for  it,  one  half,  two  thirds,  or  three  fourths, 


40O  CONSISTENCY  OF  BENEVOLENCE  [3ER.  LXXlX. 

of  human  enjoyments,  now  furnished  by  voluntary  industry,  would 
at  once  be  lost  by  mankind. 

Industry  becomes  voluntary,  onlij  hy  the  agreeahleness  of  the  em- 
ployment chosen  ;  or  on  account  of  the  reivard  u-hich  it  secures  ,•  or, 
v)hat  is  more  commonly  the  fact,  by  both.  The  nature  of  the  im- 
ploymenl  is  often  so  important  in  this  respect,  that  no  reward  can 
ever  reconcile  many  persons  to  the  employments,  in  which  they 
are  placed  by  their  parents ;  or  induce  them  to  acquire  the  skill, 
which  IS  necessary  to  success.  Were  we  generull^  lorced  to  our 
employments,  we  should  find  this  generally  thr  fact;  and  the  whip 
would  be  almost  as  necessary  to  compel  our  industry,  as  it  ever  has 
been  to  compel  that  of  slaves.  Were  it  possible  to  manage  a 
world  in  this  manner,  the  result  would  still  be  the  general  diffusion 
of  poverty,  suffering,  and  depopulation.  On  the  contrary,  plenty, 
ease,  and  comfort;  nay,  convenience,  and  even  luxury,  are  the  re- 
gular result  of  volunto-ry  industry,  in  all  countries  enjoying  the 
co?nmon  blessings  of  Providence. 

3dly.  In  this  very  manner  God  has  divided  the  busi7iess  of  man- 
kind by  separating  them  into  families. 

By  the  separation  of  mankind  into  families  God  has  distributed 
their  business  in  such  a  manner,  that  a  little  part  is  placed  in  every 
hand,  which  is  capable  of  managing  business  at  all ;  such  a  part, 
and  such  only,  as  each  can  easily  comprehend,  and  easily  accom- 
plish. Human  busmess  is,  therefore,  so  divided  here,  that  it  can 
be  done  ;  an<J  done  with  ease,  expedition,  and  success. 

At  the  same  t'me,  the  division  is  perfectly  voluntary  :  the  em- 
ployment, m  every  case,  being  ordinarily  chosen  by  the  individual 
for  hin.self.  The  situation  also,  in  which  he  is  placed,  and  the  part- 
ner, with  whom  he  is  connected  in  life,  are  both  objects  of  his 
choice  :  and  these  facts,  united  with  the  common  rewards  of  indus- 
try, furnish  all  the  reasons,  which  can  usually  exist,  to  render  it 
cheerful,  and  efficacious. 

This  division  :s  the  best  possible,  because  it  is  the  simplest,  and 
the  easiest,  possible;  the  result  of  mere  nature  ;  requiring  the  in- 
tervention of  no  force,  law,  or  human  contrivance  :  because  it  ex- 
tends throughout  the  world,  over  every  age  and  nation,  in  the  same 
easy  and  perfect  manner  :  because  it  exists,  every  where,  through 
mere  propensity  ;  without  any  contention,  and  without  any  difficul- 
ty. It  is  the  best,  because  it  has  been  thoroughly  tried;  and  has 
been  always  found  peacefully  and  happily  to  accomplish  the  end 
in  view.  No  attack  has  been  able  to  change  its  course  ;  no  circum- 
stances to  check  its  progress.  It  is  the  best,  because  it  is  the  es- 
tablisliment  of  God  himself;  the  result  of  his  perfect  wisdom  and 
goodness;  and  an  honourable  proof  of  these  attributes  in  its  Au- 
thor. In  perfect  accordance  with  these  observations  it  has  ever 
proved  the  means  of  producing  necessaries  to  the  whole  race  of 
Adam;  comfoil  and  convenience  to  most;  and,  to  not  a  small 
number,  wealth,  luxury,  and  splendour. 


SEiR.  LXXIX]  WITH  PROVIDING  FOR  OUR  OWN,  43 1 

4thly«  The  division  of  the  zvorld  into  families  is  of  immense  utility 
to  mankind,  as  it  generates  Natural  affection. 

Natural  affection  is  solely  the  result  of  natural  relations  ;  and 
almost  all  these  are  originated  by  the  family  state.  With  6very 
other  distribution  of  mankind,  which  can  be  substituted  for  this, 
they  are  wholly  incompatible. 

The  importance  of  natural  affection  to  the  human  race  is  incal- 
culable. It  resists,  in  a  great  degree,  the  tendency  of  mere  and 
absolute  selfishness  ;  expands  and  softens  the  heart ;  excites  and 
nourishes  sympathy  and  compassion  ;  and  prevents  the  world  from 
becoming  a  mere  seat  of  clashmg,  violence,  and  cruelty.  The 
attachment,  which  natural  affection  forms  in  men  towards  the  mem- 
bers of  their  families,  ultimately  extends  itself,  also,  to  their  habit- 
ations, and  farms;  and  by  an  easy  process  reaches  their  country, 
laws,  government,  and  nation.  AH  men,  without  it,  would  in  the 
end  become  mere  vagabonds  and  outcasts,  thieves  and  robbers. 

To  prevent  these  evils,  it  would  seem,  God  implanted  in  us  this 
singular  propensity  of  our  nature :  a  propensity  highly  useful, 
when  we  are  virtuous ;  and  indispensable  to  our  peace  and  com- 
fort, while  we  are  sinful.  In  the  absence  of  virtue,  it  is  the  only 
tie  which  effectually  binds  mankind  together. 

5thly.  By  the  institution  of  families  preparation  is  effectually  madt 
for  the  preservation,  support,  and  education  of  children. 

The  truth  of  this  proposition,  and  the  manner  in  which  it  is  ac- 
complished, will  naturally  be  the  themes  of  a  future  discourse,  in 
which  I  propose  more  extensively  to  handle  this  subject.  Suffice 
it  now  to  say,  that  but  for  this  institution  children  would  neither  be 
loved,  nor  preserved,  nor  educated.  The  substance  of  all  educa- 
tion is  the  establishment  of  good  habits.  Habits  extend,  alike,  to 
the  body  and  mind  ;  and  equally  influence  our  thoughts  and  affec- 
tions, our  language  and  conduct.  Without  them  nothing  in  the 
man,  character,  or  human  life,  is  efficacious,  permanent,  or  useful. 
To  establish  them,  therefore,  in  the  morning  of  life,  is  the  great 
business  of  all  wise  and  well-directed  education.  But  habits  are 
formed  only  by  the  frequent  and  long-continued  repetition  of  the 
same  measures  ;  and  nothing  ever  becomes  habitual,  except  that, 
which  has  been  long  and  often  repeated.  To  accomplish  such 
repetition,  nothing  will  suffice  but  the  steady  affection  of  married 
parents  :  that  is,  so  far  as  useful  and  moral  purposes  are  concern- 
ed. Of  course,  but  for  this  institution,  children  would  never  be 
habitually  trained  to  industry,  to  economy,  to  submission,  or  to 
good  order  ;  nor  to  sweetness  of  disposition,  tenderness  of  affec- 
tion, amiableness  of  manners,  offices  of  kindness,  or  any  other 
useful  conduct.  Of  course,  when  they  were  not  left  to  perish, 
they  would  grow  up  without  knowledge,  useful  principles,  or  use- 
ful habits;  without  the  knowledge,  or  love,  of  good  order;  without 
amiableness ;  and  without  worth.  Of  course,  they  would  become 
mere  beasts  of  prey.     Not  only  would  civilized  life,  with  all  its 

Vol.  II.  61 


482  CONSISTENCY  OF  BENEVOLENCE         [SER.  LXXIX. 

arts  and  improvements,  with  all  the  blessings  of  rational  freedom 
and  good  government,  with  all  the  superior  blessing  of  morality 
and  religion,  vanish  from  under  heaven  ;  but  new  horrors  would 
be  added  to  the  society  of  savages.  The  world  would  become  one 
vast  den  ;  and  all  its  inhabitants  would  be  changed  into  wolves  and 
tigers. 

6thly.  Were  the  affairs  of  mankind  thrown  together  in  a  common 
stock,  according  to  the  scheme  of  the  objector  ;  as  all  would  know,  that 
every  man  was  entitled  alike  to  the  fruit  of  the  labours  of  allj  none 
would  labour,  except  for  the  present  moment. 

Neither  inchnation,  nor  duty,  will  ever  prompt  any  man  to  labour 
for  another,  who,  while  equally  able,  will  not  labour  for  himself. 
That  inclination  will  not  produce  this  eflect,  I  need  not  attempt  to 
prove  :  that  duty  will  not,  is  alike  the  decision  of  the  Scriptures  and 
Common  sense.  He  that  will  not  work,  neither  let  him  eat,  is  equally 
the  judicial  sentence  of  both. 

In  the  present  state  of  man,  amid  all  the  advantages,  furnished 
to  industry  by  education,  habit,  example,  and  reward,  the  number 
of  idlers  is  not  small.  In  the  proposed  state,  it  would  include  the 
whole  number  of  the  human  race.  There  would,  therefore,  be 
originally,  no  disposition  to  labour.  Should  we,  however,  suppose 
some  tendencies  of  this  nature  to  exist ;  a  complete  discouragement 
would  be  thrown  on  all,  by  the  knowledge,  that  the  proper  reward 
of  every  industrious  effort  would  either  be  wholly  prevented,  or 
snatched  away  by  the  hands  ol' those,  who  would  not  labour  at  all. 
Of  course,  mere  necessaries  ;  such  as  food,  and  clothes,  and  habit- 
ations, and  fuel  ;  would  be  provided  only  in  the  degree  which  ab- 
solute necessity  demanded,  even  by  those  who  were  industriously- 
inclined.  What,  then,  would  become  of  the  rest  ?  Plainly,  where 
they  did  not  plunder,  they  would  perish. 

As,  therefore,  necessaries  only  would  be  provided,  and  even  these 
only  in  the  most  stinted  manner;  it  is  evident,  that  all  the  comforts 
of  men  would  vanish  at  once.  All  the  blessings  of  civilized  life  ; 
its  knowledge,  arts,  refinement,  and  religion  ;  would  cease  to  exist. 
There  would  be  neither  schools,  nor  churches :  for  none  would  be 
inclined,  nor  able,  to  build  them.  There  would  be  neither  instruc- 
ters,  nor  ministers  ;  neither  legilsators,  nor  magistrates.  Law, 
protection  and  justice,  learning  and  religion,  together  with  a  host 
of  blessings  which  they  lead  in  their  train,  would  visit  the  world  no 
more. 

7thly.  All  the  duties  of  man  respect,  especially,  the  objects  which 
he  best  knows  ;  those,  particularly,  which  are  most,  and  most  com- 
monly, within  his  reach  ;  a^id  to  which  he  can  most  frequently,  and 
effectually,  extend  his  beneficence. 

Man  owes  more  to  the  poor  in  his  neighbourhood  ;  to  his  neigh- 
bours generally  ;  to  the  town,  and  the  country,  in  which  he  lives  ; 
than  to  others.  The  reason  is  obvious.  It  is  in  his  power  to  do 
them  more  good ;  and  God  has  placed  him  where  he  is,  that  he  may 


SER.  LXXIX.]  WITH  PROVIDING  FOR  OUR  OWN.  483 

do  this  very  good.  For  the  same  reason  he  owes  more  to  his  own 
family  ;  because  he  can  do  more  good  to  the  members  of  it,  than  to 
any  other  equal  collection  of  mankind. 

As,  therefore,  it  is  the  indispensable  duty  of  all  men  to  do  the 
most  good  in  their  power ;  and  as  this  is  the  direct  dictate,  the 
genuine  tendency,  of  Benevolence  ;  so  it  is  certain,  that  the  divis- 
ion of  mankind  into  families  furnishes  the  fairest,  and  the  only  fair, 
foundation  for  accomplishing  this  purpose  in  a  successful  manner. 
On  any  other  supposable  plan,  instead  of  increasing  the  efficacy 
of  benevolence,  or  multiplying  the  enjoyments  of  mankind,  we 
should,  in  a  great  measure,  cramp  the  former,  and  destroy  the 
latter. 

REMARKS. 

1st.  From  these  observations  it  is  evident,  that  no  objection  lies, 
from  the  nature  of  benevolence,  against  this  great  requisition  of  the 
Gospel. 

From  the  considerations  which  have  been  alleged  it  is  manifest, 
that  the  arrangement  of  mankind  into  families  is  the  foundation  of 
more  possible,  and  more  actual  good,  than  could  be  accomplished 
by  any  other  means  :  of  more,  if  man  were  perfectly  disinterested, 
and  yet  possessed  of  his  present,  limited  capacity  ;  of  incalculably 
more,  as  man  really  is  ;  a  selfish,  fallen  creature.  At  the  same 
time,  infinitely  more  evil  is  prevented.  The  Gospel,  therefore,  has 
directed  the  efforts  of  human  benevolence  in  the  best  manner ;  and 
so,  that  they  may  be  truly  said  to  be  employed  with  the  highest 
advantage. 

At  the  same  time,  the  wisdom  of  God  is  strongly  manifested  in 
furnishing  every  Individual  of  the  human  race  with  so  desirable  a 
field  for  the  exercise  of  his  benevolence.  In  each  case,  this  field 
is  at  his  door  ;  always  within  his  reach  ;  easily  comprehended ; 
necessarily  delightful ;  ever  inviting,  and  ever  rewarding  his  la- 
bours. At  the  same  time,  it  is  sufficiently  wide  to  employ,  and  ex- 
haust, all  his  contrivance,  and  all  his  active  powers.  No  where  else 
could  he  do  so  much  good  :  and  the  utmost,  which  he  can  do,  can 
be  done  here.  This  field  is  also  provided  for  every  man.  Objects 
of  beneficence  are  furnished  to  him,  of  course ;  and  for  all  those 
objects  an  efficient  benefactor  is  supplied.  Thus,  in  the  simplest 
of  all  modes,  is  provision  effectually  made  for  the  beneficence  of 
all,  and  the  comfort  of  all. 

At  the  same  time,  this  happy  arrangement  becomes,  of  course, 
the  foundation  of  the  happiest  distribution  of  mankind  into  larger 
societies ;  and  the  means  of  uniting  to  them,  in  the  strongest  and 
most  enduring  manner,  the  attachment  of  the  individuals.  He, 
therefore,  whose  superior  powers,  and  opportunities,  enable  him  to 
extend  the  offices  of  good-will  beyond  this  little  field,  has  one 
which  is  wider,  always  spread  around  him  ;  where  the  superior 
powers  may  always  be  advantageously  employed.     This  more  ex- 


484  CONSISTENCY  OF  BKNEVOLENCK  [SER.  LXXIX. 

tended  scene  of  usefulness  is  a  mere  appendage  to  the  other.  Were 
there  no  fainilirs,  there  would  be  no  country :  were  there  no  little 
spheres  of  beneficence  ;  there  would  be  no  great  one  :  and  were 
good-will  not  exercised  first  towards  those  who  are  near  ;  it  would 
never  be  extended  to  those  who  are  distant.  The  kindness,  learned 
by  the  fireside,  and  practised  towards  the  domestic  circle,  is  easily 
spread  by  him  who  is  invested  with  sufficient  talents,  through  a 
country,  or  extended  over  a  world. 

2dly.  These  observations  clearly  show  the  folly  of  Godwin's  system 
of  human  perfectibility. 

This  wretched  apostle  of  Atheism,  with  a  weakness  exceeded 
only  by  his  audacity,  has  undertaken,  in  form,  to  show  himself 
wiser  than  his  Maker.  For  this  purpose,  he  has  boldly  declared 
marriage  to  be  an  unjust  monopoly  ;  and  the  institution  of  families 
to  be  the  means  of  preventing  the  happiness  and  perfection  of  man. 
Of  this  perfection  a  promiscuous  concubinage,  and  a  community  of 
labours,  and  of  property,  are,  in  his  opinion,  essential  constituents. 
Nor  has  the  whole  concurring  experience  of  mankind,  invariably 
opposed  to  his  doctrines,  been  sufficient  to  awaken  him  from  his 
dreaming  speculations  to  sober  thought,  and  the  exercise  of  com- 
mon sense.  This  system,  if  it  may  be  called  such ;  this  crude 
gathering  together  of  ideas  into  a  mob  ;  he  professedly  founds  on 
the  doctrine  of  disinterested  good-will  :  and  these  he  professes  to 
be  the  genuine  consequences  of  this  glorious  principle.  Were  they 
indeed  its  consequences,  every  good  man  would  be  struck  with 
amazement  and  horror:  for  they  would  undoubtedly  annihilate  all 
the  comfort,  peace,  and  hopes,  of  mankind.  That  Benevolence, 
■which  is  the  only  virtue,  would  prove  the  most  fruitful  and  effica- 
cious cause  of  absolute  destruction  to  all  human  good  :  and  its  glo- 
rious character,  instead  of  being  the  voluntary  cause  of  happiness, 
would  be  exchanged  for  that,  of  being  only,  and  fatally,  the  volun- 
tary cause  of  misery. 

;  Who,  for  example,  would  labour;  if  he  were  uncertain,  that  he 
should  enjoy  the  fruit  of  his  ciTorts:  much  more,  if  he  were  assured, 
that  he  should  not  enjoy  it  ?  What  multitudes  now  refuse  to  labour, 
when  completely  secure  of  all  its  products  ?  AVere  this  stimulus 
to  industry  taken  away,  the  exertions  of  man  would  terminate  in  a 
moment ;  and  the  world  would  become  the  seat  of  universal  inex- 
ertion  and  idleness.  The  food,  clothes,  and  other  comforts,  now 
brought  into  existence  by  the  toil  of  man,  are  barely  sufficient  to 
supply  his  immediate  wants.  All  the  food,  annually  produced,  is 
annually  consumed.  Multitudes  are  scantily  supplied  :  while  al- 
ways some,  and  in  particular  seasons  great  numbers,  even  in  in- 
dustrious and  fruitful  countries,  perish  with  hunger.  Suppose  half 
the  labour,  by  which  food  is  furnished,  were  to  cease.  What  would 
be  the  consequence  ?  The  answer  cannot  be  mistaken.  Multi- 
tudes must  immediately  die ;  and  still  greater  multitudes  perish  by 
gradual  suffering,  and  lingering  want,      The  young,  particularly, 


5ER.  LXXIX]  WITH  PRDVIDING  FOR  OUR  OWN.  485 

the  infirm,  the  feebler  sex,  together  with  all  those,  unaccustomed  to 
labour  at  all,  or  unacquainted  with  that  kind  of  labour,  by  which 
food  is  produced,  must,  where  they  did  not  subsist  by  plundering 
others,  become,  speedily,  victims  to  famine.  Within  the  period  of 
a  single  generation,  the  present  population  of  the  globe  would  be 
reduced  to  that  of  an  American  wilderness.  China,  India,  and 
Europe,  would  be  emptied  at  once.  The  arts  of  life,  the  knowledge, 
the  order,  the  safety,  the  refinement,  the  humanity,  the  morals,  and 
the  religion,  of  civilized  society  would  vanish ;  and  hunting,  and 
scouting,  and  pawawing,  be  substituted  in  their  stead.  The  regions, 
which  are  now  beautified  with  verdant  fields,  and  enriched  with  lux- 
uriant harvests ;  whose  hills  and  plains  are  adorned  with  cheerful 
villages  and  splendid  cities;  in  which  thousands  of  churches  invite 
mankind  to  the  worship  of  God;  and  ten  thousands  of  schools  al- 
lure their  children  to  knowledge  and  improvement;  would  become 
a  vast  Patagonian  desert,  gloomily  set  with  here  and  there  a  solitary 
weekwam ;  wandered  over,  at  times,  by  the  prowling  foot  of  a  sav- 
age; and,  when  undisturbed  by  the  warwhoop,  the  shrieks  of  ter- 
ror, or  the  groans  of  suffering,  hushed  into  the  universal  sleep  of 
silence  and  death.  That  such  would  be  the  fact  is  certain,  because, 
where  property  has  for  a  length  of  time  contiimed  unsafe,  it  has 
all  regularly  existed. 

One  half  of  the  story,  however  dismal  the  recital  may  seem,  has 
not  yet  been  told.  The  very  savages  have  families ;  and  provide 
for  them  with  no  httle  care.  We  must  sink  below  the  Patagonian, 
who  performs  this  duty,  to  find  either  the  character,  or  the  circum- 
stances, of  those,  who  do  not.  The  savages,  in  many  instances  at 
least,  are  chaste  ;  in  all,  are  the  subjects  of  natural  affection  :  and 
feel  strong  attachments  to  their  friends,  and  their  nation.  These 
means  of  comfort,  these  last  hopes  of  virtue,  the  philosopher,  whom 
I  have  mentioned,  proposes  to  destroy.  In  their  stead  he  leaves 
nothing,  but  the  fierce  and  brutal  passions  of  men,  sanctioned  by 
the  voice  of  philosophy,  and  legalized  by  the  decrees  of  legisla- 
tion. Those  passions  and  appetites,  wholly  unrestrained,  because 
thus  legalized  and  sanctioned,  would  originate,  direct,  and  control, 
all  the  future  conduct  of  men.  What  these  passions  would  dictate 
we  know,  from  what  they  have  always  dictated.  What  they  would 
accomplish  we  know,  from  what,  when  let  loose,  they  have  here- 
tofoi'e  accomphshed.  If  any  man  is  at  a  loss  on  this  subject,  he 
may  find  a  faint  image  of  what  he  seeks  in  a  den  of  thieves,  or  a 
horde  of  banditti.  To  complete  the  picture,  let  him  cast  his  eye 
onward  to  a  lair  of  wild  beasts,  and  a  sty  of  swine.  With  all  these 
objects  in  view,  he  would  find  a  faint  image  of  the  degraded,  fero- 
cious, guilty,  suffering,  state  of  this  miserable  world,  accomplished 
by  these  Godwinian  means  of  perfection.  Virtue  itself,  therefore, 
according  to  the  scheme  of  this  writer,  would  become  the  cause  oC 
exterminating  all  virtue  from  the  breast  of  man ;  as  well  as  of  root^ 
ing  all  enjoyment  out  of  the  present  world. 


486  CONSISTENCY  OF  BENEVOLENCE,  fee.    [3ER.  LXXIX. 

3dly.  IVe  have,  here,  a  specimen  of  the  success,  with  which  human 
philosophy  directs  the  moral  concerns  of  mankind. 

The  Scriptures  have  required  us  to  love  our  neighbour  as  our- 
selves ;  and  have  directed  the  application  of  this  principle  in  such 
a  manner,  as  to  give  it  its  utmost  efficacy,  and  to  produce,  by 
means  of  it,  the  greatest  mass  of  human  good.  "  God,"  says  Dry- 
den,  "  never  made  his  work,  for  man  to  mend."  A  philosopher, 
laying  hold  on  this  principle,  and  understanding  it  only  in  the  gross, 
has  undertaken  to  direct  its  application  anew ;  and  in  a  manner 
better  suited  to  his  own  feelings.  The  consequence,  as  we  have 
seen,  is,  the  gold  is  changed  into  dross  in  a  moment ;  the  food  into 
poison.  That,  which,  as  the  Scriptures  taught  and  directed  it ; 
nay,  that,  which,  left  to  itself,  to  its  own  inherent  tendencies,  would 
produce  nothing  but  happiness  ;  would,  as  taught  by  this  infidel 
philosopher,  destroy  all  the  good  of  man.  The  benevolence  of 
the  Scriptures  would  make  heaven  :  that  of  Godwin  would  produce 
a  hell.  Such  are  the  effects  of  human  philosophy,  when,  resisting 
the  ordinance  of  God,  and  forgetting,  that  the  foolishness  of  God  is 
wiser  than  men,  she  boldly  interferes  with  the  system  of  his  truth 
and  providence.  The  scene  before  her  is  as  the  garden  of  Eden ; 
filled  with  life,  beauty,  and  happiness  ;  brilliant  and  glorious  as  is 
the  heaven-devised  landscape  ;  and  fraught,  as  Paradise,  with  every 
thing  good  for  food,  or  pleasant  to  the  eye.  She  is  still  unsatisfied  with 
her  allotted  condition,  and  with  the  scheme  of  her  destined  enjoy- 
ment. Not  desirous  of  becoming,  but  conscious  of  having  already 
become,  as  gods,  knowing  good  and  evil,  she  puts  forth  her  pre- 
sumptuous hand ;  and,  resolved  to  add  to  her  stock  of  blessings 
such,  as  she  knows  to  be  prohibited,  seizes  in  an  evil  hour  the  for- 
bidden good.  How  wonderful,  how  distressing  the  change  !  In  a 
moment  the  fascinating  scene  has  vanished ;  and  paradise,  with  all 
its  beauty,  happiness,  and  splendour,  has  fled  for  ever.  Where 
bloomed  the  tree  of  life,  and  flowed  the  waters  of  immortality, 
nothing  remains,  but  a  world  of  thorns  and  briars,  an  immeasura- 
ble waste  of  sorrow  and  death. 


SERMON  LXXX. 


REGENERATION. ITS  ATTENDANTS. CONSISTENCY  OP  BENEVO- 
LENCE WITH  SEEKING  SALVATION. 


Romans  ii.  6,  7. —  JVho  will  render  to  every  man  according  to  his  deeds  :  To  them, 
who  by  patient  continuance  in  well-doing  seek  for  glory,  and  honour,  and  immor- 
tality, eternal  life. 

In  the  last  discourse,  I  considered  one  favourite  objection  against 
the  doctrine  of  disinterested  Love:  viz.  Ifv)e  are  required  to  love 
others  as  ourselves,  we  ought  to  do  as  much  for  them  as  for  ourselves : 
particularly,  we  ought  to  make  the  same  provision  for  them,  and 
their  families,  which  we  are  bound  to  make  for  ourselves,  and  our 
families. 

This  objection,  I  endeavoured  to  show,  is  so  far  from  being 
grounded  in  truth,  or  from  being  a  general  consequence  from  the 
doctrine  of  disinterested  Love,  that,  as  the  world  is  constituted, 
Love  dictates  the  contrary  conduct.  Disinterested  love  prompts 
those,  who  possess  it,  to  produce  the  greatest  mass  of  happiness  in 
their  power.  But  the  scheme  proposed,  instead  of  producing  more 
happiness,  would  destroy  that,  which  now  exists,  and  subvert  what- 
ever is  desirable  in  the  present  state  of  things. 

In  this  discourse,  I  propose  to  consider  another  plausible  objec- 
tion against  this  doctrine,  viz.  that  we  are  commanded  to  seek  eter- 
nal life,  as  the  proper  reward  of  our  faith  and  obedience  ;  and  that  this 
reward  is  promised  to  those,  who  believe  and  obey,  by  God  himself. 
This  command,  and  this  promise,  it  is  alleged,  being  given  by  God 
himself,  cannot  be  denied  to  be  right.  That  zoe  ought,  therefore,  to 
seek  for  everlasting  life,  must  of  course  be  admitted.  But  this,  it  is 
asserted,  is  aiming  at  a  rezuard  ;  is  a  conduct,  springing  from  self- 
love  ;  and  is  not  disinterested.  It  follows  then,  say  the  objectors, 
either  that  disinterested  love  is  not  required  in  the  Scriptures  ;  or  that 
the  requisitions  of  the  Scriptures  are  inconsistent  with  each  other. 
This  objection,  it  will  be  observed,  lies  in  the  conclusion  only.  The 
premises  are  just  and  true.  If  the  conclusion  follows,  I  will  give 
up  the  doctrine. 

Lord  Shaftsbury  formerly  advanced  with  great  labour  and  pa- 
i*ade,  a  similar  doctrine  ;  but  for  a  very  different  purpose.  He 
maintained,  that  disinterestedness  is  virtue,  and  the  only  virtue. 
At  the  same  time,  he  denied,  that  it  could  consist  with  any  hope  of 
reward,  or  any  fear  of  punishment.  These,  he  declared,  made 
virtue  mercenary,  mean,  and  selfish.  True  virtue,  according  to  his 
scheme,  consists  wholly  in  doing  good  for  the  sake  of  that  good  : 


488  CONSISTENCY  OF  BENEVOLENCL  [SER.  LXXX. 

for  the  pleast(}-e,  found  in  the  good  done,  considered  by  itself  and 
zcholly  unconnected  with  any  consequences  j  without  any  regard  to 
advantagrs,  arising  from  it,  or  to  disadvantages,  springing  from  the 
contrary  C07iduct, 

This  celebrated  writer,  it  is  true,  teaches,  elsewhere,  the  oppo- 
site doctrine;  and  asserts,  that  all  the  obligation  to  be  virtuous 
arises  from  its  advantages,  and  from  the  disadvantages,  attendant 
upon  vice  ;  and  that  such  advantages  are  a  great  security,  and  sup- 
po-rt,  to  virtue.  These,  and  other  things,  of  the  like  nature,  he  de- 
chres  with  no  less  confi'lcnce,  than  the  former  opinions.  It  would 
be  easy,  therefore,  to  refute  him  by  his  own  declarations.  But  this, 
though  it  might  answer  the  purposes  of  mere  controversy,  would 
not  satisfy  a  Christian  audience.  Were  infidels  required  to  be 
consistent  with  themselves,  they  never  would  appear  in  the  field  of 
debate. 

The  conclusion,  which  Lord  Shaftshxiry  drew  from  his  princi- 
ples, was,  that  the  Scriptures,  so  far  as  they  have  influence,  annihi- 
late,  by  their  threatenings  and  promises,  all  virtue.  Hence  he 
inferred,  and,  as  it  would  seem,  in  his  own  view  irresistibly,  that 
the  Scriptures  cannot  be  the  word  of  God.  Both  these  views  of 
this  interesting  subject  are,  I  apprehend,  radically  erroneous,  and 
founded  in  false  and  imperfect  conceptions  of  disinterested  love. 

In  the  text  it  is  declared,  that  to  those,  who  by  patient  continu- 
ance in  well-doing  seek  for  glory,  honour,  and  immortality,  God  will 
render,  as  a  reward,  eternal  life.     To  seek  for  glory,  honour,  and 
immortality,  therefore,  is  in  a  high  degree  pleasing  to  God  ;  and 
must,  of  course,  be  truly  and  eminently,  virtuous  conduct.     If  this 
conduct  consists  with  disinterestedness,  and  arises  from  it ;  it  must 
be  acknowledged  on  the  one  hand,  that  disinterestedness  is  not 
impeached  by  the  objection,  already  recited;  and  on  the  other, 
that  the  Scri|)tures,  while  they  require,  and  encourage,  us  to  seek 
eternal  life,  do  not  render  virtue  mercenary ;  nor  destroy,  nor  in 
any  degree  lessen,  either  virtue  itself,  or  the  obligations  to  virtue. 
Before  I  enter  upon  the  direct  proof  of  this  doctrine,  it  ought  to 
be  remarked,  that  the  scheme  of  Lord  Shaftsbury  confutes  itself. 
His  favourite  doctrine  is,  that  virtue  consists  wholly  in  doin^  good 
for  its  own  sake,  without  any  regard  to  any  advantage,  which  may 
foUoAV  from  it ;  or  to  any  disadvantage,  which  may  arise  from  a 
contrary  conduct :  such  regard  being,  in  his  view,  a  destruction  of 
virtue.     Now  let  me  ask.  What  is  the  difl'erence  between  doing 
good,  for  the  sake  oi  the  pleasure  attending  it,  and  doing  good  for 
the  sake  of  the  pleasure  following  it  ?     According  to  Lord  Shafts- 
bury,  virtue  consists  in  doing  good,  for  the  sake  of  the  pleasure, 
which  it  furnishes.     Suppose,  then,  the  virtuous  action  to  be  done 
now,  and  the  pleasure,  furnished  by  it,  to  be  enjoyed  an  hour  hence, 
or  to-morro7v.     Would  it  be,  in  any  sense,  more  mercenaiy  to  do 
the  action,  for  the  sake  of  enjoying  this  pleasure  an  hour  hence  ; 
or  to-morrow :  supposing  the  pleasure  to  be  tlie  same  ;  than  for 


SER.  LXXX]  WITH  SKEKING  SALVATION.  48<j 

the  sake  of  enjoying  it  at  the  time,  when  the  action  is  done?  The 
pleasure,  according  to  the  supposition,  is  the  same  in  kind  and  de- 
gree. Can  it,  then,  be  any  more  or  less  virtuous,  to  be  thus  influ- 
enced by  a  pleasure,  which  will  exist  an  hour  hence,  or  to-morrow, 
than  by  the  same  pleasure,  existing  at  the  present  moment  ? 

The  truth,  in  this  case,  undoubtedly  is,  that  it  is  neither  more 
nor  less  virtuous,  to  be  influenced  in  the  same  manner  and  degree, 
by  the  same  kind  and  degree  of  pleasure,  found  in  the  same  ob- 
ject, whether  the  pleasure  is  to  be  experienced  at  one  time,  or  at 
another.  The  nature  of  the  pleasure,  which  is  enjoyed,  and  the 
nature  of  the  object,  whence  it  is  derived,  render  the  action,  in  which 
that  pleasure  is  sought,  either  virtuous,  or  not  virtuous.  If  we 
take  pleasure  in  happiness  wherever  it  is  enjoyed,  and  in  promot- 
ing it  wherever  this  is  in  our  power ;  if,  at  the  same  time,  this 
pleasure  is  proportioned  to  the  happiness  onjoyed,  or  promoted  ; 
we  are,  of  course,  the  subjects  of  virtue ;  and  that,  just  so  far,  as 
the  pleasure  is  experienced.  The  time,  at  which  it  is  experienced, 
is,  here,  evidently  of  no  consequence  ;  and  cannot,  even  remotely, 
affect  the  subject.  If,  then,  it  is  mercenary,  mean,  and  selfish,  to 
be  influenced  by  this  pleasure,  expected  at  a  future  time  ;  it  is 
equally  selfish,  mean,  and  mercenary,  to  be  influenced  by  the 
same  pleasure,  expected  at  the  time  when  the  action  is  performed. 

That  the  pursuit  of  eternal  life  is  wholly  consistent  with  the 
nature  of  disinterested  love,  I  shall  now  attempt  to  show  by  the 
following  considerations. 

1st.  Our  happiness  is  a  desirable  object ;  and  deserves  to  be  sought 
in  a  certain  degree. 

Our  happiness  is,  in  this  respect,  exactly  of  the  same  nature 
with  that  of  others  ;  is  as  truly  desirable,  and  as  really  deserves  to 
be  promoted,  as  that  of  any  created  beings  whatever.  In  what- 
ever degree  it  exists,  it  ought  to  be  delighted  in :  in  whatever 
degree  it  is  capable  of  existing,  it  ought  to  be  desired.  As  the 
fact,  that  it  is  our  happiness,  renders  it  no  more  valuable  than  that 
of  others  ;  so,  plainly,  it  does  not  render  it  at  all  less  valuable.  It 
claims,  therefore,  to  be  promoted  on  the  same  grounds,  as  any 
other  happiness  of  the  same  value.  As  it  is  entrusted  to  our  own 
peculiar  care ;  it  demands  more  from  us,  as  that  of  others  does 
from  them.  For  ourselves  we  can  do  more  than  we  can  for  oth- 
ers ;  and  this  of  course  is  our  duty. 

2dly.  Neither  our  present  nor  future  happiness  is  necessarily  inr 
consistent  with  that  of  others. 

All  the  good,  which  God  has  made  it  lawful  for  us  to  enjoy  in 
this  world,  is  consistent  with  the  good  of  others.  Whenever  it  is 
promoted,  therefore,  there  is  a  direct  increase  of  the  general  hap- 
piness. To"  produce  this  effect  is  the  great  duty,  and  dictate,  of 
benevolence  ;  and  must  of  course  be  right. 

Our  eternal  good  cannot  fail  to  be  consistent  with  the  good  of 
the  universe.     God  has  no  pleasure  in  the  death  of  the  sinner :  but 

Vol.  II.  62 


190  CONSISTENCY  OF  BENEVOLENCE  [SER.  LXXX 

ruould  rather,  that  he  would  repent  and  live.  Accordingly  he  hath 
commanded  all  men  every  where  to  repent.  What  he  has  thus 
commanded,  cannot  but  be  right  in  itself.  Accordingly  he  hath 
directed,  that  our  prayers  and  supplications  should  be  made  for 
all  men. 

What  the  Scriptures  thus  teach,  Reason  wholly  approves.  We 
are  all  made  capable  of  happiness.  This  capacity  was  not  given 
in  vain  ;  but  was  intended  to  be  supplied.  Every  man,  who  thinks 
soberly  at  all,  feels,  and  acknowledges,  accordingly,  that  he  is 
bound  to  promote,  as  much  as  in  him  lies,  the  happiness  of  every 
other  man,  both  present  and  future  :  and  no  man  would  fail  to  be 
self-condemned,  if  he  were  to  indulge  a  wish,  or  even  a  willing- 
ness, that  any  one  of  his  fellow-creatures  should  be  miserable 
hereafter.  Nay,  indifference  to  this  subject  would  not  fail  of  being 
followed  by  severe  reproaches  of  conscience.  But  what  it  is 
the  duty  of  all  men  thus  to  wish,  and  to  seek;  what  no  man  can 
oppose,  or  regard  with  indifference,  without  guilt ;  it  is  peculiarly 
his  duty  to  wish,  and  seek  for  himself;  both  because  the  accom- 
plishment of  this  work  is  committed  to  him  by  his  Maker,  and 
because  this  work  can  be  done  by  him  more  effectually,  than  by 
any  other. 

3dly.  We  are  commanded  to  love  our  neighbour  as  ourselves  ,• 
that  is,  generally,  and  indefinitely,  as  well  as  ourselves;  and  of 
course  are  at  least  equally  required  to  love  ourselves  as  roe  love  our 
neighbour. 

The  rectitude  of  this  law  cannot  be  questioned  even  by  Lord 
Shaftsbury  ;  nor  can  he,  or  any  other  man,  deny,  that  it  exhibits 
to  us  disinterested  love  in  the  fairest  form,  and  the  strongest  man- 
ner. But,  as  has  been  already  shown,  we  are  bound  by  the  dic- 
tates both  of  reason  and  revelation  to  seek  the  future  and  eternal 
good  of  our  neighbour  ;  to  desire  it,  and  to  promote  it,  as  far  as  is 
in  our  power.  By  this  very  command,  then ;  the  law,  originally- 
enjoining  benevolence  as  the  great  duty  of  intelligent  beings  ;  a 
law,  to  which  Reason  unconditionally  subscribes ;  we  are  abso- 
lutely obliged  to  seek  our  own  eternal  life. 

4thly.  Our  eternal  life  is  in  itself  an  immense  good. 

The  endless  happiness  of  a  rational  being  is  of  more  value,  thau 
can  be  conceived  by  any  finite  mind.  Within  a  moderate  period, 
it  will  amount  to  more,  than  all  the  happiness,  which  in  this  world 
has  been  enjoyed,  or  will  ever  be  enjoyed,  here,  by  all  its  inhabit- 
ants. Whatever  is  endless  admits  of  no  definite  comparison  with 
that  v.'hich  is  not.  But  the  happiness  of  a  future  state  is  not  end- 
less merely  ;  it  is  also  endlessly  increasing ;  and  will  soon  rise  in 
degree,  as  well  as  duration,  above  the  highest  human  comprehen- 
sion. MSuch,  of  course,  is  the  addition,  made  to  the  common  good 
of  the  universe,  whenever  the  eternal  life  of  an  individual  is  secured. 
To  neglect  the  pursuit  of  such  happiness,  as  this,  is  madness  :  to 
oppose  it  is  malignity,  which  no  words  can  describe. 


SER.  LXXX.]  WITH  SEEKING  SALVATION.  49I 

5thly.  Eternal  happiness  consists  in  eternal  disinterestedness,  and 
its  consequences. 

The  happiness  of  heaven  arises  from  the  disinterested  love  of 
God,  communicated  in  various  blessings  to  his  children;  in  their 
disinterested  communications  of  good  to  each  other ;  and  in  the  en- 
joyment, derived  by  their  minds  from  the  exercises  of  virtue.  It 
is  acknowledged,  on  all  hands,  that  it  is  desirable  to  live  virtuous- 
ly here.  All  the  reasons,  which  operate  in  this  case,  render  it  at 
least  equally  desirable  to  live  virtuously  hereafter,  throughout  any, 
and  every,  period  of  duration,  in  which  such  a  life  may  be  enjoyed. 
It  is  by  all  men  acknowledged,  that  it  is  useful  to  do  good  here, 
and  at  the  present  time.  He,  who  makes  this  acknowledgment, 
cannot  without  gross  self-contradiction  deny,  that  it  is  equally  use- 
ful to  do  good,  wherever  it  may  be  done,  and  at  every  future  period. 
If,  then,  it  is  proper ;  if  it  is  virtuous  ;  to  desire,  and  to  seek,  to 
live  a  virtuous  life,  or  to  do  good,  in  the  present  world  ;  it  is  equal- 
ly virtuous,  and  equally  proper,  to  desire,  and  seek,  to  do  the 
same  things  in  a  future  state  of  being.  All  the  labours,  then,  by 
which  we  may  possess  ourselves  of  such  a  life  in  the  present  world, 
must,  with  equal  propriety,  be  directed  to  the  attainment  of  such 
a  life  in  the  world  to  come. 

But  it  is  not  only  desirable  and  proper,  that  wc  should  do  this 
in  the  present  world ;  it  is  a  plain,  high,  and  indispensable  duty  ,• 
and  in  a  sense,  the  sum  of  all  our  duty  ;  so  far  as  this  world  is  con- 
cerned. It  cannot  but  be  perceived,  that  it  is,  in  the  same  sense, 
the  sum  of  all  our  duty,  with  respect  to  the  future  world. 

This,  however,  is  far  from  being  the  amount  of  the  whole  truth 
concerning  this  subject.  As  much  as  eternity  exceeds  time  ;  as 
much  as  perfect  virtue  excels  the  present  frail  character  of  good 
men,  here  ;  as  much  as  endless  virtue,  as  much  as  endlessly  in- 
creasing virtue,  outruns  in  its  importance  the  transient  virtue  of 
this  momentary  life  ;  so  much  more  is  it  our  duty  to  seek  the  good 
of  a  future  life,  than  that  of  the  present.  Indeed,  man  lives  here, 
only  to  become  prepared  to  live  hereafter.  Our  whole  duty, 
therefore,  ought,  during  the  present  life,  to  be  performed  with  a 
supreme  reference  to  that  which  is  to  come. 

Thus  the  pursuit  of  eternal  good  is  so  far  from  being  opposed 
to  disinterestedness,  from  being  mercenary,  mean,  and  selfish ;  so 
far  from  destroying  the  nature  of  virtue,  or  lessening  its  obligations ; 
that  it  is  its  genuine  dictate  ;  its  spontaneous  tendency ;  its  most 
exalted  aim.  No  virtuous  mind,  if  properly  informed,  can  fail  of 
pursuing  this  object ;  and  no  object,  which  respects  ultimately  the 
present  world,  can  call  forth  virtuous  exercises  of  so  elevated  and 
excellent  a  nature. 

6thly.  By  our  eternal  life  the  happiness  of  all  virtuous  beings  is 
greatly  increased. 

There  is  joy  in  heaven,  saith  our  Saviour,  over  one  sinner  that 
repenteth,  more  than  over  ninety  and  nine  just  persons,  who  need  no 
m 


492  CONSIbTK.NCY  OF  BENEVOLENCE  [SER.  LXXX. 

repentance.  Whatever  else  may  be  the  meaning  of  Christ  in  this 
passage,  it  is  unquestionable,  that  the  inhabitants  of  heaven  expe- 
rience a  real  joy  in  the  repentance  of  a  sinner.  Reason,  as  well 
as  Revelation,  clearly  teaches  us,  that  virtuous  beings  cannot  fail 
to  find  enjoyment  in  this  subject,  because  Repentance  is  an  exer- 
cise of  virtue,  and  the  means  of  securing  happiness.  In  the  future 
virtue,  and  future  happiness,  of  such  a  sinner,  the  same  beings 
will,  at  all  times,  find  similar  enjoyment ;  increasing  continually 
in  degree,  as  these  objects  of  it  increase.  As  these  will,  at  the 
commencement  of  a  future  existence,  be  perfect  ;  and  will  rise 
higher,  and  higher,  in  the  same  perfection  for  ever ;  so  it  is  plain,  the 
enjoyment,  found  in  them,  will  increase  throughout  every  succeed- 
ing period.  Thus  every  inhabitant  of  this  world,  who  secures  his 
own  eternal  life,  becomes  an  everlasting,  and  perpetually  increas- 
ing, benefit  to  the  virtuous  universe  ;  a  blessing,  which  no  words 
can  describe,  and  whose  value  no  numbers  can  reckon.  Can  it  be 
necessary  to  ask,   whether  it  is  virtuous  to  aim  at  this  character  '. 

7thly.  God  is  glorijied,  whenever  we  seek,  and  obtain,  eternal 
life. 

When  Christ  was  born,  a  multitude  of  the  heavenly  host  sung, 
Glory  to  God  in  the  highest,  because  there  was  peace  on  earth,  and 
good-will  towards  men.  But  if  none  of  the  human  race  should  ex- 
perience this  good-will ;  that  is,  if  none  of  them  should  obtain  eter- 
nal life ;  the  glory,  otherwise  springing  from  this  source,  would  be 
prevented.  To  this  glory  of  God  every  person,  then,  who  secures 
eternal  life,  contributes,  by  accomplishing,  in  one  instance,  that, 
out  of  which  the  glory  arises.  The  glory  of  God,  in  this  case,  is 
a  whole,  made  up  of  the  individual  instances,  in  which  he  is  glorifi- 
ed. If  therefore,  no  individual  sought  his  salvation,  none  would 
obtain  it ;  and,  if  none  obtained  it,  the  work  would  not  be  done  ; 
and  the  glory  of  God,  in  this  important  particular,  would  not  be 
accomplished.  How  important  it  is,  may,  in  some  measure,  be  dis- 
cerned from  these  facts  :  that  God  sent  his  own  Son,  to  die,  that 
we  might  live  ;  and  his  Spirit,  to  renew  us,  that  we  might  become 
heirs  of  life. 

Thus  have  I  endeavoured  to  show,  that  the  pursuit  of  eternal 
life  is  so  far  from  being  opposed  to  the  nature  of  disinterested  Love, 
that  it  is  one  of  its  primary  dictates  ;  a  conduct,  invariably  spring- 
ing from  its  influence  ;  and  that  the  Scriptures,  instead  of  lessen- 
ing, or  destroying,  virtue,  by  requiring  this  conduct  of  us,  have  in- 
creased the  obligations  to  it,  and  directed  it  to  its  proper  end. 

Those,  who  make  the  objections,  contended  against  in  this  dis- 
course, have  in  my  view,  always  failed  of  distinguishing  between 
disinterestedness  and  iinintercstedness.  The  distinction  between  them 
is,  however,  perfectly  clear,  and  incalculably  important.  To  be 
disinterested  is  to  be  without  a  selfish  interest  in  any  given  thing  or 
things  ;  to  be  uninterested  is  to  have  wo  interest  in  them  at  all.  Ji 
disinterested  man  may  take  the  deepest  interest  in  any  subject;  and. 


3ER.  LXXX]  WITH  SEEKING  SALVATION.  493 

ihe  deeper  the  interest,  the  more  disinterested  he  may  be.  The  un- 
interested man  can  have  no  interest  in  that  subject,  either  selfish,  or 
benevolent.  To  be  absolutely  disinterested  is  to  be  absolutely  free 
from  selfishness.  To  be  absolutely  uninterested  is  to  be  absolutely 
without  any  interest,  or  concern,  in  any  thing.  A  perfectly  disin- 
terested man  would  experience  a  supreme  delight  in  the  perfect 
happiness  of  the  universe.  A  perfectly  uninterested  man,  if  we  can 
suppose  such  an  one  to  exist,  would  feel  no  concern  in  any  happi- 
ness whatever.  The  reason,  why  these  terms  have  been  suppo- 
sed to  denote  the  same  thing,  may  have  been,  that  the  word  in- 
terested is  frequently  opposed  to  each  of  them.  This  word  origin- 
ally denotes  the  concern,  which  we  feel  in  any  thing  ;  but  has  long 
been  figuratively,  and  very  commonly,  used  to  denote  a  se^sk 
concern ;  probably,  because  the  interest,  which  the  human  heart 
feels  in  most  things,  is  so  generally  a  selfish  interest. 

It  is  not  my  design  to  contend,  that  there  is  not  a  real  and  great 
pleasure,  foxind  in  the  exercises  of  virtue  ;  nor  that  the  virtuous  man 
does  not  always  experience  this  pleasure  in  such  exercises  j  and  that, 
in  exact  proportion  to  his  virtue  ;  nor  that  this  is  not  a  proper  motive 
to  engage  him  to  these  exercises. 

The  true  nature  of  virtue  is  well  described  in  this  definition : 
the  love  of  doing  good ;  or  the  love  of  promoting  happiness.  In  all 
the  good,  therefore,  which  is  done  by  ourselves,  or  others,  and, 
of  course,  in  all  that  is  enjoyed  by  ourselves  or  others,  whenever 
it  is  not  inconsistent  with  some  greater  good,  virtue  delights  of 
course.  In  its  own  proper  nature,  it  aims  at  such  good ;  and  for 
such  it  labours,  whoever  is  to  be  the  recipient.  Its  true  excel- 
lence lies  in  this :  that  it  is  the  voluntary,  and  only  source  of  happi- 
ness in  the  universe.  In  aiming  at  our  own  happiness  there  is  no 
necessary  selfishness.  Selfishness  consists  in  a  preference  of  our- 
selves to  others,  and  to  all  others  ;  to  the  universe,  and  to  God. 
This  is  sin  ;  and  all  that  in  the  Scri]:)tures  is  meant  by  sin.  In 
every  individual  sin,  this  will  invariably  be  found  to  be  the  essen- 
tial and  guilty  character.  Thus  sensuality  is  the  desire  of  self- 
gratification,  at  the  expense  of  any,  and  all,  other  happiness. 
Thus  ambition  is  the  desire  of  aggrandizing,  and  avarice  the  de- 
sire of  enriching,  ourselves,  in  preference  to  the  interests  of  all 
others.  From  this  spirit  arises  all  our  opposition  to  God,  and  all 
our  injustice  to  his  creatures.  He,  who  has  seriously  and  entirely 
preferred  God  to  himself,  or  the  good  of  the  universe  to  his  own 
private,  separate  good,  has,  in  the  complete  sense,  become  vir- 
tuous. 

God  w^ills  our  happiness.  It  is  therefore  right,  it  is  virtuous,  in  us 
to  seek,  and  promote  it,  both  here  and  hereafter.  In  this  conduct 
there  is  no  selfishness.  We  do,  indeed,  commonly  pursue  it,  in 
preference  to  that  of  all  others.  Such  a  pursuit  of  it  is  sinful ;  and 
the  spirit,  with  which  we  pursue  it,  is,  by  turns,  every  sinful  pas- 
sion and  appetite,  and  the  source  of  every  evil  purpose  and  effort. 


494  CONSISTENCY  OF  BENEVOLENCE  [SER.  LXXX. 

towards  God  and  our  fcllow-crcatures.  Our  pride,  impiety,  rebel- 
lion, and  ingratitude ;  our  self-dependence,  our  impatience,  and 
murmuring,  under  the  government  of  God ;  are  all  only  differ- 
ent forms  of  this  disposition.  The  parsimony,  fraud,  and  oppres- 
sion, of  the  Miser;  the  envy,  intrigues,  conquests,  and  butcheries, 
of  Ambition;  the  rapacity,  injustice,  and  cruelties,  of  Despotism; 
the  sloth,  lewdness,  gluttony,  and  drunkenness  of  the  Sensualist ; 
the  haughtiness,  wrath,  revenge,  and  murders,  of  the  Duellist ;  are 
nothing  but  selfishness,  appearing  in  its  true  nature,  and  genuine 
operations. 

REMARKS. 

In  these  observations  we  have  another  specimen  of  the  havoc,  which 
philosophy  has  made  of  divine  subjects,  and  of  the  great  interests  of 
man. 

Few  writers  have  been  more  admired,  and  applauded,  than  Lord 
Shaft sbury ;  and,  among  all  his  writings,  none  have  been  more  ap- 
plauded, than  the  Work,  in  which  the  doctrine,  opposed  by  me,  is 
taught.  Yet  in  this  work  we  are  informed,  that  to  have  any  regard 
either  to  future  rewards  or  punishments,  is  mean  and  mercenary ; 
and,  of  course,  instead  of  being  virtuous,  or  consisting  with  virtue, 
is  only  criminal.  It  must,  thrcrefore,  be  odious  in  the  sight  ol 
God;  and  the  proper  object  of  his  wrath  and  punishment.  Ac- 
cordingly, this  writer  informs  us  directly,  that  "  all  reference,  either 
to  future  rewards  or  punishments,  lessens  and  destroys  virtue,  and 
diminishes  the  obligations  to  be  virtuous.^''  The  anger  of  God 
against  a  sinner  is  a  dreadful  punishment.  The  approbation  ot 
God,  and  his  consequent  love,  are  glorious  rewards.  But  to  re- 
gard this  anger,  to  be  afraid  of  it,  to  seek  to  avoid  it,  is,  according 
to  Lord  Shaftsbury,  mean  and  mercenary,  odious  and  wicked.  The 
contrary  conduct  must,  of  course,  bear  the  contrary  character.  It 
must  be  honourable  and  generous,  spirited,  amiable,  and  virtu- 
ous, to  disregard  the  divine  anger;  to  have  no  fear  of  God  before 
our  eyes  ;  and  willingly  to  become  the  objects  of  Infinite  indigna- 
tion. Equally  mean  and  mercenary,  and  therefore  equally  hateful 
and  guilty,  is  it,  in  the  eyes  of  this  writer,  to  prize  the  approbation 
of  God;  to  desire  an  interest  in  his  love ;  or  to  seek  the  attain- 
ment of  either.  Of  course,  to  disregard  both  must,  according  to 
this  scheme,  be  virtuous,  honourable,  and  deserving  of  commenda- 
tion. The  real  nature  of  all  conduct  God  cannot  but  know  intui- 
tively; and,  without  injustice,  cannot  fail  to  regard  it  according  to 
its  real  nature,  and  treat  the  subjects  of  it  as  they  actually  merit. 
Hence,  as  he  cannot  but  discern  the  meanness  and  mercenariness, 
the  odiousness  and  guilt,  of  those  who  dread  his  anger,  and  seek 
to  avoid  it;  who  prize  his  approbation;  and  love,  and  labour,  to 
obtain  them ;  he  is  bound,  he  cannot  fail,  to  punish  them  for  this 
criminal  conduct.     As  he  equally  discerns  the  virtue  of  those,  who 


3ER.  LXXX.]  WITH  SEEKING  SALVATION.  495 

ilisregard  his  anger,  approbation,  and  love  ;  he  cannot  fail  to  re- 
ward them. 

If  God  is  angry  with  any  of  his  Intelhgent  creatures  ;  it  is  un- 
doubtedly with  those,  who  have  broken  his  law.  That  he  has 
given  a  law^  to  mankind,  Lord  Shaftsbury  himself  acknowledges ; 
nor  does  he  deny,  that  mankind  have,  in  some  instances,  broken 
this  law.  Indeed,  it  could  not  be  denied  with  common  decency. 
In  this  law,  whatever  it  be,  his  pleasure  is  expressed,  and  enjoined, 
as  the  rule  of  duty  to  rational  beings.  This  rule  is,  in  his  view, 
and  therefore  in  fact,  a  wise,  just,  and  good  rule  for  the  direction  of 
their  conduct.  Conformity  to  it  is  conformity  to  what  is  wise,  just, 
and  good  ;  or,  in  other  words,  is  virtue,  or  excellence  of  charac- 
ter:  while  disobedience  to  it  is  opposition  to  what  is  wise,  just,  and 
good ;  or,  in  other  words,  sinfulness  and  turpitude  of  character. 
Every  law,  and  this  as  truly  as  any  other,  annexes  a  reward  to 
obedience,  and  a  punishment  to  disobedience  ;  otherwise  it  could 
not  be  a  law.  But  to  regard  either  this  rcAvard,  or  this  punishment, 
is,  according  to  Lord  Shaftsbury,  to  be  mean  and  mercenary ;  and 
so  far,  therefore,  ceasing  to  be  virtuous.  If  this  reward  and  pun- 
ishment are  to  have  no  injiuence  on  mankind ;  they  are  nugatory  : 
and  God  has  merely  trifled  with  his  creatures,  in  annexing  them  to 
his  law.  If  they  are  to  have  influence  on  mankind ;  the  influence 
is  merely  such,  as  to  destroy,  or  at  least  lessen,  both  virtue,  and 
the  obligations  to  it.  God,  who  sees  this  to  be  true,  if  it  be  truth, 
has,  therefore,  in  annexing  them  to  his  law,  and  in  endeavouring  to 
influence  mankind  by  them,  attempted  to  destroy,  or  lessen,  virtue, 
and  to  diminish  their  obligations  to  be  virtuous.' 

Further ;  as  without  rewards  and  penalties  no  law  can  exist;  it 
is  evident,  that  God  cannot  make  a  law,  in  which  he  must  not,  of 
course,  either  merely  trifle  with  his  creatures,  or  destroy,  or  lessen 
virtue,  and  diminish  their  obligations  to  be  virtuous. 

The  reward,  promised  to  obedience  in  this  and  every  other  law, 
is  happiness ;  and  the  punishment  threatened  to  disobedience,  is 
suffering,  or  misery.  To  desire  the  happiness  of  every  rational 
being,  and  our  happiness,  as  truly  as  that  of  others,  is  the  genuine 
dictate  of  virtue;  and  the  indispensable  duty  of  all  such  beings. 
It  is  the  duty,  then,  of  every  other  rational  being  to  desire  our 
happiness;  and  for  this  plain  reason  :  it  is  in  itself  desirable.  Ac- 
cording to  Lord  Shaftsbury,  then,  we  cannot,  without  being  mean 
and  mercenary,  desire  that,  which  all  other  rational  beings  are 
bound  to  desire,  and  which  in  itself  is  desirable. 

To  be  virtuous,  is  the  same  thing  as  to  be  meritorious,  or  to  deserve 
a  reward;  and  i«  the  only  real  desert  in  the  universe.  The  reward 
which  virtue  deserves,  is  such  treatment,  as  is  a  proper  retribution 
to  virtuous  conduct ;  such  a  kind,  and  measure,  of  happiness,  as  it 
becomes  the  wisdom,  justice,  and  goodness,  of  the  lawgiver  to  com- 
municate, as  a  proper  expression  of  his  approbation  of  that  con- 
duct.    To  be  influenced  by  a  regard  to  this  happiness,  although 


496  CONSISTENCY  OF  BENEVOLENCE  [SER.  LXXX. 

the  very  thing  which  his  virtue  has  deserved,  and  which  God  has 
pronounced  to  be  its  proper  reward,  is,  according  to  this  scheme, 
to  become  mean,  and  mercenary,  and  undeserving  of  the  reward 
itself.  The  reward  is  holden  out  by  God,  to  encourage  his 
creatures  to  be  virtuous.  In  doing  this,  according  io  Lord  Skafts- 
hury,  he  discourages  virtue,  and  lessens  their  obligations  to  be  vir- 
tuous. 

There  are  two  kinds  of  original  good ;  enjoyment,  cmd  deliverance 
from  suffering  ^  or,  as  the  case  may  be,  from  the  danger  of  suffer- 
ing. These  two  are  the  only  possible  objects  of  desire  to  percip- 
ient beings  ;  and  to  Intf-Uigent  beings,  as  truly  as  any  others. 
When  virtue  itself  is  desired,  it  is  desired  only  for  the  enjoyment 
which  it  furnishes.  Were  there  no  such  objects  in  the  universe, 
there  would  be  no  such  thing  as  desire  5  and  consequently  no  such 
thing  as  volition,  or  action.  Percipient  beings,  and,  among  them, 
Intelligent  beings,  would  be  as  absolutely  inactive,  as  so  many 
lumps  of  matter.  But,  according  to  Lord  Shaftsbvry,  to  regard 
future  enjoyment^  or  misery^  and,  for  the  very  same  reasons,/©  re- 
gard them  when  present^  is  to  be  mean  and  mercenary,  and  to  cease 
from  being  virtuous.  He,  who  regards  them,  therefore,  cannot  be 
virtuous  :  he,  who  does  not,  must  of  course  be  a  block. 

In  the  mean  tlmL',  not  to  regard  enjoyment  and  suffering,  when  pres- 
ent to  our  view,  is  physically  impossible.  In  order  to  be  virtuous, 
then,  we  must,  in  every  instance,  accomplish  a  physical  impossi- 
bility. 

Finally;  a  moral  government  is  entirely  founded  on  motives.  All 
motives  are  included  in  the  two  kinds  of  good,  mentioned  above. 
In  every  moral  government  these  motives  are  presented  to  the  sub- 
jects of  it,  by  the  law  on  which  it  is  founded,  in  the  forms  of  re- 
ward and  punishment;  both  necessarily  future  to  obedience,  oi* 
disobedience.  On  the  influence,  which  these  motives  have  upon 
the  moral  character  and  conduct  of  subjects,  all  moral  government 
rests  ;  nor  can  any  such  government  exist,  for  a  moment,  without 
them.  But  to  be  influenced  by  them  is,  in  every  subject  of  such 
government,  according  to  this  scheme,  mean  and  mercenary.  Gody 
therefore,  in  establishing  a  moral  government  over  intelligent  crea- 
tures, has  directly  endeavoured,  by  his  authority,  to  render  them  mean 
and  mercenary  ;  and,  so  far  as  this  influence  extends,  has  prevented 
them  from  being  virtuous. 

It  is,  1  presume,  unnecessary  to  add  any  thing  further.  More 
striking,  or  more  conclusive,  evidence  cannot  be  given  of  the  havoc 
made  by  Philosophy  in  the  moral  system.  If  the  doctrines  of  one 
of  her  most  admired  votaries  end  in  these  consequences ;  what  ab- 
surdities are  we  not  to  expect  from  Philosophers  of  eveiy  inferior 
order  ? 


SERMON  LXXXI. 


REGENERATION. ITS  ATTENDANTS. BROTHERLY  LOVE. 


John  xiii.  34. — A  new  commandment  I  give  unto  you,  that  ye  love  one  another. 

IN  the  three  preceding  discourses,  I  have  considered  the  Nature, 
of  Evangelical  Benevolcv.ee ;  and  the  two  principal  Objections  against 
the  doctrine,  zvhich  teaches  the  existence,  and  explains  the  ncittire  of 
this  attribute.  At  the  present  time,  I  propose  to  examine  the  Last 
of  those  characteristics,  which  were  mentioned  as  .Attendants  on  Re- 
generation :  viz.  Brotherly  Love  ;  or  the  Love,  which  is  due  to  the 
disciples  of  Christ. 

Commentators  have,  to  a  considerable  extent  at  least,  considered 
this  command  of  Christ  as  merely  enjoining  benevolence.     They 
observe,  that   it  is  called  new,  not  because  it  had  not  been  given 
before ;  for,  they  say,  it  had  been  published  by  Moses,  and  other 
writers  of  the  Old  Testament;  but  because  of  its  peculiar  excel- 
lence :  remarking,  at  the  same  time,  that  the  Hebrews  customarily 
denoted  the  peculiar  excellence  of  a  thing  by  styling  it  new.    With 
this  view  of  the  subject  I  cannot  accord.     The  command,  given  to 
the  Apostles,  and  by  consequence  to  all  the  followers  of  Christ  to 
love  one  another,  was  not,  in  my  view,  published  by  Moses,  nor  by 
any  of  the  succeeding  Prophets.     Certainly  it  was  not  published  in 
form.     There  is  not  in  the  Old  Testament,  at  least  I  have  not  been 
able  to  find  in  it,  any  command,  requiring  good  men  to  love  each 
other  as  good  men.     The  general  benevolence  of  the  Gospel  to- 
wards all  men,  whether  friends  or  enemies,  is,  indeed,  abundantly 
enjoined  both  by  Moses  and  the  prophets.     But  this  benevolence 
regards  men  merely  as  Intelligent  beings,  capable  of  happiness  • 
and  is  itself  the  love  of  happiness,  as  heretofore  explained.     The 
Love,  required  in  the  text,  is  the  Love  of  good  men,  as  such;  as  the 
followers  of  Christ ;  as  wearing  his  image ;  as  resembling  him  in 
their  moral  character.     This  Love,  in  modern  language,  is  called 
Complacency,  or  the  Love  of  virtue.    Instead  of  being  Benevolence 
it   is  a  delight  in  that  benevolence ;  and  is  directed  not  towards 
the  happiness  of  Intelligent  beings,  but  towards  the  virtue  of  o-ood 
beings. 

A  command,  enjoining  this  Love,  was,  I  think,  never  given  in 
form,  before  Christ  gave  it  in  the  text ;  and  was,  therefore,  new  in 
the  proper  sense  at  that  time.  That  it  is  not  called  new  on  account 
of  its  superior  excellence,  will  be  reasonably  believed,  if  we  re- 
member, that  Christ  in  no  other  case  applies  the  epithet  in  this  man- 

VoL.  II.  63 


4<)g  REGENERATION.  [SER.  LXXXf. 

ner;  that  the  first  and  great  command  of  the  law  is  still  more  ex- 
cellent; as  is  also  the  second;  which,  while  it  may  be  considered  as 
imjjlying  this  affection,  enjoins  directly  that  universal  good-will, 
which  is  the  object  of  brotherly  love,  and  the  voluntary  source  of 
all  happiness. 

"But,"  it  is  said,  "S/.  John  expressly  declares  this  command- 
ment of  Christ  not  to  be  new  in  the  proper  sense."  1  John  ii.  7, 
Brethren,  J  ivrite  unto  you  no  new  commandment ;  but  an  old  Com- 
mandment, which  ye  had  from  the  beginning.  '  Without  inquiring 
what  St.  John  intends  here  by  the  phrase,  from  the  beginning,  it 
may  be  justly  observed,  that  this  passage  has  no  reference  to  the 
subject  in  question.  The  command,  of  which  he  speaks,  is  in  the 
preceding  verse  expressed  in  these  words  :  He  that  saith  he  abideth 
in  him  ought  himself  also  so  to  walk,  even  as  he  walked,  it  will  not 
be  pretended,  that  this  is  the  command  in  the  text. 

In  the  eighth,  that  is,  the  following  verse,  St.  John  declares  the 
command  in  the  text  to  be  a  new  commandment.  Again,  a  new 
commandment  rorite  I  unto  you.  What  the  new  command  is,  to 
which  he  here  refers,  is  evident  from  the  two  following  verses.  He 
that  saith,  he  is  in  the  light,  and  hateth  his  brother,  is  in  darkness 
even  until  noio.  He  that  loveth  his  brother  abideth  in  the  light  ; 
and  there  is  none  occasion  of  stumbling  in  him.  The  Apostle  does 
not,  indeed,  recite  any  command  in  form ;  but,  in  the  phrases,  he 
that  hateth,  and  he  that  loveth,  his  brother,  he  shows  decisively,  that 
he  refers  to  the  command,  enjoining  this  love,  and  forbidding  this 
hatred  ;  or,  in  other  words,  to  the  command  in  the  text.  But  the 
command,  to  which  he  refers,  he  declares  to  be  a  new  command- 
ment. 

There  is,  however,  another  passage  in  this  writer,  which,  at  first 
view,  appears  to  be  less  easily  reconcileable  with  my  assertions. 
It  is  this  :  And  now  I  beseech  thee,  Lady,  not  as  though  I  wrote  a 
new  commandment  unto  thee,  but  that  which  we  had  from  the  begin- 
ning, that  we  love  one  another.  2  John  5.  That  St.  John  here  re- 
ferred to  the  general  benevolence,  required  in  the  second  command 
of  the  moral  law,  is,  I  think,  clearly  evident  from  the  following 
verse  :  And  this  is  love,  thai  we  keep  his  commandments.  This  is 
the  commandment,  that,  as  ye  have  heard  from  the  begimiing,  ye 
should  walk  in  it.  The  love,  of  which  he  had  spoken  to  the  Elect 
lady,  in  the  preceding  verse,  he  himself  expl.iins  in  this.  And  this 
is  love,  that  we  keep  his  commandments.  As  if  he  had  said,  "  The 
love,  which  1  have  mentioned,  is  the  disposition,  with  which  we 
keep  the  commandmejits  of  God;  or,  in  other  words,  the  general 
benevolence,  enjoined  by  the  law."  Si.  Paul,  speaking  of  the 
same  thing,  has  expressed  the  same  sentiment  more  clearly,  as  well 
as  more  concisely  ;  Rom.  xiii.  10,  Love  is  the  fulfilling  of  the  law. 

Flaving,  as  I  hope,  removed  all  the  objections,  of  any  import- 
ance, against  the  interpretation  of  the  text,  adopted  above  ;  1  shall 
now  proceed  to  a  more  particular  consideration  of  this  attribute. 


SER.  LXXXI.]  BROTHERLY  LOVE.  499 

I.  Brotherly  Love  is  an  affection,  differing  in  many  respects  from 
Benevolence. 

Thus,  for  example,  Brotherly  Love  is  confined  to  good  men  as 
its  objects  :  whereas  Benevolence  extends  to  all  mankind.  Broth- 
erly love  respects  only  the  moral  character  of  its  objects  :  Bene- 
volence, their  existence  and  capacity.  Brotherly  Love  is  the  love  ot 
the  virtue ;  Benevolence,  of  the  happiness  ;  of  those  who  are  loved. 
Benevolence  is  virtue  absolutely,  or  universally  :  Brotherly  love 
is  only  a  branch  of  that  virtue.  Benevolence  exists,  and  ope- 
rates, towards  those  who  have  no  virtue ;  and  was  thus  exercised 
by  God  towards  beings,  totally  lost  and  depraved  •,  viz.  towards 
mankind,  while  wholly  under  the  power  of  sin.  In  a  similar  man- 
ner, it  is  exercised  by  good  men  towards  sinners  ;  and  towards 
such  sinners,  as,  by  being  enemies  to  them  on  account  of  their 
goodness,  prove,  that  there  is  no  goodness  in  themselves.  Brotherly 
love  is  exercised,  and  is  capable  of  being  exercised,  only  towards 
virtuous  men ;  and  towards  them,  on  account  of  their  virtue  only. 
Benevolence,  being  virtue  in  the  absolute  sense,  must  exist,  before 
it  can  be  loved.  Brotherly  Love  is  the  love  of  that  Benevolence,  or 
of  virtue,  after  it  is  known  to  have  existed. 

According  to  these  observations  we  find  these  affections  clearly, 
and  abundantly,  distinguished  in  the  Scriptures.  Thus  Benevo- 
lence is  called  A/a**),  throughout  the  New  Testament ;  and,  as 
exercised  particularly  towards  Mankind,  is  termed  ^iXav^^wiria : 
Acts  xxviii.  2.  Titus  iii.  4.  Brotherly  love  is  called  4^iXa5sX(p)a : 
Rom.  xii.  10.  1  Thess.  iv.  9.  Heb.  xiii  1.  2  Peter  i.  7.  Love 
to  the  Brethren,  or  Brotherhood,  A5sX90T*ig,  is  enjoined  in  various 
places  as  a  peculiar  duty.  Thus  St.  Peter,  in  his  second  Epistle  i. 
7,  says,  Add  to  your  faith  virtue,  or  resolution,  &ic. ;  to  godliness 
Brotherly  Love,  <J>iXa5£X(piav  ;  and  to  brotherly  love  charity,  Aya-anv, 
benevolence.  Were  Brotherly  Love  the  same  with  Benevolence, 
St.  Peter  would  certainly  not  have  directed  Christians  to  add  Bene- 
volence to  itself.  Nor  would  he  here  have  called  the  same  thing 
by  different  names,  and  thus  perplexed  his  readers,  merely  for  the 
sake  of  rounding  a  period. 

Other  directions  generally  resembling  this,  are  given  us  abund- 
antly in  the  New  Testament. 

IL  Brotherly  Love  is  the  love  of  Good  men. 
To  prove  this,  I  observe,  that  the  Brethren,  spoken  of  in  the 
New  Testament,  are  always  disciples  of  Christ.  This  name  Christ 
himself  gave  them  in  form.  In  Matt.  xii.  46,  we  are  told,  that  his 
mother  and  his  brethren  came,  desiring  to  see  him.  Upon  receiving 
notice  of  this  fact  from  one  of  the  company,  he  replied.  Who  is  my 
mother,  and  who  are  my  brethren  ?  Then  he  stretched  forth  his  hand 
towards  his  disciples,  and  said,  Behold  my  mother  and  my  brethren  : 
for  whosoever  shall  do  the  will  of  my  Father  who  is  in  heaven,  the 
same  is  my  brother,  my  sister,  and  mother.  In  Luke  viii.  21,  where 
the  same  story  is  recorded,  his  words  are,  My  mother  and  my  breth- 


tfQQ  REGENERATION.  [SER.  LXXXJ 

ren  are  thci/,  mho  hear  the  word  of  God  and  do  it.  Again,  Matt, 
xxiii.  8,  he  says,  Be  ye  not  called  Riibfjt,  for  one  is  your  Master, 
even  Christ;  and  all  ye  are  brethren. 

In  these  passages,  Christ  has  declared,  that  his  disciples  are  his 
brethren ;  that  these  arc  composed  of  such  as  hear,  and  obey,  the 
word  of  God;  anl  that  all  such  persons  sustain  this  character. 

From  him  the  Apostles  took  this  phraseology,  and  continued  it 
through  their  writings. 

For  whom  he  did  foreknow,  he  also  did  predestinate  to  he  con- 
formed, to  the  image  of  his  Son,  that  he  might  be  the  first-born  of 
many  brethren.     Rom.  viii.  29. 

To  the  saints  and  faithful  brethren  in  Christ,  who  are  at  Colosse. 
Col.  i.  2. 

I  charge  you  by  the  Lord,  that  this  Epistle  be  read  unto  all  the 
holy  brethren.      1    Thcss.  v.  27. 

These  passages  from  St.  Paul,  selected  out  of  a  multitude  of  the 
same  import,  are  ample  proofs,  tirat  he  used  the  language  of  Christ 
in  the  same  sense.  Peter,  James,  and  John,  use  the  same  language. 
It  is  therefore  completely  evident,  that  the  Brethren,  spoken  of  ap- 
propriately in  the  New  Testament,  are  Christ's  disciples  ;  are 
saints  ;  are  faitiiful ;  are  holy  ;  are  such,  as  have  been  sanctified 
by  the  Spirit  of  grace.  In  this  character  only  are  th^y  constituted 
the  objects  of  Brotherly  Love  :  the  character  itself  bemg  the 
thing,  which,  in  them,  is  required  by  Christ  to  be  loved,  it  is  in- 
deed true,  now,  as,  formerly,  that  all  zoho  are  of  Israel  are  not  Israel. 
Some,  who  appear  to  be  Christ's  disciples,  are  not  really  his  dis- 
ciples. But  since  our  limited  minds  are  unable  to  distinguish  ap- 
pearance fi'om  reality,  God  has  commanded  us  to  govern  both  our 
views,  and  our  conduct,  by  appearance.  So  long,  then,  as  men 
appear  to  be  the  disciples  of  Christ,  we  are  bound  to  regard,  and 
particularly  to  love,  them  as  his  disciples. 

III.  Brotherly  Love  is,  therefore,  an  affection,  directed  towards 
the  Virtue  of  those,  whom  we  love  :  in  other  words,  it  is  Complacen- 
cy in  Virtue. 

In  the  exercise  of  Benevolence,  we  love  others,  whenever  we 
wish  them  to  be  happy ;  and  in  this  manner  we  love  our  enemies, 
and  wicked  men  universally,  however  destitute  of  moral  goodness. 
Our  benevolence  will,  indeed,  be  particularly  exerted  in  desiring 
earnestly,  that  they  may  become  virtuous,  in  order  to  their  happi- 
ness ;  but  we  cannot  approve,  nor  love,  their  moral  character  ;  be- 
cause, by  the  supposition,  it  is  wholly  sinful,  and  therefore  alto- 
gether odious. 

In  the  exercise  of  Brotherly  Love,  on  the  contrary,  we  approve, 
and  love,  the  moral  character  of  all,  whom  we  love :  delighting  in 
their  holiness,  as  an  excellent  and  desirable  object.  As  we  ap- 
prove of  the  character  of  Christ  himself;  so  we  delight  in  them, 
as  possessing  a  share  of  the  same  beauty  and  excellence  ;  as  hav- 
ing the  same  mind,  which  was  also  in  him. 


SER.  LXXXL]  BROTHERLY  LOVE.  501 

IV.  Brotherly  Love  is,  in  the  Scriptures,  constituted  a  peculiar 
proof  of  sanctificalion. 

In  the  verse  following  the  text,  Christ  says,  Hereby  shall  all  men 
knozo,  that  ye  are  my  disciples,  if  ye  have  love  one  to  another.  Here 
our  Saviour  declares  this  affection  to  be  a  peculiar  proof  to  the 
world,  that  we  are  Christians ;  to  be  the  touchstone,  by  which  his 
disciples  will  be  examined,  and  known,  by  mankind. 

Accordingly,  the  Emperor  Julian  expressly  warns  the  heathen 
under  his  dominion,  that  the  Christians  contributed  not  a  little  to 
spread  Christianity  by  their  singular  love  to  each  other,  and  by 
their  mutual  offices  of  exemplary  kindness.  At  the  same  time  he 
declares,  that,  unless  the  heathen  will  follow  this  powerful  exam- 
ple, their  religion  will  never  prosper.  So  remarkable,  even  in  that 
corrupted  age,  was  the  Brotherly  Love  of  Christ's  disciples,  as 
entirely  to  distinguish  them  from  the  rest  of  mankind.  In  other 
periods  of  the  Church,  it  has  prevailed,  as  Religion  has  prevailed  ; 
ahd  decayed,  as  Religion  has  decayed :  but  in  all  ages  it  has  exist- 
ed, and  been  discernible,  wherever  genuine  Christianity  has  been 
found. 

As  this  attribute  is  peculiarly  the  proof  of  our  Religion  to  others  ; 
so  it  is  made  equally  the  proof  of  it  to  ourselves.  He  that  saith, 
he  is  in  the  light,  and  hateth  his  brother,  is  in  darkness  until  now» 
He  that  loveth  his  brother  abideih  in  the  light.  1  John  ii.  9,  10.  In 
this  the  children  of  God  are  manifest,  and  the  children  of  the  devil. 
Whosoever  doeth  not  righteousness  is  not  of  God ;  neither  he  that 
loveth  not  his  brother.    1  John  iii.  10. 

Hereby  we  know,  that  we  have  passed  from  deathunto  life,  because 
loe  love  the  brethren.     He  that  hateth  his  brother  abideth  in  death. 

These  passages  teach  in  the  clearest  manner,  that,  if  we  love  the 
brethren,  we  are  children  of  God,  or  the  subjects  of  Evangelical 
virtue,  and  that,  if  we  love  not  the  brethren,  we  are  not  the  chil- 
dren of  God.  If,  then,  our  love  to  the  brethren  be  probable;  if  a 
good  reason  exist  to  believe,  that  we  exercise  brotherly  love  ; 
there  exists  an  equal  reason  to  believe,  that  we  have  passed  from 
death  unto  life.  If  we  discover  with  certainty,  that  we  possess  this 
love ;  we  have  arrived  at  full  assurance  of  our  sanctification,  and 
of  our  title  to  eternal  life. 

V.  Brotherly  love  is  universally  exercised  by  Benevolent  Minds. 
In  other  words,  every  Mind,  which  is  Evangelically  benevolent, 
will  of  course  exercise  Brotherly  love. 

Benevolence  is  the  love  of  happiness :  Brotherly  Love  is  the 
love  of  that  Benevolence.  We  love  an  Intelligent  being,  as  either 
capable  of  happiness,  or  actually  the  subject  of  it.  When  we 
perceive,  that  he  is  benevolent,  we  further  love  his  benevolence, 
and  him  because  he  is  benevolent. 

Benevolence  is  virtue.  Brotherly  Love,  in  the  abstract  denomi- 
nated Complacency,  is  the  love  of  virtue.  As  virtue  delights  in 
happiness  ;  so  it  necessarily  delights  in  the  causes  of  happiness. 


505  REGENERATION.  [SER.  LX||X1. 

But  virtue  is  the  only  original,  voluntary,  and  supreme,  cause  of 
hG|>piness  to  the  universe.  Virtue,  therefore,  delights  in  virtue,  as 
being  the  great  cause  of  that,  which  it  supremely  loves.  As  virtue 
is  the  voluntary  cause  of  happiness ;  it  is,  of  course,  supremely 
excellent  and  lovely  ;  and  is  accordingly  loved  by  all  virtuous 
beings. 

Hence  it  is  evident,  that  Brotherly  Love,  although  not  virtue  in 
the  original  or  abstract  sense,  is  yet  an  affection  eminently  virtu- 
ous ;  and  is,  therefore,  strongly  enjoined,  and  greatly  commended, 
in  the  Scriptures.  This  is  the  love,  which,  without  a  formal  com- 
mand, David  exercised  towards  the  saints,  whom  he  styles  the  ex- 
cellent of  the  earth,  and  in  whom,  he  says,  was  all  his  delight ;  which 
the  captive  Psalmist  exercised  towards  Zion,  the  collection  of  the 
saints  ;  and  sooner  than  refuse  which,  he  wishes  his  right  hand  may 
forget  its  cunning,  and  his  tongue  cleave  to  the  roof  of  his  mouth. 
This  is  the  love,  which  inspired  the  Prophets,  particularly  Isaiah, 
with  zeal,  and  joy,  and  triumph,  when  beholding  in  vision  the  future 
prosperity  of  the  Church,  and  its  glorious  extension  over  the  hab- 
itable world. 

The  Distinction  between  Brotherly  Love  and  Complacency,  gene- 
rally understood,  is  this:  the  former  is  exercised  by  the  disciples  of 
Christ  towards  each  other  ;  the  latter  by  all  virtuous  beings  towards 
all  such  beings.  This  is  the  love,  which  God  exercises  towards  all 
his  children  ;  the  love,  exercised  by  angels  towards  those,  for 
whom  they  cheerfully  condescend  to  be  ministering  Spirits ;  viz. 
those,  who  shall  be  heirs  of  salvation. 

Towards  God,  the  complacency  of  his  virtuous  creatures  is  so 
eminent  an  exercise  of  affection,  as  in  a  manner  to  occupy  the 
whole  soul.  When  we  remember  the  moral  perfection  of  God,  we 
are  prone  to  forget  his  importance  as  the  supreme  Intelligent,  and 
the  Possessor  of  supreme  happiness ;  and  naturally  confine  our 
thoughts  to  the  glorious  Excellence  of  his  nature.  We  love  him 
pre-eminently  for  this  excellence;  and  scarcely  recollect,  that  he 
is  an  object  of  supreme  benevolence.  Indeed,  whenever  the  be- 
ings loved  are  wholly  virtuous,  we  are  apt  to  lose  our  Benevolence 
in  our  Complacency ;  and  to  be  scarcely  conscious  of  any  other 
affection,  besides  our  delight  in  their  excellence  of  character. 
When,  indeed,  we  have  received  peculiar  benefits  from  them,  our 
Gratitude  is  excited  ;  and  often  powerfully.  But  our  benevolence, 
though  always  exercised,  is  not  unfrequently  unobserved  by  our 
minds. 

Thus  have  I  summarily  considered  this  attribute  of  a  sanctified 
mind.     I  shall  now  proceed  to  derive  from  this  subject  a  few 

REMARKS. 

1st.  If  the  things,  which  have  been  observed  concerning  this  sub- 
ject, are  jttst  ;  it  follows,  that  we  ought  carefully  to  try  our  moral 
character  by  this  great  scriptural  standard. 


SER.  LXXXI]  BROTHERLY  LOVE.  503 

By  him,  who  hopes  that  he  is  entitled  to  eternal  life,  no  ques- 
tion can  be  asked,  of  higher  moment,  than  whether  he  is  a  Chris- 
tian. To  resolve  this  question,  the  Scriptures  point  out  no  method 
more  obviously,  or  certainly,  effectual,  than  that,  which  has  been 
here  mentioned.  We  know,  that  we  have  passed  from  death  unto 
life,  because  we  love  the  brethren.  A  good  man  is  a  peculiar  ob- 
ject; and  distinct  from  all  others.  The  materials,  of  which  his 
goodness  is  constituted,  are  generally  capable  of  being  truly  un- 
derstood, and  strongly  realized.  If  seen,  they  cannot  but  be  hated 
by  a  bad,  and  loved  by  a  good,  mind.  Our  love  and  hatred  are 
engaged,  almost  only,  by  moral  beings.  Doctrines,  Precepts,  and 
Ordinances,  the  Sabbath,  the  Sanctuary,  the  Word  of  God,  and  the 
things  opposed  to  them,  may,  indeed,  be  in  a  certain  sense  objects 
of  these  atfections ;  but  this  can  exist  only  in  a  subordinate  de- 
gree, and,  perhaps,  always  with  a  reference  to  those  moral  beings, 
with  whom  they  are  connected.  Thus  the  Sabbath  is  hated,  or 
loved,  merely  as  a  season  devoted  to  God,  who  appointed  it.  The 
same  observation  is  equally  applicable  to  other  things  of  the  like 
nature. 

But  Intelligent  beings ;  viz.  God  and  his  rational  creatures  ; 
we  love,  or  hate,  for  what  they  are.  We  love,  or  hate,  them  di- 
rectly; and  not  for  the  relation,  which  they  bear  to  some  other 
object  of  these  affections.  Men,  particularly,  being  like  or  unlike 
ourselves,  of  our  own  party  or  an  opposite,  who  act,  or  refuse  to 
act,  with  or  against  us,  with  and  against  whom  we  act  under  the 
strong  influence  of  sympathy,  and  who  are  realized  by  the  power- 
ful impressions  of  sense ;  are  more  easily,  uniformly,  and  strongly, 
regarded  with  these  emotions,  in  ordinary  circumstances,  than  any 
other  created  beings.  Our  emotions  towards  them,  therefore,  are 
immediate ;  arise  spontaneously ;  are  vigorous ;  and  mingle  with 
all  our  views,  of  every  kind.  Good  men  love  good  men  of  course, 
and  necessarily.  Wicked  men  never  exercise  complacency  to- 
wards good  men,  as  such  ;  they  often  love  them  with  natural 
affection ;  or  because  they  are  their  friends ;  or  because  they  are 
useful  to  them ;  but  not  for  their  characteristical  excellence,  or  for 
their  resemblance  to  Christ.  Good  men  love  them,  as  the  natural 
taste  I'clishes  sweetness  or  fragrance,  the  rose  or  the  honeycomb. 
Good  men  love  them  for  themselves ;  for  the  moral  character, 
which  they  possess ;  and  independently  of  all  other  considerations. 
Wicked  men  in  their  consciences  approve  0/ goodness,  and  of  good 
men ;  and  cannot,  without  violence  done  to  their  consciences,  dis- 
approve of  them.  But  in  tliis  approbation  the  heart  has  no  share. 
The  hearts  of  wicked  men  are  radically  opposed  to  virtue  ;  and  of 
course  hate  it,  and,  so  far  as  their  virtue  is  concerned,  all  those 
by  whom  it  is  possessed.  Hence  have  flowed  the  calumnies, 
sneers,  ridicule,  resentment,  opposition,  and  persecution,  which 
good  men  have  received  from  their  enemies  ever  since  the  world 
began. 


504  REGENERATION.  [SER.  LXSif. 

From  these  things  it  is  evident,  that  the  love  of  good  men  fur- 
nishes a  criterion,  uncommonly  well  calculated  to  decide  our  char- 
acter, as  being  either  good  or  evil.  Whatever  will  aid  us  in  a 
case  of  such  magnitude  must  be  of  high  importance;  and  ought  to 
be  employed  for  our  benefit  with  earnestness  and  fidelity.  From 
the  Scriptures,  and  indeed  from  the  nature  of  the  case  also,  it  is 
evident,  that  Brotherly  Love  furnishes  us  with  peculiar  assistance 
for  the  determination  of  a  point,  so  interesting  to  every  Christian. 
How  attentively  ought  every  man,  then,  and  especially  every  one 
who  hopes,  that  himself  is  a  Christian,  to  examine  his  character  by 
this  standard.  Let  each  ask  himself,  "Do  I  love  good  men? 
Do  I  love  their  goodness,  their  Christianity  ?  Do  I  choose  their 
company  ?  Do  1  seek  their  conversation  ?  Do  I  delight  in  their 
sentiments  and  conduct  ?  Do  I  pray  for  their  prosperity,  their 
holiness,  and  their  salvation  ?"  If  these  questions  can  be  truly 
answered  in  the  affirmative;  we  are  children  of  God.  If  not;  we 
are  still  in  the  gall  of  bitterness,  and  the  bond  of  iniquity. 

2dly.  From  these  considerations  we  discern  the  peculiar  fVisdom 
and  Goodness  of  Christ  in  establishing  a  Church  in  the  world. 

In  the  Church  of  Christ  the  body  of  good  men  are  gathered  to- 
gether; united  in  one  family;  placed  in  one  obvious  view;  and 
prepared  to  render,  as  well  as  to  receive,  Brotherly  Love,  and  all 
its  kind  offices.  Every  affection  flourishes  by  exercise  and  repe- 
tition only.  Where  the  proper  objects  of  our  affections  are  found, 
they  are  exercised  of  course :  where  such  objects  are  not  found, 
they  decay,  and  die,  of  themselves.  In  families,  the  natural,  do- 
mestic affections  of  man  find  their  proper  objects.  Conjugal 
love,  therefore,  parental  tenderness,  brotherly  and  sisterly  kind- 
ness, and  filial  piety,  shoot  up  here,  and  thrive,  and  blossom,  and 
bear  fruit;  and  bear  it  abundantly. 

In  the  Church,  \\\c  family  named  after  Christ,  arc  assembled  the 
objects  of  Brotherly  Love,  or  Evangelical  Complacency.  Here 
such,  as  are  the  subjects  of  this  exalted  attribute,  find  those  pre- 
sented to  them,  on  whom  it  may  be  exercised  and  repeated. 
Accordingly  here,  and  in  the  nature  of  things  here  only,  can  this 
affection  live  and  prosper.  Here,  on  the  one  hand,  virtue  is  daily 
seen,  approved,  and  loved;  and,  on  the  other,  complacency  inter- 
changed, strengthened,  and  enjoyed.  ^Vhile  those,  who  are  thus 
the  objects  of  Love,  are  by  every  motive,  which  can  reach  a  vir- 
tuous mind,  invited,  animated,  and  compelled,  to  render  themselves 
more  deserving  of  this  aflTection  by  improving  and  adorning  those 
excellencies,  which  are  its  immediate  objects.  Brotherly  Love 
becomes,  here,  a  peculiarly  refined  and  glorious  friendship ;  a  bond 
of  perfection,  uniting  them  more  and  more  unto  the  end.  Thus, 
by  the  establishment  of  a  Church  in  the  world,  has  Christ  provided 
for  the  existence,  continuance,  and  improvement,  of  this  elevated 
affection.  In  the  mean  time,  as  Brotherly  Love  exists  in  this 
hf  Hven-appointed  family ;  so  in  the  bosom  of  the  same  family  it 


SER.  LXXXI.]  BROTHERLY  LOVE.  S0fi 

operates,  unceasingly,  in  all  the  amiable  and  useful  methods,  di- 
rected by  the  Scriptures,  and  pointed  to  by  itself  with  a  magnetic 
influence.  Here  it  reproves  all  the  variations  from  truth,  all  the 
deviations  from  rectitude,  to  which  imperfect  man,  even  in  his  best 
estate,  is  liable  on  this  side  of  the  grave.  Here  it  approves,  and 
confirms,  every  thing  that  is  vindicable  and  lovely.  Here  it  prays 
for  the  strength,  amendment,  comfort,  peace,  and  joy,  of  its  breth- 
ren. Here  it  weeps  with  them  in  their  sorrows,  rejoices  in  their 
joys,  and  smiles  on  all  their  delightful  progress  in  holiness  ;  refines 
in  the  view  of  their  refinement,  exults  in  their  advancement  to  im- 
mortal life,  and  expands  its  wings  for  the  final  flight  to  everlasting 
glory. 

3dly.  This  subject  forcibly  impresses  on  our  minds  the  Excellence^ 
Glory ^  and  Happiness^  of  heaven. 

In  this  apostate  and  melancholy  world,  wise  men,  in  all  ages, 
have  seen,  and  fell,  that  Virtue  has  been  a  strunger,  a  pilgrim,  and 
in  many  instances  an  outcast  also.  Her  frienels  have  been  few 
and  commonly  powerless ;  her  enemies  mighty  and  strong,  bitter 
and  distressing ;  her  cause  unpopular  and  hated ;  her  arguments 
lost  in  deaf  ears ;  and  her  entreaties  repelled  by  hearts  of  marble. 
It  is  reasonable,  it  is  desirable,  it  is  "devoutly  to  be  wished,"  and 
prayed  for,  that  Virtue  may  somewhere  find  a  home ;  a  settled 
residence;  a  kind  welcome  ;  real  friends;  and  final  safety.  These 
blessings  she  has  rarely  found  in  this  foreign  region,  this  unnatural 
climate ;  and,  at  the  best,  she  has  found  them  but  for  a  moment. 
Accordingly,  she  has  ever  cast  her  eyes  upward,  towards  another 
and  belter  country.  From  that  country  she  has  received  tidings, 
which  cannot  deceive,  and  which  assure  her  of  a  welcome,  and 
final,  reception.  She  is  informed,  that  there  she  v.as  born  and 
nursed  ;  and  that  in  this  world  she  is  only  a  visiter  and  stranger ; 
destined  to  finish  the  pilgrimage  allotted,  and  then  to  return  to  her 
native  residence,  there  to  dwell  for  ever.  With  rapture  she  has 
learned,  that  there  all  her  friends  will  be  finally  gathered;  and 
that  her  Father  and  everlasting  friend  is  there  ready  to  receive  her 
to  the  arms  of  infinite  and  unchangeable  love. 

In  that  glorious  world,  a  vast  and  immortal  Church,  formed  of 
those  who  are  all  brethren,  inhabits  the  delightful  regions,  destined 
to  be  its  eternal  residence.  In  the  innumerable  millions,  of  which 
this  great  assembly,  this  nation  of  brethren,  this  kingdom  of  Jeho- 
vah, is  composed.  Brotherly  love  is  the  commanding  principle  of 
action.  In  Angels  it  has  glowed,  and  brightened,  ever  since  the 
morning  of  creation  dawned  overthe  vast  abyss  of  darkness  and  sol- 
itude. In  the  general  assembly  of  the  first-born  it  is  made  a  test 
of  their  character,  and  a  foundation  of  their  admission  into  heaven. 
Inasmuch  as  ye  have  done  good  unto  one  of  the  least  of  these  my  breth- 
ren., is  by  Christ  himself  announced,  as  the  peculiar  term  of  ad- 
mission :  and  Inasmuch  as  ye  did  it  not,  as  the  term  of  final  exclu- 
sion.    In  the  cold  and  dreary  region  of  this  world,  the  spark  was 

Vol.  IL  64 


506  REGENERATION,  &,c.  [SER.  LXXXI. 

scarcely  kindled  ;  and  prolonged  its  existence  with  difficulty.  The 
flax,  ill  which  it  was  kept  from  linal  extinction,  smoked  merely, 
without  rising  into  a  flame.  But  it  was  never  finaWy  quenched.  At 
the  great  examination,  it  was  found  still  a  living  spark  ;  and  its  ex- 
istence was  seen,  acknowledged,  and  proclaimed.  Transferred  to 
heaven,  it  began  there  to  kindle  with  new  and  immortal  lustre;  and 
was  set  in  that  constellated  firmament  of  living  and  eternal  splen- 
dours ;  which  are  all  glorious  Avith  inherent  light,  although  one  star 
diffcreth  from  another  star  in  glory. 

Of  that  brilliant  world,  that  region  where  all  things  shine,  and 
live,  and  flourish,  and  triumph,  for  ever,  the  beauty,  the  glory,  the 
excellence,  is  eminently  this  divine  affection.  All  are  brethren  ;  all 
are  loved  as  brethren.  All  are  divinely  amiable  and  excellent 
friends.  Every  one  possesses  the  virtue,  which  is  loved ;  and  the 
complacency,  by  which  it  is  loved.  Every  one,  conscious  of  un- 
minj^led  purity  within,  approves,  and  loves,  himself  for  that  divine 
image,  which  in  complete  perfection,  and  with  untarnished  resem- 
blance, is  instampedon  his  character.  Each,  in  every  view  which 
he  casts  around  him,  beholds  the  same  glory  shining,  and  bright- 
ening, in  the  endless  train  of  his  companions  :  One  in  nature,  but 
diversified  without  end,  in  those  forms  and  varieties  of  excellence, 
by  which  the  original  and  eternal  Beauty  delights  to  present  itself 
to  the  virtuous  universe.  Here  every  one,  conscious  of  being  en- 
tirely lovely,  and  entirely  loved,  reciprocates  the  same  love  to  that 
great  midlitude^  which  no  man  can  number,  of  all  nations,  kindreds, 
and  tongues,  and  which  fills  the  immeasurable  regions  of  heaven. 
Out  of  this  character  grows  a  series  ever  varying,  ever  improving, 
of  all  the  [possible  communications  of  beneficence,  fitted  in  every 
instance  only  to  interchange,  and  increase  the  happiness  of  all.  In 
the  sunshine  of  Infinite  comf)lacency,  the  light  of  the  New  Jerusa- 
lem, the  original  source  of  all  their  own  beauty,  life,  and  joy,  all 
these  happy  nations  walk  for  ever ;  and,  transported  with  the  life- 
giving  influence,  unite  in  one  harmonious  and  eternal  hymn  to  the 
great  Author  of  their  enjoyment :  Blessing,  and  honour,  and  glory ^ 
and  wisdom,  and  thanksgiving,  be  unto  him  that  sitteth  on  the  throne^ 
and  to  the  Lamb,  for  ever  and  ever.     Amen. 


SERMON  LXXXII. 

CONSEQUENCES    OF    REGENERATION. ADOPTION 

1  John  iii.  2 — Beloved,  now  we  are  the  sons  of  God. 

In  a  series  of  discourses,  I  have  considered  the  Attendants  of 
Jtegeneratio7i :  viz.  Faith,  formerly  explained  ;  Repentance  ;  Love 
to  God;  Love  to  Mankind;  and  Brotherly  Love.  I  shall  now  pro- 
ceed, according  to  the  scheme  formerly  proposed,  to  examine  the 
Consequences  of  this  Change  of  character. 

Of  these,  the  first  in  the  natural  order  is  Adoption.  That  Adoption 
is  a  Consequence  of  Regeneration  will  not  be  denied.  The  ob- 
servations, which  I  shall  make  concerning  the  subject,  will  be  in- 
cluded under  the  following  heads: 

I.  The  Nature  ; 

II.  The  Reality;  • 

III.  The  Importance  ;  and, 

IV.  The  Consequences  ;  of  Adoption, 

I.  The  Nature  of  Adoption  may  be  explained  in  the  following 
manner. 

A  Child  is,  in  this  act,  taken  by  a  man  from  a  family,  not  his  own  ; 
introduced  into  his  own  family ;  regarded  as  his  own  child  ;  and  en- 
titled to  all  the  privileges  and  blessings,  belonging  to  this  relation* 
To  adopt  children  in  this  manner  has,  it  is  well  known,  been  a 
custom,  generally  prevailing  in  all  ages,  and  probably  in  all  nations. 
Thus  children  were  adopted  among  the  Egyptians,  Jews,  Romans, 
and  other  ancient  nations  ;  and  the  same  custom  exists  in  the  Chris- 
tian nations  of  Europe  ;  in  our  own  Country  ;  among  the  American 
Aborigines  ;  and,  so  far  as  my  knowledge  extends,  throughout  the 
world. 

Of  the  same  general  nature  is  that  transaction,  in  divine  economy, 
by  which  mankind  become  the  children  of  God. 

II.  The  Reality  of  Adoption  may  be  thus  illustrated. 

Mankind  are  originally  strangers  to  the  family  of  God  ;  enemies 
to  him,  to  his  law,  to  his  kingdom,  and  to  all  his  interest.  From  this 
situation  they  are  invited  to  come,  and  enter  into  his  family  5  to 
take  his  name  upon  them ;  to  share  in  his  parental  care,  tenderness, 
and  blessings.  Such  of  them  as  comply  with  the  invitation,  are 
received  into  his  family  ;  and  become  entitled  to  his  parental  Love, 
and  all  the  offices  of  affection  to  which  it  gives  birth.  From  this 
period,  they  are  styled  the  children  of  God.  From  this  period, 
they  are  permitted,  and  required  to  address  him  as  their  Father  ; 
a  character,  which  he  has  been  pleased  to  assume ;  and  to  consider 


508  ADOPTION  [SER.  LXXXII. 

thenisclvps  as  his  children  ;  and  as  entitled  to  the  character  of  his 
children. 

Of  this  subject  the  Scriptures  give  us  the  following  exhibition. 

1st.  God  announced  Iht  adoption  of  mankind  into  his  family  soon 
after  the  Apostacy. 

At  the  birth.of  Enos,  we  are  told,  that  men  began  to  call  upon  the 
name  of  the  Lord,  In  the  margin,  and,  as  it  would  seem,  with 
greater  correctness,  men  began  to  be  called  by  the  name  of  the  Lord  :* 
that  is,  they  began  to  be  call(>d  his  children,  and  to  take  upon  them- 
selves the  name  of  God,  as  being  now  their  parent ;  just  as  adopted 
children  take  upon  themselves  the  names  of  those  human  pa- 
rents, by  whom  they  have  been  adopted.  The  style,  by  which 
they  began  to  be  known  at  this  early  period,  has  been  continued 
through  every  succeeding  age  of  the  Church.  In  Gen.  vi.  1,  2, 
we  read  o{  the  sons  of  God.  These,  I  apprehend,  are  persons  of 
the  same  class  with  those,  who,  in  the  time  of  Enos,  began  to  be 
called  by  the  name  of  the  Lord  ;  and  were  now  publicly  desig- 
nated by  this  title.  That  such  persons  were  meant  by  the  phrase, 
the  sons  of  God,  is  sufficiently  manifest  from  the  use  of  it  else- 
where. In  Job  i.  6,  it  is  said,  the  sons  of  God  came  to  present 
themselves  before  the  Lord  :  and  in  Job  xxxviii.  7,  that,  at  the  cre- 
ation, the  Morning  Stars  sang  together,  and  all  the  sons  of  God 
shouted  for  joy.  In  these  passages.  Angels  are  undoubtedly  the 
persons  intended.  When  mankind,  in  those  early  days,  received 
the  same  appellation,  it  was  designed  to  indicate,  that  they  belong- 
ed to  the  same  family,  and  were  by  adoption,  children  of  the  same 
heavenly  Parent. 

In  the  communications,  made  by  God  to  Abraham  and  his  fam- 
ily, the  same  scheme  is  more  particularly  and  explicitly  pursued. 
God,  in  the  covenant  of  grace,  declared  to  this  e^vi\\\y  father  of  the 
faithful,  I  will  be  your  God  ;  and  ye  shall  be  my  people :  phraseol- 
ogy, exactly  equivalent,  in  the  mouth  of  the  Speaker,  to  the 
following:  Izvill  be  your  Father  ;  and  ye  shall  be  my  children.  In 
conformity  to  this  scheme,  Moses  was  directed,  Ex.  iv.  22,  to  pre- 
face his  message  from  God  to  Pharaoh,  with  Thus  sailh  the  Lord, 
Israelis  my  son,  even  my  first-born.  In  the  same  manner,  Moses 
declared  the  same  relation,  Deut.  xiv.  I,  Ye  are  the  children  of  the 
Lord  your  God.  In  Ps.  Ixxxii.  6,  it  is  said  to  the  rulers  of  Israel, 
All  of  you  are  Children  of  the  Most  High.  In  the  latter  days  of 
their  kingdom,  when  they  had  become  deeply  depraved,  they  were 
still  called  by  the  title  of  children.  Thus  they  are  styled  rebellious 
children  ;  corrupters  ;  lying  children,  that  will  not  hear  the  word  of 
the  Lord. 

By  the  Prophet  Hosea  it  was  again  predicted,  that  they  should 
be  called  the  So7is  of  Gad  when  gathered  again,  after  their  disper- 
sion.    //  shall  be  said  of  them,  Ye  are  the  Sons  of  the  living  God. 

•  Taylor. 


SER.  LXXXII]  ADOPTION.  509 

This  character,  thus  insisted  on  through  the  several  ages  of  the 
Jewish  Church,  is  more  particularly,  and  strongly  insisted  on  in  the 
Jsfeio  Testament.  Here  the  important  fact  of  our  Adoption  is  de- 
clared in  the  most  explicit  manner,  and  in  a  great  variety  of  forms. 
In  Eph.  i.  5,  it  is  said,  that  Christians  were  predestinated  unto  the 
adoption  of  children,  by  Jesus  Christ,  to  God,  according  to  the  good 
pleasure  of  his  will.  Agreeably  to  this  determination,  it  is  de- 
clared, John  i.  12,  that  to  as  many  as  received  Christ,  to  them  gave 
he  poxoer  to  become  the  Sons  of  God,  even  to  them  who  believe  on  his 
name.  Who  are  born,  not  of  blood,  nor  of  the  will  of  the  flesh, 
nor  of  the  will  of  man,  but  of  God.  To  persons  of  this  character 
St.  Paul  says.  But  ye  have  received  the  spirit  of  adoption,  whereby 
we  cry,  Abba,  Father.  These  passages  are  amply  sufficient  to 
show  the  Scriptural  views  of  the  reality  of  Adoption.  It  would 
be  useless,  therefore,  to  quote  a  multitude  of  others,  of  similar 
import. 

2dly.  The  same  doctrine  is  forcibly  taught  in  the  ordinance  of 
Baptism. 

The  ordinance  of  Baptism  is  a  solemn  symbol  of  Regeneration. 
By  the  affusion  of  the  water  upon  every  subject  of  this  ordinance 
is  exhibited,  in  a  very  affecting  manner,  the  effusion  of  the  Spirit 
of  Grace  upon  his  heart;  and  by  the  cleansing  influence  of  the 
water,  the  purification  of  his  soul  by  the  blood  of  Christ.  In  the 
administration  of  this  ordinance,  every  subject  of  it  is  baptized,  by 
the  command  of  Christ,  sig  to  ovofxa,  ijito  the  name  of  the  Father,  and 
of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  In  this  manner,  baptism  is  a 
direct  exhibition  of  our  Adoption  into  the  family  of  God,  and  our 
rightful  assumption  of  the  name  of  the  Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and 
of  the  Holy  Ghost.  Accordingly,  Christians  are,  in  the  Scriptures, 
entitled,  after  these  names.  Godly,  Christian,  and  Spiritual.  The 
ordinance,  it  is  true,  is,  as  from  the  nature  of  the  case  it  must  be, 
external  and  symbolical.  But  the  symbol  is  easy,  intelligible,  and 
plainly  indicative  of  the  adoption  of  Christians  into  the  family, 
which  is  named  after  Christ. 

III.  The  Importance  of  Adoption  may  be  illustrated  from  the  fol- 
lowing considerations. 

1  St.   The  act  of  Adoption  produces  a  real  relation  in  us  to  God. 

In  reading  the  Scriptures,  a  book  so  fraught  with  figurative  lan- 
guage, it  is  no  unnatural,  and,  I  believe,  not  a  very  uncommon 
thing,  for  persons  to  regard  whatever  is  said  on  this  subject,  as  i 
mere  collection  of  fine  phraseology,  intended  to  express,  with 
strength  and  beauty,  the  dignity  of  the  Christian's  character,  and 
the  desirableness  of  his  situation ;  and  not  to  denote  a  real  and  im- 
portant part  of  the  scheme  of  Redemption.  This,  however,  is  an 
erroneous  mode  of  thinking  concerning  the  subject.  We  are,  in 
fact,  strangers  to  the  Divine  Family;  and  have  ceased  to  be,  in 
any  sense,  useful  to  ourselves,  and  dutiful  children  of  God.  We 
have  allied  ourselves  voluntarily  to  strangers,  and  become  aliens 


510  ADOPTION.  [SER.  LXXXlf. 

from  the  commonweallh  of  ihc  spiritual  Israel.  In  this  manner, 
we  have  wandered,  and  remained,  far  ofi' from  God;  and,  but  for 
his  mercy,  employed  to  bring  us  back,  had  widened  our  distance 
from  his  house  and  favour  for  ever.  In  this  situation,  we  were 
related  to  him,  only  as  froward  and  rebellious  creatures  ;  and  were 
objects,  only  of  his  eternal  indignation.  But  when  we  are  adopted 
into  his  family,  we  become  his  children  anew ;  are  acknowledged 
as  such ;  and  shall  be  treated  as  such  throughout  eternity.  The 
act  by  which  we  are  adopted,  and  which  creates  this  relation,  is 
also  a  publication  of  it  to  the  Universe  ;  solemnly  announcing  to 
all  the  subjects  of  the  divine  kingdom,  that  henceforth  we  are  re- 
garded by  God  as  his  children  ;  that  he  will  be  a  father  to  us  ;  and 
that  we  s/iall  be  his  sons  and  daughters  ;  that  the  name,  the  duties, 
and  the  privileges,  of  children,  will  henceforth  be  rightfully  ours. 

2dly.   This  relation  is  very  near,  and  very  interesting. 

In  the  original  condition  of  mankind  they  stood  related  to  God 
by  creation  and  preservation.  This,  considered  as  the  state  of 
Intelligent  beings,  is  a  relation  of  high  and  interesting  impor- 
tance. Adam  accordingly,  on  account  of  this  relation,  is,  together 
with  the  angels,  dignified  with  the  title  of  a  Son  of  God,  See 
Luke  iii.  38. 

This  relation  is  often  insisted  on  with  much  magnificence  by  the 
ancient  heathen  Sages  ;  who  exhibited  their  views  of  it  in  a  variety 
of  bold  and  strong  images.  Particularly,  they  represented  the 
soul  of  man  as  an  emanation  from  God;  as  a  part  of  the  divine 
mind ;  separated  for  a  season,  to  return  again,  and  be  reabsorbed 
by  the  original  Source  of  perfection  ;  as  a  beam  of  divine  light;  a 
particle  of  ethereal  fire;  sent  forth  from  the  uncreated  Sun,  to  be 
re-united  hereafter  to  its  parent  Orb.  It  will  be  easily  seen  from 
these  representations,  what  stress  they  laid  upon  our  divine 
original;  and  it  will  be  not  less  easily  seen,  that  the  more  perfect 
views  of  the  Original  Mind,  furnished  by  the  Scriptures,  enhance 
exceedingly  the  honour,  and  importance,  derived  to  us  from  this 
source. 

But  though  it  is  honourable  to  an  Intelligent  being,  that  God  was 
pleased  to  bring  him  into  existence,  and  endow  him  with  such  no- 
dIc  faculties ;  yet,  in  the  Adoption  of  the  Covenant  of  Grace,  a 
nuch  nearer,  dearer,  and  more  exalted,  relation  is  formed,  and 
inished.  In  this  proceeding,  God  takes  rebels,  sinners,  and  out- 
casts, and  with  immense  exertions,  and  with  means  most  wonderful, 
brings  them  back  into  his  family  and  favour.  They  were  before 
created,  and  preserved  :  now  they  are  redeemed,  sanctified,  and 
forgiven.  An  act  of  creative  power  was  before  exerted,  to  bring 
them  into  being ;  and  of  preserving  power,  to  continue  them  in 
being;  but  now  Christ  has  been  made  man ;  has  lived,  suffered, 
and  died;  has  descended  into  the  grave ;  risen  again;  sat  down 
at  the  right  hand  of  God ;  and  begun  an  eternal  intercession ;  that 
they  may  be  restored  to  the  character  of  children,  and  to  the  bless- 


SER.  LXXXII]  ADOPTION.  511 

ings  which  flow  from  infinite  love.  The  Spirit  of  God  has,  also, 
with  infinite  condescension,  patience,  and  kindness,  sanctified,  en- 
lightened, quickened,  and  purified,  them  unto  the  end.  The 
Father  of  Spirits  has  formed,  and  completed,  a  new  dispensation  in 
the  Universe,  a  dispensation  of  grace  and  forgiveness,  for  their 
sakes ;  has  forgiven  and  justified  them ;  and  re-admitted  them  to 
his  kingdom  and  everlasting  love.  These  are  all  new,  great,  and 
glorious  things  ;  things,  which  have  been  done  for  no  other. 

Correspondent  with  the  degree  of  that,  which  is  done,  or  suffer- 
ed, by  any  Intelligent  being  for  any  other,  is  their  mutual  love. 
He,  for  whom  most  is  done,  and  to  whom  most  is  forgiven,  will 
naturally  love  the  most.  This  is  direcdy  taught  by  Christ  in  his 
parable  of  the  two  debtors,  recorded  Luke  vii.  40. :  And  Jesus, 
answering^  said  unto  him,  Simon,  I  have  somewhat  to  say  unto  thee  ; 
and  he  said,  Master,  say  on.  There  was  a  certain  creditor,  who  had 
two  debtors :  the  one  owed  fve  hundred  pence  ;  the  other,  fifty. 
And  when  they  had  nothing  to  pay,  he  frankly  forgave  them  both* 
Tell  me,  therefore,  which  of  them  will  love  him  most  ?  Simon  an- 
swered, and  said,  I  suppose,  he,  to  whom  he  forgave  most.  And  he 
said  unto  him,  Thou  hast  rightly  judged.  In  proportion,  then,  to 
what  has  been  done  for  the  redeemed,  will  be  their  love,  and  the 
cause  of  it  also,  throughout  eternity. 

On  the  other  hand,  he,  who  does,  or  suffers,  much  for  others, 
loves  them,  also,  in  proportion  to  what  he  has  done  and  suffered. 
This  truth  is  abundantly  evident  in  all  human  concerns.  A  father 
loves  his  child,  when  sick,  and  distressed,  and  needing  much  at  his 
hands,  more  tenderly,  than  those  of  his  children,  who  are  healthy 
and  prosperous.  A  friend,  in  the  like  circumstances,  loves  his 
friend  more  than  before  ;  and  a  patriot  his  country. 

The  same  doctrine  is  also  taught  by  Christ,  in  the  parables  of  the 
ten  pieces  of  silver,  and  the  hundred  Sheep ;  and  is  appealed  to  by 
St.  Paid  in  that  memorable  passage  :  He  that  spared  not  his  own 
Son,  but  delivered  him  up  for  us  all,  how  shall  he  not,  with  him,  also 
freely  give  us  all  things  ?  But  God  has  done  more,  Christ  has  suf- 
fered more,  for  the  Redeemed,  than  has  been  done,  or  suffered,  for 
any  others.  Of  course  they  are  loved  more,  in  proportion  to  their 
importance  in  the  Universe,  than  any  others.  For  this,  as  one  rea- 
son, there  is  joy  in  heaven  over  one  sinner  that  repenteth,  more  than 
over  ninety  and  nine  just  persons,  who  need  no  repentance.  The 
fact,  that  they  have  been  once  lost,  and  have  been  found  again ; 
that  they  have  been  once  dead,  and  live  anew ;  and  that  their  res- 
toration has  been  accomplished  by  so  much  exertion  and  suffering; 
will  render  this  event  an  object  of  peculiar  interest,  and  them  ob- 
jects of  peculiar  tenderness,  throughout  eternity. 

Thus  the  Redeemed  are  brought  into  a  near  relation  to  God  J 
nearer  than  that  of  mere  Intelligent  creatures,  in  proportion  to  the 
greatness  of  the  things,  which  have  been  done,  and  suffered,  to 
bring  it  into  being. 


512  ADOPTION.  [SER.  LXXXII. 

3dly.   This  relation  is  eternal. 

Those,  who  are  once  redeemed,  sustain  this  character  for  ever. 
The  song,  which  ascribes  blessing,  and  honour,  and  glory,  to  the 
Lamb  who  was  slain,  and  who  hath  redeemed  vs  to  God  by  his  blood, 
is  begun  in  the  present  world,  and  continued  throughout  all  its  suc- 
cessive ages.  But  it  does  not  terminate  here.  It  is  renewed  in 
heaven ;  and  will  be  continued  throughout  its  everlasting  duration. 
In  that  happy  world,  they  will  be  joint  heirs  with  Christ  to  the  in- 
heritance, which  is  imdfjiled,  and  fadeth  not  away.  There  they 
will  behold  his  glory,  even  the  glory  which  he  had  with  the  Father 
before  ever  the  world  was.  Throughout  their  interminable  existence 
they  will  ever  sustain  the  peculiar  character  of  Redeemed  crea- 
tures ;  will  be  regarded  by  God,  and  the  virtuous  universe,  as  the 
trophies  of  Christ's  Mediation,  as  monuments  of  forgiving  and  sanc- 
tifying Love.  In  this  character  they  will  regard  themselves;  and 
will  feel  its  import  with  a  gratitude,  suited  to  the  greatness  of  the 
blessings,  which  they  have  received. 

It  is  this  consideration,  which  stamps  the  peculiar  value  on  the 
relation  in  question.  All  that  is  temporary  and  perishable  is,  in  its 
nature,  comparatively  of  little  impoitance.  Time,  necessarily 
fading  in  itself,  imparts  its  own  character  to  every  thing  under  its 
dominion.  The  remembrance,  that  an  enjoyment  will  come  to  an 
end,  embitters  it,  even  while  it  is  in  possession ;  and  after  a  period, 
which  must  soon  arrive,  it  will  be  destroyed  for  ever.  No  posses- 
sion therefore,  ought  ever  to  engage  the  ardent  attachment  of  an 
immortal  mind,  unless  made  sure  by  the  seal  of  eternity. 

4thly.  This  relation  will  become  more  and  more  interesting  for 
ever. 

The  mind,  which  is  received  into  heaven  through  the  mediation 
of  the  Redeemer,  will  more  and  more  understand  the  nature  of  the 
blessings,  to  which  it  has  been  admitted.  From  the  sufferings  of 
those  who  are  lost,  it  vi'xW  learn  the  greatness  of  the  evils  from 
which  itself  has  been  delivered  ;  and,  from  their  obstinate  continu- 
ance in  sin,  the  hopeless  nature  of  its  own  former  state,  had  it  not 
been  for  the  atonement  of  Christ,  and  the  sanctifying  agency  of  the 
Holy  Spirit.  In  the  happiness  of  heaven  it  will  see,  and  feel,  the 
vastness,  and  multitude,  of  the  enjoyments  to  which  it  has  been  in- 
troduced;  and  in  the  perfection  and  loveliness  of  itself,  and  of  all 
its  companions,  the  transcendent  excellence  of  that  character, 
which  was  mercifully  begun  in  it  here,  to  be  improved  for  ever.  In 
proportion  as  its  views  of  these  subjects  expand,  it  will  discern, 
more  and  more  clearly,  the  importance  of  those  wonderful  things, 
which  have  been  done  to  deliver  it  from  endless  sin  and  misery,  and 
to  instate  it  in  endless  virtue  and  happiness  In  this  manner  it  will 
advance  continually,  together  with  all  glorified  saints,  towards  the 
comprehension  of  what  is  the  breadth,  and  length,  and  depth,  and 
heighth  ;  nnrf  will  more  and  more  know  the  love  of  Christ  which 
passeth  knoroledge.     As  the  sense  of  these  divine  subjects  increases 


SER.  LXXXII.]  ADOPTION  513 

in  the  heart,  its  admiration,  complacency,  and  gratitude,  will  rise 
continually  higher;  its  beauty  and  amiableness  daily  increase; 
and  itself  become  daily  a  more  delightful  object  of  the  divine  ap- 
probation. 

IV.  The  Consequences  of  Adoption  are  great  and  desirable. 
I  have  observed  above,  that  the  relation,  produced  by  this  event, 
is  real.  Every  real  relation  involves  real  rights  and  obligations; 
duties  to  be  performed  on  our  part ;  and  on  the  part  of  God,  bless- 
ings, to  the  communication  which  he  has  been  pleased  to  oblige 
himself  by  his  own  gracious  promises.  The  relation,  introduced 
into  existence  by  the  act  of  Adoption  between  him  and  his  re- 
deemed children,  involves  in  its  consequences  a  long  train  of  rights 
and  obligations,  duties  and  blessings.  Of  these  a  few  only  can  be 
mentioned  at  the  present  time  ;  and  even  these  must  be  mentioned 
in  a  summary  manner. 

The  consequences  of  Adoption  respect  either  the  present  world, 
or  the  world  to  come. 

In  the  present  world,  God 
1st.  Provides  Sustenance  for  his  children. 
God  provides  for  the  wants  of  all  creatures ;  not  only  for  man- 
kind, but  for  animals.  The  young  lio?is  seek  their  meat  from  God, 
and  he  satisfeth  the  young  ravens^  when  they  cry.  But  the  provi- 
sion which  he  makes  for  the  wants  of  his  Children,  is  distinguish- 
ed from  that  which  he  makes  for  others,  by  this  important  consider- 
ation :  that  it  is  exactly  that  which  is  best  for  them.  In  kind,  in 
degree,  in  manner,  it  is  just  such  as  most  promotes  their  real  wel- 
fare. Were  any  difference  to  exist  in  their  circumstances  ;  had 
they  more,  or  had  they  less ;  or  were  their  supplies  to  be  varied 
in  any  other  manner;  or  were  their  situation,  in  this  respect,  to  be 
at  all  different  from  what  it  actually  is  ;  their  true  interest  would  be 
less  perfectly  consulted.  All  things,  in  this  respect,  work  together 
for  the  good  of  them  that  love  God ;  and  they  that  seek  the  Lord  do 
not  want  any  good  thing. 

The  provision  made  for  them,  differs  also  from  that  made  for 
their  fellow-men,  in  another  important  particular.  They  are  as- 
sured by  his  promise,  that  this  provision  zvill  always  be  made  for 
them,  while  they  live.  They  have,  therefore,  an  indefeasible  right 
to  expect  all  the  blessings  of  this  nature,  which  they  need ;  a  right 
founded  on  the  unchangeable  covenant  of  grace;  on  the  truth  of 
God,  rvhich  is  as  the  great  mountains,  stedfast  and  immoveable  ;  and 
on  his  promises,  which  endure  for  ever.  Every  one  of  them  may 
therefore,  say  with  David,  The  Lord  is  my  Shepherd:  I  shall  not 
mant.  Surely  goodness  and  mercy  shall  follow  me  all  the  days  of 
my  life. 

Finally ;  there  is  yet  another  difference  between  the  provision, 
made  for  their  wants,  and  that  made  for  others ;  viz.  that  the  good 
furnished  to  them  is  a  series,  not  of  enjoyments  merely,  but  of  bless- 
ings.  As  such,  they  are  not  only  permitted,  but  required,  to  regard 
Vol.  II.  65 


jl4  ADOPTION.  [SER.  LXXXII 

them.  They  may,  therefore,  without  fear  or  danger,  partake  of 
them  as  such ;  and  relish  entirely  whatever  comfort  they  convey. 
They  are  sweetness  without  a  sting;  fragrance  without  a  thorn, 
planted  beneath  to  einhiitcr  the  enjoyment.  The  pleasure,  which 
they  contain,  is  also  enhanced  unceasingly  by  the  delightful  emo- 
tion of  gratitude,  with  which  they  are  always  attended. 

2dly.   He  protects  them. 

The  exposure  of  mankind,  from  the  crarile  to  the  grave,  to  evil 
in  an  endless  variety  of  forms,  even  when  the  danger  is  wholly  un- 
seen and  unimagined,  has  ever  been  the  favourite  topic  of  the  mor- 
alist, and  a  standing  dictate  of  all  human  experience.  Every  day 
instructs  us,  that  against  this  exposure  no  human  foresight  can  ef- 
fectually provide.  Except  the  Lord  keep  the  city,  the  most  diligent 
watchman  tvaketh  in  vain.  But  he  that  keepeth  Israel  shall  neither 
slumber  nor  sleep.  Of  his  children  the  Lord  is  the  keeper.  The 
Lord  is  their  shade  upon  their  right  hand.  The  sun  shall  not  smite 
them  hy  day,  nor  the  moon  by  night ;  the  Lord  shall  preserve  them 
from  all  evil  ^  he  shhll  preserve  their  souls.  The  Lord  shall  pre- 
serve their  going  out,  and  their  coming  in,  from  this  time  forth  and 
even  for  evermore.  Therefore,  when  they  pass  through  the  waters, 
he  toill  be  with  them,  and  through  the  rivers,  they  shall  not  overflow 
them:  when  they  zoalk  through  the  fire,  they  shall  not  be  burnt  f 
neither  shall  the  f,ame  kindle  upon  them.  In  all  the  situations  of 
life,  his  eye  is  upon  them  for  good.  They  mdiy  fall,  indeed,  because 
it  is  necessary,  because  it  is  best,  for  them ;  yet  they  shall  rise 
again,  and  shall  not  be  utterly  cast  down.  At  the  same  time,  means 
of  defence  will  be  provided  for  them,  in  seasons  apparently  hope- 
less, and  in  ways  utterly  unexpected.  Enemies  are  restrained  ; 
evils  averted  ;  dangers  dissipated ;  friends  raised  up;  the  course 
of  Provilencc  changed  ;  and  thus,  even  when  they  are  encompass- 
edtoith  the  terrors  of  death,  and  the  snares  of  hell,  God  is  their  fort- 
ress,  their  high  tower,  the  Rock  of  their  Salvation. 

3dly.   He  Instructs  them. 

This  work  he  accomplishes  by  his  providence,  by  his  word,  by 
his  ordinances,  by  his  miniiiterb,  by  the  life  and  conversation  of 
Christians,  by  the  divine  example  of  his  Son,  and  by  the  peculiar 
communications  of  his  Spirit.  In  all  these  ways.  He  furnishes 
them  with  whatever  knowledge,  and  whatever  useful  impressions, 
they  nef'd  to  receive;  and  trains  them  up  as  children,  in  the  effect- 
ual preparation  for  the  perfect  stateof  manhood,  to  which  they  will 
arrive  in  his  heavenly  kingdom. 

This,  however,  is  the  peculiar  office  of  the  Spirit  of  truth.  As 
he  originally  revealed  the  truth  of  God  concerning  our  salvation; 
so,  throughout  their  earthly  pilgrimage,  he  discloses  to  the  children 
of  God  the  divine  import  of  his  own  instructions,  and  gives  them 
eyes  to  see,  ears  to  hear,  and  hearts  to  understand  and  obey,  his 
own  glorious  precepts.  He  teaches  them  the  true,  Evangelical 
use  of  religious  ordinances,  of  trials,  of  afflictions,  and  of  blessings : 


SER  LXXXII.]  ADOPTION.  515 

dissolves  their  doubts ;  removes  their  perplexities ;  shows  them 
the  path  of  life ;  takes  them  by  the  hand,  and  guides  them  through 
the  mazes  of  this  earthly  wilderness  to  the  heavenly  Canaan.  All 
those,  who  are  the  Sons  of  God,  are,  as  St.  Paul  teaches  us,  led  by 
the  Spirit  of  God.  By  him  they  are  kept  from  all  fatal  ignorance, 
and  from  every  ruinous  error. 

4thly.   He  corrects  them. 

Of  this  necessary  and  benevolent  parental  office  St.  Paul  gives 
us  a  detailed  account  in  the  twelfth  chapter  of  the  Epistle  to  the 
Hebrews.  My  son,  despise  not  thou  the  chastening  of  the  Lord,  nor 
faint  when  thou  art  rebuked  of  him  ^  for  whom  the  Lord  loveth  he 
chasteneth,  and  scourgeth  every  son  rvhom  he  receiveth.  If  ye  endure 
chastening,  God  dealeth  with  you  as  with  sons  ;  for  what  son  is  he, 
whom  the  father  chasteneth  not  1'  But  if  ye  be  without  chastisement, 
whereof  all  are  partakers,  then  are  ye  bastards,  and  not  sons.  Fur- 
thermore, Tve  have  had  fathers  of  our  flesh,  who  corrected  us, and  loe 
gave  them  reverence.  Shall  we  not  much  rather  be  in  subjection  to 
the  Father  of  Spirits,  and  live?  For  they,  verily,  for  a  few  days 
chastened  us  after  their  awn  pleasure  ;  but  he  for  our  prof  t,  that  we 
might  be  partakers  of  his  holiness.  Jiow  no  chastening  seemethfor 
the  present  to  be  joyous,  but  grievous  j  nevertheless,  afterzvard  it 
yieldeth  the  peaceable  fruit  of  righteousness  unto  them  who  are  ex- 
ercised thereby. 

In  the  account,  here  given  by  the  Apostle,  concerning  the  correc- 
tion of  such  as  are  adopted,  summary  as  it  is,  we  have  a  complete 
view  of  all  that  is  most  interesting  in  this  subject.  We  are  taught 
particularly,  that  correction  is  a  distinctive  privilege  of  God's  chil- 
dren ;  that  those  who  are  not  corrected,  are  not  his  children  ;  that 
we  are  always  corrected  with  an  intention  to  do  us  good,  and  not 
arbitrarily,  nor  wantonly ;  that  for  this  reason,  as  well  as  on  ac- 
count of  the  prerogatives  and  perfections  of  God,  we  are  bound  to 
receive  our  corrections  with  reverence,  submission,  patience,  and 
fortitude  ;  that  the  end  for  which  we  are  corrected  is,  that  we  may 
be  made  partakers  of  his  holiness,  and  live ;  and  that,  if  we  receive 
our  corrections  in  this  manner,  they  will  yield  us  the  peaceable  fruits 
of  righteousness,  and  thus  terminate  in  our  immortal  life. 

The  corrections,  which  God  administers  to  his  children,  are  ad- 
ministered in  the  reproofs,  alarms,  and  threaten! ngs,  of  his  word 
and  ordinances,  and  the  chastisement  of  his  providence  ;  and  gen- 
erally in  all  their  distresses.  By  these  they  are  checked  in  their 
downward  progress  of  sense  and  sin  ;  warned  of  approaching  dan- 
ger ;  quickened  to  more  vigorous  efforts  in  their  duty ;  weaned  from 
the  world;  and  by  degrees  prepared  for  heaven. 

5thly.  In  the  future  world,  He  provides  for  them  a  glorious  In- 
heritance. 

Affectionate  parents,  in  the  present  world,  not  only  prepare 
their  children  to  live  usefully,  by  giving  them  a  proper  education, 
but  to  live  comfortably,  by  furnishing  them,  when  it  is  in  their 


516  ADOPTION.  [SER.  LXXXII. 

power,  with  sufficient  means  of  subsistence.  God,  in  the  same 
manner,  takes  a  parental  care  of  his  own  children,  and  provides  the 
means  of  enabling  them  to  live  happily  for  ever.  To  this  end,  he 
renders  them  perfectly  holy;  and  thus  furnishes  them  with  dispo- 
sitions, in  possession  of  which  they  can  live  happily  ;  dispositions, 
which  prepare  them  to  be  useful,  amiable,  honourable  5  esteemed, 
and  loved  by  all  wise  and  good  beings;  particularly  by  himself; 
dispositions,  which  ensure  them  peace  of  mind,  self-approbation, 
and  the  consciousness  of  being  excellent  and  lovely.  To  a  mind 
thus  purified  and  exalted,  he  unites  a  body,  spiritual,  incorruptible, 
glorious,  and  immortal ;  the  proper  tenement  of  so  noble  an  inhab- 
itant. Thus  formed,  and  perfected,  he  removes  them  to  his  hea- 
venly kingdom,  and  there  places  them  in  circumstances,  and  amid 
companions,  of  such  a  nature,  as  to  enable  them  to  improve  in 
knowledge,  excellence,  honour,  and  happiness,  for  ever. 


SERMON  LXXXIII. 

CONSEQUENCES    OF    REGENERATION. SANCTIFICATION. 

1  Thessalonians  v.  23. — And  the  very  God  of  peace  sanctify  you  wholly. 

Having  considered,  in  the  preceding  discourse,  the  J^ature, 
Reality,  Importance,  and  Consequences  of  Adoption,  I  shall  now  pro- 
ceed to  the  next  subject  of  inquiry,  in  a  theological  system ;  viz. 
Sanctijication.  That  this  is  a  consequence  of  Regeneration  is  too 
obvious  to  every  one,  who  reads  his  I3ible,  to  be  questioned. 

The  word  Sanctify,  used  in  the  text,  and  elsewhere  in  the  Scrip- 
tures abundantly,  is  employed  to  denote  two  things,  which  are 
commonly  and  properly,  made  distinct  objects  of  consideration  in 
Moral  science  :  the  Act  of  Regenerating  man,  or  making  him  holy 
in  the  first  instance;  and  the  Combination  of  all  successive  Acts,  of 
a  similar  nature,  by  which  man  is  improved  in  holiness  through  life. 
It  is  scarcely  necessary  to  be  observed,  that  the  latter  of  these 
subjects  will  now  be  the  theme  of  investigation. 

The  text  is  a  prayer  of  St.  Paul,  for  the  Sanctification  of  the 
Thessalonian  Christians.  As  he  prays,  that  they  may  be  wholly 
sanctified;  it  is  evident,  that  they  were  sanctified  in  part  only,  at 
their  Regeneration;  and  at  the  time  also,  in  which  this  prayer  was 
uttered.  It  is  further  evident,  that  they  were  to  be  sanctified  in  a 
still  greater  degree;  because  this  event  is  prayed  for  by  the  Apostle, 
under  the  inspiration  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  The  reality  of  this  work 
is,  thus,  completely  evident  from  the  text;  and  is  indeed  so  gen- 
erally acknowledged  by  Christians,  that  it  would  be  superfluous 
to  attempt  a  proof  of  it,  at  the  present  time.  I  shall,  therefore, 
proceed  directly  to  the  consideration  of  this  subject  under  the  fol- 
lowing heads : 

I.  The  Agent ; 

II.  The  Instruments  ;  and, 

III.  The  Process  j  of  Sanctification. 

I.   The  Agent  in  our  sanctification  is  the  Spirit  of  God. 

This  truth  is  amply  declared  in  the  Scriptures.  God  hath  from 
the  beginning  chosen  you  to  salvation,  through  the  sanctification  of 
the  Spirit.  2  Thess.  ii.  13.  Elect,  says  St.  Peter,  according  to  the 
foreknowledge  of  God  the  Father,  through  the  sanctification  of  the 
Spirit  unto  obedience.  1  Pet.  i.  2.  But  ye  are  washed,  but  ye  are 
sanctified,  but  ye  are  justified,  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  and  by 
the  Spirit  of  our  God.  1  Cor,  vi.  14. 


518 


SANCTIFICATION.  [SER.  LXXXUI. 


The  most  extensive  and  complete  account,  however,  which  is 
given  us  of  this  subject  in  the  Scriptures,  is  contained  in  the  eighth 
chapter  of  the  Epistle  to  the  Romans.  Here  Christians  are  said 
710/  to  walk  after  the  fleshy  but  after  the  Spirit :  to  be  under  the  law 
of  the  Spirit  of  life:  to  be  after  the  Spirit :  to  mind  the  things  of  the 
Spirit :  to  be  spiritually  minded  ;  and  thus  to  possess  life  and  peace  : 
to  have  the  Spirit  dwelling  in  them:  to  be  led  by  the  Spirit ;  which 
to  them  becomes  the  Spirit  of  adoption  ;  that  is,  the  Spirit  by  which 
they  are  children  of  God,  and  cry  unto  him  Abba,  Father :  to  have  the 
witness  of  the  Spirit:  to  have  the  first  fruits  of  the  Spirit:  to  have 
the  assistance  of  the  Spirit  in  their  prayers  :  and,  universally,  to 
be  under  his  guidance,  and  influence,  through  the  whole  Christian 
life. 

The  same  agency  indeed,  like  that  which  was  exerted  in  the 
creation  of  the  world,  and  like  the  divine  agency  generally  consid- 
ered, is  attributed  to  the  Godhead  universally ;  to  the  Father ;  and 
to  the  Son.  The  text  is  an  example  of  the  first  of  these  forms  of 
ascription.  The  very  God  of  peace  sanctify  you  wholly  !  Of  the 
second  we  have  an  instance  in  the  beginning  of  the  Epistle  of  S/. 
Jude.  Jude,  the  servant  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  brother  of  James,  to 
them  that  are  sanctified  by  God  the  Father,  and  preserved  in  Jesus 
Christ,  and  called.  Of  the  last  of  these  forms  of  ascription  we 
have  a  specimen  in  1  Cor.  i.  30,  Jesus  Christ,  who  unto  us,  of  God, 
is  become  wisdom,  righteousness,  and  sanctification,  and  redemption  : 
and  another  in  Heb.  ii.  11,  For  both  he  that  sanctifieth,  and  they 
who  are  sanctified,  are  all  of  one  :  wherefore  he  is  not  ashamed  to  call 
them  brethren. 

The  reason,  why  this  work  is  thus  differently  ascribed,  is,  that  it 
is  considered  in  these  canonical  discourses,  in  different  manners, 
and  with  relation  to  different  objects. 

By  the  Father  we  are  sanctified,  as  we  are  chosen  by  him  unto 
sanctification,  as  by  his  good  pleasure,  and  free  grace,  the  atone- 
ment of  Christ,  and  the  sanctifying  agency  of  the  Spirit,  exist.  By 
the  Son  we  arc  sanctified,  as  his  death  is  the  only  means  by  which 
we  ever  become  holy :  and  by  which  the  Spirit  came  into  the  world, 
for  the  benevolent  purpose  of  making  us  holy.  By  the  Spirit  we  are 
sanctified,  as  the  immediate  Agent  in  applying  to  us  the  blessings 
of  Christ's  Redemption ;  particularly  in  renewing,  and  purifying, 
our  hearts  and  lives. 

Thus,  although  this  work  is  immediately  performed  by  the  Spirit, 
as  the  proper  Agent ;  yet  we  are  truly,  though  more  remotely,  said 
to  be  sanctified  by  the  Father,  by  the  Son,  and  by  the  Godhead 
universally  considered. 

The  manner  in  which  this  work  is  performed  in  the  mind  of  man, 
must,  like  other  questions  concerning  the  Agency  of  Intelligent  be- 
ings, remain  in  a  great  measure  concealed  from  such  minds  as  ours. 
My  observations  concerning  it  will,  therefore,  be  very  few.  In 
my  own  view,  the  work  of  sanctification,  so  far  as  the  Agent  is 


SER.  LXXXIII]  SANCTIFCATION.  519 

concerned,  is  no  other,  than  a  repetition  of  the  same  agency,  by 
which  we  are  regenerated.  Otir  regeneration^  according  to  my 
own  apprehensions,  is  accomplished^  as  I  mentioned  at  large  in  a 
former  discourse,  by  the  communication  to  our  minds  of  a  new  rel- 
ish for  divine  things.  Our  Sa?ictif  cation,  as  distinguished  from 
it,  consists,  supremely,  in  enhancing  this  relish  ;  in  rendering  it 
more  intense,  more  uniform,  more  vigorous,  and  universally  more 
operative.  The  communication  of  this  rehsh^  or  disposition,  makes 
us  holy  at  first  ;  or  in  our  regeneration.  Subsequent  communica- 
tions, of  the  same  nature,  render  us  more  and  more  holy  after- 
wards. As  the  effect,  in  both  cases,  is  the  same ;  it  cannot  be 
reasonably  doubted,  that  the  cause  is  the  same  ;  nor  that  it  operates 
in  the  same  manner.  If  this  disposition  is,  in  the  mind,  the  source 
of  holy  volitions,  and  virtuous  conduct;  the  stronger,  the  more 
prevalent,  it  is  at  any  succeeding  period,  the  more  virtuous  will  be 
the  life. 

II.  The  Instruments  of  our  Sanctifcation  are  generally  the  Word 
and  Providence  cf  God. 

The  Word  of  God  \s  the  means  of  our  sanctification  in  all  cases, 
in  which  it  contributes  to  render  us  better ;  whether  it  be  read, 
heard,  or  remembered  ;  whether  it  be  pondered  with  love,  rever- 
ence, wonder,  and  delight,  or  whether,  with  similar  affections,  it  be 
faithfully  obeyed  ;  whether  its  instructions  and  impressions  be  com- 
municated to  us  directly,  or  through  the  medium  of  divine  ordi- 
nances, or  the  conversation,  or  the  communion,  or  the  example,  of 
our  fellow-christians.  In  all  these  cases,  the  thing  which  is  seen, 
which  is  illustrated,  which  is  exemplified,  which  is  in  any  manner 
brought  home  to  the  heart,  and  thus  rendered  the  means  of  improv- 
ing us  in  virtue,  is  no  other  than  the  Word  of  God ;  however  nu- 
merous, or  however  diversified,  the  modes  are,  in  which  it  is  pre- 
sented to  the  mind. 

As  the  Word  of  God  is  loved  by  a  regenerated  mind  ;  it  is  easily 
discernible,  that  its  influence  on  such  a  mind  will  be  very  different 
from  that,  which  existed  in  the  preceding  state,  commonly  termed 
the  state  of  nature. 

Particularly,  the  Scriptures  will  be  more  frequently  and  exten- 
sively read.  A  book,  which  we  love,  is  often  taken  up ;  is  often 
perused,  and  dwelt  upon,  with  pleasure.  Such  a  book,  therefore, 
will  be  much  more  thoroughly  studied,  and  extensively  under- 
stood, than  one  which  is  disrelished.  It  is,  also,  now  more  highly 
reverenced ;  and  for  this  reason,  will  be  more  read,  and  better 
known. 

Its  instructions  and  precepts,  at  the  same  time,  coincide  with  the 
great  scheme  of  moral  conduct,  formed  by  the  mind ;  as  its  only 
general  directory  ;  harmonizing  with  its  views,  affections,  aims,  and 
determinations.  They  are,  therefore,  welcomed  as  means  of 
light ;  as  objects  of  complacency  ;  as  sanctions  of  favourite  de- 


520  SANCTIFICATION.  [SER.  LXXXIIL 

signs  ;    and  as  guides,  aids,  and   motives,  to  a  life,   chosen  and 
loved. 

The  Scriptures  are  also  regarded  by  such  a  mind,  as  being,  in  a 
proper  sense,  the  Word  of  God  \  of  Him,  by  whom  itself  was  cre- 
ated ;  under  whose  law  and  government  it  is  placed  ;  to  whom  all 
its  duty  is  originally  owed  ;  and  to  whom  it  is,  of  course,  answera- 
ble for  all  its  conduct.  Thus  considered,  the  Scriptures  appear, 
to  such  a  mind,  invested  with  Infinite  authority,  conveying  supreme 
obligation,  and  rightfully  controlling  the  heart,  and  the  life.  With 
an  efficacy,  still  more  peculiar,  are  they  regarded  as  the  Word  of 
the  Father,  the  Redeemer,  and  the  Sanctifier,  of  man  :  as  the  Word 
of  a  forgiving  God  ;  of  a  Redeemer,  dying  for  its  own  sins ;  of 
that  infinitely  Benevolent  Spirit,  who  is  its  own  Sanctifier.  Un- 
der these  titles,  the  most  venerable,  and  the  most  endearing, 
which  the  universe  has  ever  known,  God  speaks  in  his  Word  to 
every  Christian  with  a  power,  which  nothing  can  equal,  with  a 
tenderness  and  endearment,  to  w'hich  there  is  no  parallel.  What- 
ever he  utters,  is  not  the  prescription  of  a  perfect  Creator  and 
Lawgiver  only ;  but  the  counsel  and  pleasure,  also,  of  a  Father, 
and  an  everlasting  Friend:  infinitely  the  most  faithful  and  useful  of 
all  friends-,  infinitely  the  most  venerable  and  affectionate  of  all  pa- 
rents. From  such  a  Source  what  counsel,  what  command,  what 
persuasion,  will  not  completely  influence,  and  control,  the  heart  of 
filial  piety  ? 

Finally  ;  the  Scriptures  are  regarded  by  such  a  mind,  as  contain- 
ing  all  things  necessary  to  life,  and  to  godliness.  The  precepts 
are  an  ample  summary  of  all  the  directions  necessary  for  our 
practice ;  the  ordinances,  for  our  worship ;  and  the  instructions, 
for  our  faith,  and  the  prudent  conduct  of  our  religious  life.  The 
mind  resorts  to  them,  therefore,  as  to  a  complete  compend  of  all 
the  directions,  which  it  needs,  or  ever  can  need,  in  the  present 
world.  Every  thing,  which  it  contains,  is  right ;  is  sufficient ;  is 
decisive.  To  every  thing  it  yields,  therefore,  with  implicit  confi- 
dence ;  and,  whatever  may  be  the  rules  which  it  finds  here,  is  sat- 
isfied, and  safe. 

The  Providence  of  God  becomes  the  means  of  our  sanctification 
in  all  the  ways,  in  which  it  makes  solemn  and  religious  impressions 
on  the  mind.  The  great,  majestic,  and  awful  events,  which  take 
place  in  the  creation  around  us,  excite  strongly  admiration  and 
reverence  towards  that  glorious  Being,  who  holds  the  universe  in  his 
hands,  and  controls  all  its  beings  and  events  wiih  such  amazing 
power  and  wisdom.  The  order  and  harmony,  with  which  all  things 
move  to  their  proper  ends  ;  the  succession  of  summer  and  winter, 
seed-time  and  harvest  ;  and  the  terrible  things,  which  God  does  in 
righteousness,  when  his  judgments  are  abroad  in  the  earth;  awaken 
in  the  soul  of  the  Christian  most  atlecting  views  of  the  divine  gov- 
ernment; of  its  vastness,  its  comprehensiveness  5  its  astonishing 
grandeur ;  and  its  unvarying  opposition  to  iniquity. 


SER.  LXXXIII.J  SANCTIFICATION.  ^| 

The  dispensations  of  God  to  his  Church  are  a  most  impressive 
source  of  rehgious  thoughts,  and  affections,  to  the  Christian.  These 
are  all  dispensations,  involving  the  peculiar  interests  of  his  own 
brethren  ;  his  chosen  friends ;  with  whom  he  ever  weeps,  when 
they  weep  /  and  rejoices^  when  they  rejoice.  These  display  also,  in 
a  manner  wholly  peculiar,  and,  although  often  obscure,  mysterious, 
and  even  perplexing,  yet,  if  it  be  not  his  own  fault,  always  inter- 
esting and  profitable,  the  most  venerable  and  endearing  attributes 
of  his  heavenly  Father.  Every  Christian  will  easily  recollect, 
that,  in  the  history  of  God's  Providence  towards  the  disciples  oi 
Christ,  in  their  suiferings  and  deliverances,  their  exposure  and 
protection,  the  communications  made  to  them  of  grace,  mercy,  and 
peace,  their  consequent  exemplary  faith,  their  hope  and  joy,  their 
victory  and  triumph,  their  edifying  life  and  their  peaceful  death,  he 
has  found  means  of  improvement,  alway  touching  his  heart,  and 
contributing  in  an  eminent  degree  to  amend  his  life.  Here  he  has 
found  his  doubts  and  fears,  his  stupidity  and  sloth,  his  murmurings 
and  backslidings,  most  efficaciously  improved  5  his  faith  and  forti- 
tude, his  reverence  and  submission,  his  hope,  and  love,  and  joy, 
unusually  strengthened.  From  accounts  of  these  things  he  has 
risen  to  more  fervent  prayers,  more  ardent  praises,  more  vigorous 
resolutions,  and  more  faithful  obedience.  What  is  true  of  these 
things,  existing  in  other  times,  and  other  countries,  is  equally  true 
of  the  same  things,  as  they  respect  the  Christians  around  him. 
Here  the  events  are  brought  before  his  eyes;  and  are  presented 
to  him  with  the  force,  possessed  only  by  the  immediate  objects  of 
sense.  The  truth,  here,  may  be  no  more  satisfactorily  exhibited  ; 
but  the  impression,  made  by  it,  is  necessarily  enhanced.  A  deeper 
interest  is,  therefore,  naturally  felt;  more  lasting  traces  are  im- 
pressed on  the  memory ;  and  a  more  powerful  inlluence  is  diffused 
over  the  life.  All  the  happy  effects,  derived  from  the  preceding 
source,  flow,  therefore,  from  this  with  a  more  intense  and  control- 
ling efficacy. 

But,  above  all,  the  dispensations  of  God  to  himself,  and  to  his 
family,  are  the  most  strongly  realized,  and  most  regularly  directed 
to  his  own  spiritual  improvement,  by  the  renewed  man.  These 
are  all  more  perfectly  understood;  come  more  immediately  to  the 
heart;  and  operate  with  a  more  commanding  influence  on  the  life. 
In  these  he  is  taught  by  the  finger  of  God,  as  a  child  trained  to  his 
service,  and  fitted  by  degrees  for  eternal  glory.  Whoso  is  wise, 
and  will  observe  these  things,  even  they  shall  understand  the  loving 
kindness  of  the  Lord. 

It  will  be  remembered,  that  to  both  these  sources  of  improve- 
ment in  the  divine  life,  the  heart  of  the  Christian  is  opened  by  thp 
disposition,  which  he  receives  in  Regeneration.  It  will  be  remem- 
bered, that  he  regards  them  all  with  a  taste,  a  relish,  congenial  to 
them  ;  that  he  beholds  them  with  enlightened  eyes  ;  that  he  ap,- 
plies  himself  to  them  with  unceasing  diligence ;  that  he  considers 

Vol.  it.  66 


522  SAJSCTIFICATION.  [9ER.  LXXXIU. 

this  application  to  them  as  his  indispensable  duty,  and  his  pre- 
eminent interest.  All  of  them,  therefore,  operate  upon  his  under- 
standing, affections,  and  life,  in  a  manner  unknown  by  other  men : 
and,  where  sinners  would  experience  nothing  but  dulness,  distrust, 
murmuring,  and  opposition,  he  cannot  fail  to  find,  for  these  rea- 
sons, the  most  efficacious  means  of  rendering  him  wiser,  and  bet- 
ter, and  happier. 

III.  The  Process  of  Sanctijication  may  be  summarily  exhibited  in 
the  following  manner. 

1st.  It  is  progressive  through  life. 

The  first  sanctifying  act  of  the  Spirit  of  God  is  employed  in 
regenerating  the  soul.  Succeeding  acts,  of  the  same  nature,  are 
employed  in  purifying  it,  through  all  the  successive  periods  of  life. 
All  these  acts  are,  1  apprehend,  of  exactly  the  same  nature ;  and 
differ  from  each  other  in  no  other  respect,  except  that  the  regene- 
rating act  is  first,  and  the  sanctifying  acts,  as  they  are  termed,  are 
successive  to  it.  All,  united,  constitute  that,  which  in  the  Scrip- 
tures, and  often  in  the  common  use  of  language,  is  called  the  Work 
of  Sanctif  cation.  But  as  there  is  frequent  occasion  to  distinguish 
the  first  act  from  the  others,  we  customarily  term  this  the  renewing, 
or  regenerating,  act  ;  and  sometimes  Regeneration,  and  Renovation  ,* 
and  denote  the  succeeding  acts  by  the  words  Sanctifying,  and  Sanc- 
tification.  All,  however,  are,  in  my  view,  exactly  of  the  same 
nature.  The  Agent  is  the  same  :  his  agency  is  the  same  :  and  the 
effects  are  the  same.  The  reason,  why  the  first  act  is  thus  distin- 
guished, is,  that  the  change  from  sin  to  holiness  is  an  event  so 
remarkable,  so  wonderful,  so  new  in  the  Providence  of  God.  The 
future  changes  from  one  degree  of  holiness  to  another,  although 
really  wonderful,  are  less  so;  and  less  contrary  to  rational  hope. 
They  are,  therefore,  grouped  together  in  the  Scriptures,  and  in 
common  language,  under  the  one  general  name  of  Sanctification. 
These  acts,  as  1  have  observed,  continue  through  life.  Under  the 
influence  of  them,  and  with  the  aid  of  those  means,  which  are  ap- 
pointed for  this  purpose  in  the  divine  government,  the  Christian 
grows  in  wisdom,  and  in  grace,  to  the  end. 

To  aim  at  this  progress  is  accordingly  made  the  duty,  and  de- 
scribed as  the  character,  of  a  good  man,  throughout  the  Scriptures. 
This  one  thing  I  do,  saith  St.  Paul,  forgetting  those  things  which 
are  behind,  and  reaching  forth  to  those  things  which  are  before,  I 
press  toward  the  mark,  for  the  prize  of  the  high  calling  of  God  in 
Christ  Jesus.  Phil.  iii.  13.  Beware,  says  St.  Peter,  lest  ye  also, 
being  led  away  with  the  error  of  the  wicked,  fall  from  your  own 
steadfastness.  But  grow  in  grace,  and  in  the  knowledge  of  our 
Lord  and  Saviour,  Jesus  Christ.  2  Pet.  iii.  18.  Besides  this,  says 
the  same  apostle,  giving  all  diligence,  add  to  your  faith,  virtue  j  to 
virtue,  knowledge  j  to  knowledge,  temperance^  to  temperance,  pa- 
tience; to  patience,  godliness  ;  to  godliness,  brotherly  kindness ;  and 


SER.  LXXXIIL]  SANCTIFICATION.  523 

to  brotherly  kindness,  charity, — For,  if  ye  do  these  things,  ye  shall 
never  fall.  2  Pet.  i.  5,  6,  7,  10. 

2dly.   This  process  is  not  uniform. 

By  this  I  intend,  that  it  is  not  the  same  in  manner,  or  degree, 
every  day,  month,  or  year.  In  the  rehgious  Hfe  oi'  St.  Paul,  as  we 
are  informed,  the  law  of  the  members  prevailed  at  times;  and,  at 
times,  the  law  of  the  mind.  In  that  of  David,  and  that  of  Hezekiah., 
as  well  as  that  of  Solomon,  sin,  at  particular  seasons,  appears  evi- 
dently to  have  triumphed  throughout  considerable  periods. 

When  we  remember  the  nature  and  circumstances  of  men,  this 
fact  will  be  far  from  appearing  wonderful.  The  nature  of  man  is 
in  many  respects  various.  From  whatever  cause  it  arises,  our 
views  are  at  times  brighter,  our  vigilance  more  active,  our  resolu- 
tion stronger,  our  temper  more  serene,  and  our  energy  more 
vigorous,  than  at  other  times.  This  is  visible  in  all  that  we  speak, 
or  think,  or  do,  whatever  may  be  the  objects  of  our  attention. 
That  a  state  of  things  in  us,  which  so  materially  affects  ourselves, 
in  our  very  nature,  should  have  an  important  influence  on  our  re- 
ligious interests,  is  to  be  expected  of  course.  The  changes  are 
here  wrought  in  ourselves ;  and  we,  the  persons  thus  changed,  are 
those,  whose  religion  is  concerned.  As  we  are  changed,  therefore, 
the  state  of  our  religion  must,  in  a  greater  or  less  degree,  be 
changed  also.  When  our  minds  are  bright,  and  prepared  to  take 
bright  views  of  any  subject  of  contemplation  ;  their  views  of  Re- 
ligion will  naturally  be  bright.  When  our  affections  are  in  a 
general  state  of  ardour ;  our  love  to  divine  things  will  naturally  be 
vigorous ;  as  well  as  our  hatred  to  sin  and  temptation.  When  our 
resolution  is  generally  firm ;  we  shall  naturally  be  steadfast  and 
immoveable  in  the  work  of  the  Lord.  On  the  contrary,  when  our 
apprehension  is  dull  and  heavy,  our  spirits  low,  and  our  resolution 
timid  and  wavering ;  all  our  efforts  will  be  poor,  feeble,  and  in  a 
great  measure  fruitless.  Our  views  will  be  obscure ;  our  affections 
will  lag ;  and  our  progress  will  either  not  exist  at  all,  or  be  slow, 
heavy,  and  discouraging. 

Sometimes,  also,  we  are  beset  by  more  numerous  and  more  pow- 
erful temptations.  Snares  are  set  for  us  with  greater  art,  and 
secrecy.  Sophistry,  more  plausible  and  seducing,  is  employed  to 
warp  our  principles,  affections,  and  conduct.  Obstacles,  appa- 
rently insurmountable,  block  up  our  way.  Discouragements, 
terrifying,  and  at  seasons  overwhelming,  daunt  our  resolution.  The 
inducements  to  backsliding  come  upon  us  suddenly;  find  us  off  our 
guard ;  and  overpower  us,  before  we  summon  either  our  under- 
standing, or  our  principles,  to  our  aid. 

At  the  same  time,  our  advantages  for  improvement  in  the  Chris- 
tian life  are,  at  some  times,  far  less,  and  less  productive  of  safety  and 
improvement,  than  at  others.  Our  peculiar  and  most  useful  friends, 
those  who  best  understand  our  character,  wants,  and  dangers,  are 
sometimes  removed  from  us  to  such  a  distance,  that  we  cannot  en- 


524  SANCTIFICATION.  [SER.  LXXXII/. 

joy  their  counsels,  reproof,  consolations,  or  example.  We  are 
prevented  from  uniting  with  them  in  the  public  or  private  ordinan- 
ces of  the  Gospel ;  and  are  deprived  of  the  peculiar  blessings  of 
intimate  Crristian  communion. 

At  times  also,  we  are  peculiarly  unfaithful  to  ourselves,  and  to 
God ;  are  loss  watchful ;  less  prayerful ;  less  strenuous  in  our  op- 
position to  temptation,  and  in  the  performance  of  our  duty.  The 
world  lays  stronger  hold  on  our  affections.  We  venture  on  forbid- 
den ground  ;  draw  near  to  the  objects  of  seduction  ;  become  fasci- 
nated with  charms,  before  undiscovered,  and  overpowered  by  com- 
binations of  harmony,  fragrance,  beauty,  and  sj)lendour,  ofspright- 
line.NS,  gayety,  and  joy  ;  or  alarmed  by  an  assemblage  of  enemies, 
dangers,  and  terrors,  of  contempt,  shame,  and  ridicule;  so  as  to 
be  enticed  to  sin  on  the  one  hand,  and  terrified  into  it  on  the  other. 

At  other  periods,  most  of  these  things  are  reversed.  Time,  at 
these  seasons,  rolls  on,  to  us,  with  brighter  mornings,  with  more 
unclouded  days,  with  more  serene  evenings;  and  nights  with  more 
undisturbed  tranquillity  and  peaceful  repose.  At  such  seasons,  our 
views  of  all  divine  subjects  are  clearer,  and  more  just.  Our  affec- 
tions are  more  alive ;  our  aims  more  noble,  unmixed,  and  heaven- 
ly ;  our  resolution  more  vigorous  and  uniform  ;  our  conduct  more 
ajiproved  in  its  progress,  and  followed,  in  review,  by  purer  peace 
pnd  self-approbation.  God  also,  for  reasons  wholly  unknown  to 
us,  or  imperfectly  comprehended  by  us,  sometimes  withdraws  the 
light  of  his  countenance,  and  the  blessings  of  his  Spirit ;  sometimes 
communicates  these  and  other  blessings  more  uniformly  and  abun- 
dantly ;  and  generally  regulates  his  providence  towards  us  in  such 
a  manner,  that  we  are  greatly  improved  and  prospered,  in  some 
instances  ;  and,  in  others,  are  afflicted,  brought  to  a  stand,  or  suf- 
fered to  decline. 

But.  with  all  these  inequalities  in  the  course  of  the  Christian, 
his  holiness,  like  the  house  of  David,  waxes  stronger  and  stronger  ^ 
and  his  corruption,  like  the  house  of  Saul,  becomes  weaker  and 
weaker. 

3dly.   The  process  of  sanctificalion  is  Universal. 

By  this  I  intend,  that  it  affects  the  whole  man  :  his  views,  afTec- 
tions,  purposes,  and  conduct ;  and  those  of  every  kind.  It  ex- 
tends alike  to  his  duties  of  every  kind :  towards  himself,  his  fel- 
low-creatures, and  his  Maker.  It  affects,  and  improves,  indiscrim- 
inately, all  the  virtues  of  the  Christian  character :  Love  to  God 
and  to  mankind  ;  faith,  repentance,  justice,  truth,  kindness,  humil- 
ity, forgiveness,  charity,  generosity,  public  spirit,  meekness,  pa- 
tience, fortitude,  temperance,  moderation,  candour,  and  charit- 
ableness of  judgment.  It  influences  ruling  passions  and  appetites  ; 
habits  of  thought  and  affection,  of  language  and  practice.  It  prompts 
to  all  the  acts  of  piety:  to  prayer,  praise,  attendance  upon  the 
sanctuary  and  its  ordinances,  our  sanctification  of  the  Sabbath, 
Christian  communion,  and  Christian  discipline. 


SEft.  LXXXIII]  SANCTIFICATION.  525 

Generally,  it  affects  every  part  of  the  Christian's  character  and 
life  ;  and  all  it  affects  with  continual  advantage.  Yet,  as  has  been 
already  remarked,  the  operation  is  not  uniform.  All  the  Christian 
virtues  increase ;  yet  they  do  not  all  increase  alike  :  nor  does  any 
one  of  them  increase  in  the  same  manner  at  all  times.  In  the  Scrip- 
tures, the  improvement  of  the  mind  in  the  Christian  character  is, 
with  great  beauty  and  correctness,  compared  to  the  growth  of  Chil- 
dren. Children  grow  from  their  birth  ;  and  may  be  truly  said  to 
be  always  growing :  yet  the  increase  is  not  always  alike,  nor  al- 
ways visible.  They  grow,  also,  in  every  part  of  their  frame  ;  in- 
creasing, upon  the  whole,  both  in  size  and  stature,  throughout  all 
the  members.  Yet  at  some  times,  and  in  some  of  the  members, 
they  cannot  be  seen  to  grow  at  all :  while  at  other  times,  and  in 
other  members,  the  increase  is  rapid,  and  easily  discernible.  The 
means  of  growth,  also,  are  very  various,  and  variously  operative. 
From  day  to  day,  from  week  to  week,  and  sometimes  from  year 
to  year,  the  progress  cannot  be  perceived.  And,  in  some  instan- 
ces, one  part  is  found  to  increase,  another  to  be  at  a  stand,  or  even 
to  diminish  ;  and  thus  the  symmetry,  proportion,  and  beauty,  of 
the  frame,  to  be  sensibly  injured.  In  all  these  particulars,  the  par- 
allel between  the  growth  of  Christians,  and  the  growth  of  children, 
is  exact. 

4thly.   The  progress  of  sanctijication  is  conspicuous  in  the  life. 

From  the  commencement  of  Christianity  in  the  soul,  the  Chris- 
tian course  is  that  of  a  general  reformation.  The  religion,  that 
brings  not  forth  fruits  meet  for  repentance,  is  not  the  religion  of 
the  Scriptures.  It  is  not  the  beginning  of  spiritual  life.  It  is  not 
the  beginning  of  immortal  life.  The  virtue  of  the  Gospel  is  a  liv- 
ing principle,  producing  every  good  fruit ;  rendering  the  man  wiser, 
and  his  life  and  conversation  better,  unto  the  end.  The  natural 
passions  and  appetites  of  some  Christians  are,  indeed,  strong  ;  and 
their  evil  habits,  antecedently  to  regeneration,  have  become  pow- 
erful. The  temptations  of  others  are  peculiarly  great;  and  they 
labour  under  peculiar  disadvantages  for  resisting  them,  as  well  as 
for  making  progress  in  the  Christian  life. 

As  the  work  of  Sanctification  itself  proceeds,  according  to  the 
exhibition  which  I  have  made  of  this  subject,  in  irregular  and  very 
various  gradations  ;  so  the  external  fruits  of  it,  seen  in  the  life  of  the 
Christian,  are  subject  to  the  same  gradations.  The  wind  bloweth, 
not  only  where,  but  in  what  manner,  it  listeth  ;  and  no  particular 
description  can  be  satisfactorily  given  of  its  progress. 

The  varieties  of  this  work,  which  I  have  all  along  referred  to  the 
life  of  a  single  person,  become  far  more  numerous,  and  diversified, 
when  referred  to  Christians  in  general.  Here,  both  the  original 
and  incidental  differences  are  multiplied  almost  without  end ;  and 
it  is  impossible  to  mention  even  a  small  part  of  them  in  the  compass 
of  a  single  discourse.  Still  the  same  general  doctrines  are  appli- 
cable, and  useful,  to  all  Christians ;  because  all  have  a  common 
nature,  and  a  common  interest. 


^26  SANCTIFICATION.  [SER.  LXXXIIL 

REMARKS. 

1st.  TTie  considerations,  suggested  concerning  this  important  re- 
ligious siihject,  furnish  every  professing  Christian  with  an  interesting 
rule  for  the  examination  of  his  own  character. 

It  has  been  here  exhibited,  as  the  true  process  of  sanctification, 
that  this  work  is  carried  on  through  the  whole  of  human  hfe ;  as 
the  continual,  though  not  uniform,  state  of  the  Christian  character, 
to  be  advancing,  under  the  influence  of  the  divine  Spirit,  towards 
the  stature  of  the  perfect  man.  With  this  scheme  in  view,  it  be- 
comes every  professor  of  Religion  faithfully  to  inquire,  whether  he 
perceives  in  his  own  mind  such  a  progress.  It  will  readily  be  seen, 
that  Christians,  who  have  lately  become  such,  must  have  fewer 
and  more  imperfect  means  of  making  this  inquiry,  and  determining 
the  point  satisfactorily,  than  those  who  are  farther  advanced. 
The  longer  children  have  been -growing,  the  more  perceivable  will 
be  the  change  of  their  stature.  The  longer  Christians  have  been 
Christians,  the  greater  advances  in  Religion  will  they  have  had  op- 
portunity to  make.  The  child  may  have  grown  in  reality,  through 
a  short  period ;  while  yet  his  growth  is  incapable  of  being  perceiv- 
ed. The  young  Christian  may,  in  like  manner,  find  less  proof  of 
his  advancement ;  or  doubtful  proof;  or  even  no  proof  at  all ;  and 
yet  have  no  sufficient  reason  for  discouragement.  Still  he  ought  to 
make  the  inquiry :  and  to  make  it  with  jiersevering  diligence.  If 
he  be  faithful  in  this  duty,  he  will,  in  all  probability,  and  at  no  great 
distance  of  time,  find  comforting  evidence  of  his  growth  in  grace ; 
and  usually  the  sooner,  the  more  faithful  he  is  in  pursuing  this  ex- 
amination. 

The  professor,  who  has  longer  declared  his  devotion  to  God,  is 
bound  still  more  earnestly  to  make  this  inquiry.  One,  at  least,  of 
the  best  proofs  which  can  be  furnished,  of  the  existence  of  grace  in 
the  soul,  is  evidence  of  its  grozvth  ;  and  one  of  which  we  ought 
never  to  lose  sight,  even  for  a  day.  If  we  go  on  from  month  to 
month,  and  from  year  to  year,  without  any  improvement  in  the 
Christian  life ;  our  case  must  be  dark  and  distressing  indeed. 
Much  more  distressing  must  it  be,  if,  instead  of  advancing,  we  sen- 
sibly decline.  Christians  may,  and  will,  fall  into  temptation,  and 
sin ;  and  sometimes  into  sins,  which  arc  great,  and  peculiarly 
dreadful.  Thus  did  David;  thus  did  Solomon;  thus  did  Peter. 
These  are  fearful  grounds  of  humiliation  and  sorrow ;  but  even 
these,  when  followed  by  contrition  and  amendment,  are  far  less 
discouraging  and  hopeless,  than  that  slow,  regular  decline,  that 
chilled,  perishing  state,  which  admits  of  no  intervenings  of  warmth, 
no  returns  of  health  and  vigour.  The  pleurisy,  or  the  gout,  may 
kill;  and  often  greatly  alarm,  and  endanger;  but  they  frequently, 
nay,  most  usually,  terminate  their  violence  sj)eedily,  and  give  place 
to  returning  strength.  The  consumption,  on  the  other  hand,  al- 
though its  attacks  are  gentle,  gradual,  and  scarcely  perceivable,  in- 
situiates  itself  with  a  fatal  progress  into  the  constitution  ;  and  if  not 
exterminated  in  season,  regularly  ends  in  death.   I  will  not  say,  that 


SER.  LXXXIII]  SANCTIFICATION.  527 

a  hectic  in  religion  is  hopeless ;  but  it  must  be  allowed,  on  all  hands, 
to  be  terrible.  Let  it  be  observed  in  this  place,  however,  that  Chris- 
tians sometimes  ai'e  really  advancing,  when  they  do  not  perceive  it; 
and  when  their  progress,  although  hidden  from  themselves,  is  visi- 
ble to  those  around  them.  This,  together  with  other  mysteries, 
God  will  unfold  hereafter ;  and  will  show  them,  that  the  dispensa- 
tion has  been  the  means  of  his  glory,  and  of  their  own  final  good. 
All  Christians  ought  to  learn,  from  this  fact,  to  consult  their  fellow- 
christians,  as  well  as  themselves,  on  this  great  subject ;  and  not  to 
depend  entirely  on  their  own  investigation. 

If,  on  the  other  hand,  professors  of  Religion  find  themselves  ad- 
vancing in  faith,  repentance,  and  holiness  ;  if  God  the  Father,  the 
Son,  and  the  Holy  Ghost,  is  more  and  more  an  object  of  delight- 
ful contemplation  to  their  minds ;  if  they  take  more  and  more  de- 
hght  in  prayer  and  praise,  in  the  Sabbath,  the  Sanctuary,  and  their 
ordinances  ;  if  the  Word  of  God  seems  more  and  more  preferable 
to  the  most  fine  gold',  if  they  love  more  and  more  to  do  good  unto 
all  men;  if  they  find  an  increasing  delight  in  the  character,  com- 
pany, conversation,  and  prosperity,  of  their  fellow-christians ; 
then  they  may,  indeed,  sing  of  mercy ;  and  enjoy  a  lively  hope,  that 
they  are  fast  overcoming  the  world,  and  preparing  for  the  glories  of 
the  heavenly  kingdom. 

2dly.  The  same  considerations  furnish  abundant  encouragement 
to  the  Christian. 

Think  how  much  God  has  done  to  accomplish  this  work ;  and 
you  can  find  no  room  for  despondency.  1  well  know,  I  readily 
confess,  how  prone  all  men  are  to  yield  to  temptations  ;  to  love 
the  world ;  to  indulge  appetite  and  passion  ;  to  embrace  error ;  to 
cherish  self-justification  ;  to  find  ways  of  sinning,  which  in  their 
own  eyes  are  safe  and  blameless ;  to  reconcile,  and  unite  virtues 
to  their  counterfeit  vices  ;  and  thus,  in  a  great  variety  of  modes,  to 
backslide,  and  sin,  and  fall.  How  hopeless,  with  these  things  in 
our  view,  would  seem  final,  persevering  holiness,  and  a  safe  arrival 
in  the  heavenly  kingdom ! 

But  the  agency  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  in  our  sanctification,  puts 
all  these  terrible  evils  to  flight ;  and  assures  us,  that  He,  who  hath 
begun  a  good  work  in  us,  will  perform  ii  unto  the  day  of  Christ.  He 
is  every  where  present  to  every  Christian  ;  knows  every  want,  and 
danger ;  and  is  ever  ready  to  do  all  that  is  necessary,  and  useful, 
for  the  followers  of  Christ.  No  evil  can  escape  his  eye  ;  no  ene- 
my resist,  or  elude,  his  power.  With  infinite  benignity  and  tender- 
ness he  dwells  within,  and  without  us,  to  guard,  relieve,  heal,  sanc- 
tify, and  save ;  to  give  us  strength  to  endure,  and  power  to  over- 
come. Under  his  influence  and  direction,  we  shall  successfully 
fight  the  good  fight,  keep  the  faith,  finish  our  course  with  joy,  and 
receive  that  crown  of  righteousness,  which  the  Lord,  the  righteous 
Judge,  will  give  to  all  them  that  love  his  appearing.  Thanks  be  to 
God  for  this  unspeakable  gift.     Amen. 


SERMON  LXXXIV. 

CONSPQUENCES  OF  REGENERATION. PEACE  OF  CONSCIENCE. 


JoHH  xiv.  27. — Peace  I  leave  with  you :  my  peace  J  give  unto  you .-  not  as  the  world 

giveth,  give  J  unto  you. 

..Having  examined  the  Nature  oi  Adoption,  and  Sanctijication^ 
I  shall  now  proceed  to  consider  anotlier  consequence  of  this  change 
in  man:  viz.  Evangelical  Peace. 

These  words  are  a  part  of  Christ's  first  discourse  to  his  Apostles, 
after  the  institution  of  the  Lord's  Supper.  He  was  now  about  to 
leave  the  world.  His  death  he  had  often  predicted  to  them  in 
the  plainest  language  :  yet  so  strong  were  their  expectations  of  a 
reigning,  con(juering  Messiah,  that  they  seem  never  to  have  believ- 
ed these  predictions.  So  far  as  they  were  able,  they  appear  to 
have  interpreted  them  in  any  manner,  rather  tlian  the  true  one; 
and,  when  they  could  not  misinterpret  them,  to  have  concluded, 
that  they  involved  some  mystery,  which  it  was  beyond  their  power 
to  unriddle. 

However,  as  the  time  drew  near,  and  the  events,  which  led  to  this 
great  one,  began  to  thicken,  they  became  apprehensive  and  alarm- 
ed. What  evils  were  before  them  they  seem  not  to  have  realized ; 
but  they  appear  to  have  been  fully  sensible,  that  something  terrible 
was  at  hand,  and  to  have  become  deeply  discouraged  by  loose  and 
undefined  forebodin::;s. 

Christ  understood,  perfectly,  the  state  of  their  minds;  and,  with 
his  own  peculiar  tenderness,  commenced  the  benevolent  work  of 
furnishing  them  the  necessary  relief.  This  he  accomplished  in 
three  discourses  :  the  first  included  in  this,  the  second  in  the  two 
following,  and  the  third  in  the  seventeenth,  chapters.  Never  were 
consolations  so  well  devised,  or  so  well  administered.  The  dis- 
courses are  beautiful  beyond  all  jiarallel ;  supremely  instructive  ; 
exquisitely  tender ;  and  replete  with  considerations  of  the  most 
supporting  nature.  The  last  of  them  is  n  prayer  •  more  iiiierest- 
i-ng,  more  sublime,  more  wonderful,  than  ever  was,  or  ever  will  be, 
uttered  in  the  present  world  ;  and  may  lairly  be  regarded  as  a 
specimen  of  that  intercession,  which  the  divine  Advocate  makes 
for  hi?  followers  before  the  throne  of  the  Majesty  in  the  heavens. 

Among  the  considerations  which  endear  these  discourses  of  Chris^t 
to  his  children,  the  most  affecting  one  is,  they  are  his^  dying  zcords ^ 
his  last  addresses  before  he  ascended  the  cross.  They  succeeded 
the  institution  of  the  Sacranvental  supper :  they  preceded  the  Crn- 


SER.  LXXXIV.]       PEACE  OF  CONSCIENCE.  529 

cifixron.  Never  was  there  an  occasion  so  interesting,  so  solemn, 
so  divine ;  nor  was  any  mind,  beside  that  of  Christ,  ever  so  perfect- 
ly fitted  to  understand,  and  feel,  the  nature  of  this  occasion,  or  so 
able  to  employ  it  to  the  best  of  all  purposes.  He  seems,  here,  to 
have  poured  out  his  soul  with  supreme  love,  and  infinite  endearment. 
The  whole  Saviour  is  brought  out  to  view  :  the  God  becomes  visi- 
ble in  his  most  lovely  and  glorious  character. 

The  Apostles  were  now  to  be  left  by  him;  to  go,  un befriended 
and  unprotected,  into  a  world  of  enemies  ;  and  to  meet  all  the  evils, 
which  could  be  inflicted  on  them  by  bigotry,  malice,  and  persecu- 
tion. To  support  them  in  this  state  of  suftering,  he  promises 
them  a  rich  variety  of  blessings  ;  particularly,  the  presence,  and 
everlasting  love,  of  his  Father  and  himself;  reminds  them  of  his 
own  sufferings,  and  of  the  fortitude,  with  which  he  had  endured 
them  ;  and  assures  to  them  the  consolations  of  the  Spirit  of  truth, 
as  a  most  desirable,  and  delightful,  support  under  all  external  dis- 
tresses. 

Of  all  the  blessings,  contained  in  these  promises,  none  seems  to 
be  better  suited  to  their  situation,  and  their  wants,  than  that,  which 
is  announced  in  the  text.  When  contentions  multiply,  and  enemies 
invade,  from  without ;  when  friends  withdraw,  and  comforts  dimin- 
ish ;  when  enjoyments  lessen,  and  hope  retires ;  nothing  can  be 
more  timely,  more  desirable,  more  welcome,  than  peace  within  : 
peace,  quieting  all  the  tumults  of  the  mind,  soothing  the  wounds 
of  a  troubled  conscience,  and  allaying,  on  the  one  hand,  fear  ;  on 
the  other,  suffering. 

That  we  may  understand  the  value  of  this  legacy,  left  by  the 
Redeemer  not  to  the  Apostles  only,  but  to  all  his  followers,  it  will 
be  useful  to  consider, 

f.   The  Nature  of  the  Peace ^  vikich  he  gave  ^  and, 

II.   The  Manner^  in  which  he  gave  it. 

I.  I  will  endeavour  to  explain  the  Nature  of  the  peace,  which 
Christ  gave  his  disciples. 

Peace  is  always  opposed  to  war;  and,  when  begun  in  any  instance, 
involves  the  cessation  of  the  preceding  conflict.  With  a  direct  ref- 
erence to  such  a  conflict,  Christ  was  pleased  to  bestow  the  blessing, 
mentioned  in  the  text;  and  called  it  by  a  name,  fitted  to  show 
both  the  nature  of  the  evils  to  be  remedied,  and  the  nature  of  the 
remedy. 

Such  a  conflict  actually  exists  between  man  and  himself;  his 
fellow-men  ;  and  his  Maker.  Against  God  this  hostility  manifests 
itself  in  ten  thousand  acts  of  resistance  to  his  pleasure.  While  He 
claims  the  supreme  love,  and  implicit  obedience,  of  every  Intelli- 
gent creature,  man  denies  both  his  claims,  and  the  rights  on  which 
they  are  founded  ;  and  boldly  sets  up  in  opposition  to  them,  claims 
and  rights  of  his  own,  which  he  determines  to  support  to  the  utmost 
of  his  power.  For  this  end  he  commences  a  progress  of  revolt, 
and  contention,  which  occupies  most  of  his  time,  and  most  of  his 

Vol.  II.  67 


530  I'KACE  OF  CONSCIENCE.  [SER.  LXXXIV. 

thoughts ;  and,  at  death,  leaves,  not  unfrequently,  the  controversy 
undecided. 

fVith  his  fellow-men  his  contention  arises  from  two  sources:  his 
own  selfishness,  and  theirs.  The  mind,  in  which  selfishness  reigns, 
always  wishes,  intends,  and  labours,  to  make  every  other  interest 
subservient  to  its  own  ;  or,  at  the  least,  to  prevent  it  from  disturb- 
ing, precluding,  or  diminishing,  its  own.  From  this  source  have 
sprung  all  the  private,  and  all  the  public,  contentions,  which  have 
destroyed  the  peace  of  neighbourhoods,  and  ravaged  the  world  ; 
the  sutferings  and  the  sighs,  the  tears  and  the  groans,  which  have 
spread  from  one  end  of  heaven  to  the  other. 

Nor  is  man  less  busily  employed  in  conflicting  with  himself.  The 
passions  and  appetites  of  the  human  heart  have  ever  opposed  the 
dictates  of  Conscience.  The  Conscience  was  intended  by  God 
to  regulate  the  moral  conduct  of  the  man  ;  and  strenuously,  and 
firmly,  asserts  its  right  to  this  most  important,  and  most  necessa- 
ry, control.  Still  more  strenuously  the  passions  rebel  against  it ; 
force  the  man  to  submit  to  their  own  dictates ;  and  hurry  him  into 
a  course  of  disobedience.  In  this  progress  of  guilt.  Conscience 
holds  out  her  dreadful  mirror  to  his  terrified  eye  ;  and  exhibits  him 
to  himself,  odious,  deformed,  and  fearfully  exposed  to  the  anger  of 
God. 

To  this  distracted,  miserable  being,  peace  is  announced,  in  the 
text,  by  Him,  who  knew  all  the  wants,  sufferings,  and  dangers,  of 
our  race.  Upon  a  strict  examination,  the  legacy  will  be  found 
to  be  exactly  suited  to  the  state  of  those,  for  whom  it  was  in- 
tended. 

1st.  It  is  a  happy  state  of  the  Mind,  or  Intellect. 
Every  person,  who  has  at  all  entertained  serious  and  solemn 
thoughts  concerning  religious  subjects,  must  have  often  perceived 
a  multitude  of  doubts,  springing  up  in  his  mind,  at  different  times, 
concerning  the  Word  of  God ;  the  evidence,  by  which  its  divine  . 
origin  is  evinced  ;  and  the  nature  of  the  doctrines,  and  precepts, 
which  it  contains.  These  doubts  may,  at  times,  grow  out  of  igno- 
rance ;  usually  they  spring  from  the  heart  ;  from  its  disrelish  to  the 
truth  itself,  and  its  opposition  to  its  Author.  Every  doubt  on  this 
subject  is  attended  with  some  degree  of  distress.  The  soul  is  un- 
willing, that  there  should  be  any  such  truths;  and  that  God  should 
have  such  a  character,  as  to  be  capable  of  being  the  author  of 
them.  Especially  is  this  observation  applicable  to  those  doctrines, 
which  exhibit  ourselves  as  guilty,  condemned,  and  ruined;  and 
God  as  pure,  holy,  and  sovereign.  Against  these  doctrines  man- 
kind have  contended  in  all  ages  ;  have  doubted  their  truth  ;  have 
denied  their  import ;  and  have  exploded  the  evidence,  by  which 
they  were  sustained.  In  the  place  of  these  doctrines  the  mind  sub- 
stitutes others,  which  are  more  palatable  to  itself.  For  their  obvi- 
ous and  real  meaning,  which  it  is  determined  not  to  admit,  it  sub- 
stitutes others  ;  kindred,  perhaps,  and  plausible,  but  oblique,  and 


SER.  LXXXIV.]  PEACE  OF  CONSCIENCE.  .  531 

incapable  of  being  supported.  In  this  manner  it  struggles  to  get 
loose  from  the  truth  of  God ;  sometimes  by  believing,  that  he  has 
made  no  revelation  of  his  will  to  mankind  •,  sometimes  by  deter- 
mining, that  he  has  made  no  such  revelation,  and  is  commonly  re- 
ceived ;  and  generally  by  adopting  a  creed,  essentially  different 
from  that  which  is  contained  in  the  Scriptures.  Every  part  of  this 
creed  it  makes  more  pleasing  to  itself,  less  terrifying,  less  humili- 
ating, and  yet,  as  it  hopes,  equally  safe. 

Still,  Revelation,  in  spite  of  all  these  labours  and  struggles,  con- 
tinues to  be  supported  by  no  small  evidence.  The  obvious  mean- 
ing of  the  doctrines,  which  it  contains,  will,  at  times,  appear  but 
too  probably  the  true  meaning.  In  spite  of  the  mind  itself,  its  ar- 
guments, and  persuasions,  God  may,  and  it  frequently  fears,  will, 
be  found  to  be  just  such  a  Being,  as  he  seems  to  be  exhibited  in 
the  Scriptures.  Its  own  character,  also,  it  almost  daily  suspects, 
(and  conscience  perpetually  enhances  the  suspicion)  is  just  such, 
as  the  Scriptures  have  declared  ;  and  its  danger  neither  less  real, 
nor  less  terrible.  Thus  the  soul  becomes  a  troubled  sea,  which 
cannot  rest,  whose  waters  cast  up  mire  and  dirt. 

Nor  is  either  this  opposition,  or  the  distress  which  springs  from 
it,  less  excited  by  the  tenour  of  the  Scriplural  precepts,  than  by 
that  of  the  doctrines.  In  the  view  of  such  a  mind  the  precepts  ap- 
pear to  be  unnecessarily  numerous,  nice,  and  rigid  ;  enjoining  ma- 
ny things,  which  it  thinks  might  better  have  been  omitted;  and  pro- 
hibiting many  things,  which,  it  conceives,  would  have  been  much 
better  allowed.  The  life,  which  they  require,  it  pronounces  to  be 
unnecessarily  strict,  difficult,  and  discouraging;  and  regards  as 
being  of  a  gloomy  and  melancholy  nature.  Hence  it  supposes, 
and  at  times  believes,  that  God  cannot  have  intended,  that  his  pre- 
cepts should  be  understood  in  their  obvious  meaning;  and  that 
some  other  meaning,  attended  with  many  softenings,  and  involving 
many  limitations,  is  to  be  attributed  to  them ;  or  that,  at  the  worst, 
a  partial,  imperfect  obedience  to  them  will  ultimately  be  accepted. 
Under  the  influence  of  these  wishes,  and  the  views  to  which  they 
give  birth,  accompanied  by  fears,  that  the  things,  thus  opposed, 
may  all  be  the  real  pleasure  of  God;  the  views  erroneous,  and  the 
wishes  sinful ;  such  a  mind  wearies  itself  to  find  out  a  more  palat- 
able moral  system;  is  harassed  by  suspense,  and  distressed  by 
painful  apprehensions. 

But  when  the  hostility  of  the  heart  towards  its  Maker,  and 
towards  his  truth,  is  dissolved  by  the  mild  influence  of  the  Spirit  of 
grace;  and  the  soul  is  indued  with  love  to  its  Maker;  the  charac- 
ter of  God,  and  the  doctrines  and  precepts  of  his  Word,  are  seen 
with  new  optics;  and  appear,  therefore,  in  a  new  light.  It  is  the 
nature  of  Evangelical  love  to  delight,  alike,  in  the  Truth  and  its 
Author.  Both  are  thenceforth  seen  with  the  eyes  of  good-wilL 
Of  course,  God  appears  to  the  mind,  invested  with  his  proper  char- 
acter and  supreme  glory ;  as  the  sum  of  all  excellence ;  as  infi- 


332  PEACE  OF  CONSCIENCE.  [SER.  LXXXIV. 

nitely  great,  and  wise,  and  good.  It  is  seen  to  be  impossible  for 
him  to  deceive,  or  to  be  deceived.  Whatever  he  declares  is, 
therolore,  admitted  without  reserve.  The  divine  origin  of  the 
Scri|mires  is  readily  believed,  because  the  evidence,  which  sup- 
ports it,  is  such,  as  to  satisfy  any  candid  mind;  and  because  the 
mind,  in  question,  has  now  become  possessed  of  real  candour. 
The  true  and  obvious  meaning  of  the  doctrines  and  precepts, 
wherever  it  is  seen,  is  readily  received,  because  it  is  relished,  and 
because  God  is  believed  to  have  made  his  precepts  p/am  to  him, 
that  under standtth  ;  or,  in  other  words,  is  possessed  of  piety.  The 
thiii;i;s,  to  be  believed,  the  mind  now  loves  to  believe.  The  things 
required,  it  now  chooses  to  do.  Tl)e  nature  of  the  doctrines,  and 
the  reasons  on  which  the  precepts  are  founded,  it  will,  indeed,  at 
times,  bo  unable  to  unravel.  But  here  its  faitii,  and  obedience,  will 
be  implicit ;  because  it  knows,  that  God  does  not  prescribe  with- 
out the  best  reasons,  and  that  his  instructions,  however  mysterious, 
must  be  always  true,  and  always  desirable.  What  it  understands 
it  welcomes.  What  it  does  not  understand,  it  receives  with  a  hum- 
ble submission  to  him,  who  has  said,  The  secret  things  belong  to 
God;  bid  the  things,  that  are  revealed,  belong  to  men. 

From  such  a  mmd,  it  is  easy  to  see,  suspense  and  perplexity 
must  vanish  of  course;  together  with  all  the  agitation,  fear,  and 
pain,  with  which  they  were  attended.  The  weapons  of  its  warfare 
have  been  laid  down  ;  its  toils  are  ended,  its  alarms  are  over;  its 
struggles  are  relinquished  ;  and  a  delightful  repose  has  succeeded 
to  its  multiplied,  long-continued,  and  painful  efforts;  a  repose, 
doubly  delightful,  in  its  own  nature  ;  and  as  a  charming  contrast 
to  the  various  troubles,  by  which  it  has  been  so  often,  and  so  deeply 
distressed. 

2dly.   ft  is  the  happy  state  of  the  Affections. 

It  has  been  already  sufficiently  indicated,  that  the  affections  are 
originally  alienated  from  God,  and  opposed  to  his  government, 
and  pleasure.  The  spirit  of  apostacy  is,  primarily,  a  spirit  of  pride 
and  self-dependence;  wliich  always  exalts  itself  against  its  Maker. 
The  angels,  who  fell,  fell  by  refusing  to  keep  their  first  estate ;  rr^v 
'ekutwv  a^x^v  ;  their  own  office,  or  principality  ;  and  by  deserting 
(otiroXtTovTag)  their  habitation  ;  oix*it»)^iov,  their  station.  They  refused 
to  contuiue  even  in  that  exalted  rank  of  existence,  and  to  execute 
the  duties  of  that  high  station,  assigned  to  them  by  the  goodness 
of  God.  The  same  spirit  predominates  in  fallen  men.  They  too 
are  dissatisfied  with  their  own  station,  and  their  own  duties.  AH 
apostate  beings  say  to  God  in  their  hearts,  We  will  not  have  Thee 
to  reign  over  us. 

Ei|ually  hostile  to  the  divine  government  is  the  lust  of  thefiesh: 
sen>ualily  ;  and  the  lust  of  the  eyes:  avarice.  Concerning  these 
three  gr^at  controlling  affections  of  the  human  mind,  it  is  alike 
true,  that  they  are  not  of  the  Father,  but  of  the  world;  and  that, 
wherever  they  reign,  the  love  of  the  Father  cannot  exist. 


3ER.  LXXXIV.]      PEACE  OF  CONSCIENCE.  533 

From  the  indulgence  of  this  spirit,  continually  spring  up  in  the 
soul  haughty  claims  upon  its  Maker  for  an  increase  of  its  enjoy- 
ments, and  an  exemption  from  its  duties:  claims,  which  God  never 
satisfies,  unless  in  the  way  of  judgment,  and  indignation.  The 
soul,  therefore,  is  discontented  with  its  allotments  5  questions  his 
wisdom,  goodness,  and  truth ;  murmurs  agamst  his  providence ; 
refuses  to  perform  its  own  duty  ;  and  thus  carries  on  a  continual, 
ardent,  painful  conflict  with  its  Maker. 

A  controversy  with  such  a  Being,  as  God,  cannot  fail  of  being 
attended  with  perpetual  anxiety  and  alarm.  He,  who  is  the 
subject  of  it,  dreads  the  presence  of  God ;  is  terrified  by  all  the 
threatenings  of  his  Word;  trembles  at  the  approach  of  Death; 
shrinks  from  the  Judgment;  and  looks  towards  a  future  retribution 
with  horror. 

Of  these  evils  there  is  but  one  possible  termination  ;  and  that 
is,  submission  to  God.  Whenever  this  is  accomplished  in  earnest, 
they  dissolve,  like  an  enchantment  in  Arabian  tales.  The  Crea- 
tor, before  dreaded  and  hated,  is  changed  at  once,  to  the  view  of 
the  soul,  into  an  aflectionate  Parent,  reverenced,  loved,  and  de- 
lightfully obeyed.  This  awful  enemy  becomes  instantaneously  an 
everlasting  and  almighty  Friend ;  this  hard  Master,  a  divine  and 
boundless  Benefactor.  His  character  is  then  contemplated  with 
awe,  indeed,  but  with  delight  also.  His  commandments,  no  longer 
grievous,  are  preferred  to  thousands  of  gold  and  of  silver.  His 
presence,  no  longer  terrible,  is  continually  coveted;  and  commun- 
ion with  him  in  prayer,  and  praise,  is  daily  sought,  and  delightfully 
found. 

In  this  manner  the  affections  become  serene,  cheerful  and  pleas- 
ant. The  storm  subsides  into  a  calm ;  and  the  darkness  of  the 
soul  is  illumined  with  a  perpetual  sunshine. 

3dlv.  It  is  a  happy  state  of  the  Conscience. 

When  the  atTections  have  thus  bowed  to  their  Creator ;  when 
the  soul  has  sincerely  said.  Thy  will  be  done  ;  Conscience,  unop- 
posed and  undisturbed,  dictates  whatever  is  to  be  done  ;  and 
smiles  its  approbation,  whenever  it  is  performed.  In  the  various 
retrospects,  which  the  Christian  takes  of  his  progress,  at  the  end 
of  a  day,  a  week,  a  month,  or  a  year,  he  is  enabled  to  look  on,  and 
approve ;  and  to  feel  a  supporting  hope,  that  he  is  approved,  in 
some  good  measure,  by  his  God.  His  thoughts,  affections,  and 
designs,  cease  to  be  objects  of  dread;  and  self-examination,  to  be 
a  duty,  which  he  cannot  perform.  To  himself  he  is  no  longer  a 
stranger.  Prayer,  he  no  longer  dreads.  From  his  moral  charac- 
ter he  no  longer  shrinks.  At  his  future  destiny  he  ceases  to  shud- 
der. A  daily,  welcome,  cheerful  visiter  at  the  internal  fire-side,  he 
finds  there  nothing  but  peace,  harmony,  and  pleasure. 

4thly.  It  is  a  happy  state  of  the  Life. 

In  a  world,  like  this,  it  will  not  be  imagined,  that  external  peace 
can  be  perfect.     Although  the  man  in  question  is  possessed  of  a 


534  PEACE  OF  CONSCIENCE.  [SEE.  LXXXIV. 

peaceful  spirit  only,  yet  in  those  around  him  he  will  not  always 
find  the  same  disposition.  In  him  there  is  no  cause  of  hostility; 
but  in  them  it  will  not,  of  course,  be  extinguished.  While  he  is 
surrounded  by  beings  of  this  description,  therefore,  he  cannot  ex- 
pect undisturbed  peace.  Yet  amid  the  discord,  and  violence,  of 
this  world,  his  moderation,  his  kindness,  will  either  allay,  or  quietly 
and  tirmly  endure,  the  storm.  Men  of  candid  dispositions,  be- 
holding his  conduct,  will  approve,  and  commend;  and  men  of 
prejudice  and  passion  will  often  be  overcome,  and  desist  from  their 
persecution. 

Yet  even  here  he  will  find  many  persons  of  a  character,  kindred 
to  his  own.  Of  the  approbation,  the  love,  and  the  kind  offices,  of 
these  men,  he  is  assured.  The  esteem  of  Wisdom,  and  Worth,  is 
invaluable;  is  accompanied  by  sincere  love  ;  is  followed  by  a  per- 
petual train  of  kind  offices ;  and  is,  therefore,  an  ample  compensa- 
tion for  the  contempt,  hatred,  and  obloquy,  of  all  the  unreasonable, 
and  unworthy.  Should  he  meet,  then,  with  many  troubles  from 
men  of  this  character;  he  will  still  find  a  rich  enjoyment  from  the 
approbation  and  good- will  of  the  wise  and  virtuous ;  a  table  of  rich 
viands,  spread  before  him  in  the  presence  of  his  enemies  ;  a  cup, 
running  over  with  blessings. 

At  the  same  time  he  is  still  more  refreshed,  and  comforted,  by 
a  sense  of  the  approbation  of  God.  A  humble  hope  of  forgive- 
ness is  accompanied,  of  course,  by  a  hope  of  the  divine  compla- 
cency. The  favour  of  God  even  in  this  world  is  life,  and  his 
loving-kindness  better  than  life.  A  disposition  to  obey  this  great 
and  glorious  Being  is  always  delightful ;  and  his  law  sweeter  to  an 
evangelical  taste  than  honey,  and  the  honey-comb.  Although  men, 
therefore,  although  all  men,  should  rise  up  in  hostility  against  him; 
he  would  say  with  David,  The  Lord  is  on  my  side,  I  will  not  fear. 
What  can  man  do  tinto  me?  I  have  set  the  Lord  always  before  me  : 
because  he  is  at  my  right  hand  I  shall  not  be  moved.  The  Lord 
God  is  his  shield :  he  cannot  fail,  therefore,  of  being  safe.  The 
Lord  God  is  his  sun :  his  life  will,  therefore,  be  cheered  with  the 
light  of  heaven. 

II.  The  Maimer,  in  which  this  legacy  is  given,  is  taught  in  those 
remarkable  words  of  our  Saviour,  J^ot  as  the  world  givcth,  give  I 
unto  you. 

The  world  gives  with  an  intention  to  gain,  at  least  as  much  as  it 
gave  ;  and  thus  gives  for  its  own  benefit ;  not  for  ours.  The  world 
gives  by  halves ;  and  often  resumes  what  it  has  given.  The 
world  gives  grudgingly;  with  a  meanness,  which  embitters  the 
boon,  to  those  who  receive  it.  The  world  gives  in  jn-etence,  and 
not  in  reality :  its  gifts  being,  at  best,  of  little  value,  and  of  mo- 
mentary duration.  Finally  ;  the  world  reproaches  us,  as  being 
deeply  indebted  for  its  largesses ;  and  imperiously  demands  ser- 
vile acknowledgments,  and  base  compliances,  as  a  proper  return 
for  the  obligations  which  it  has  conferred. 


SER.  LXXXIV]  PEACE  OF  CONSCIENCE.  535 

Christ,  on  the  contrary,  gives  with  perfect  liberality,  and  unlim- 
ited bounty;  cheerfully;  never  resuming  what  he  has  given;  for 
our  benefit  only ;  really,  and  not  in  pretence ;  with  absolute  sin- 
cerity, and  supreme  nobleness  of  disposition.  His  gifts  also,  while 
they  are  of  high  value  in  themselves,  endure  for  ever.  At  the  same 
time  he  never  reproaches  us  on  account  of  his  blessings ;  and  de- 
mands of  us  no  unworthy  sacrifices. 

REMARKS. 

From  these  observations  we  learn, 

1st.  How  to  estimate  this  legacy  of  Christ. 

To  a  Being,  in  the  situation  of  man,  as  described  in  the  former 
part  of  this  discourse,  such  a  gift  is  plainly  and  pre-eminently  ne- 
cessary. Condemned,  loathed,  and  afflicted,  by  his  Maker,  he 
has  no  friend,  to  whom  he  may  betake  himself  for  consolation  ;  and 
no  refuge,  to  which  he  may  fly  for  safety.  Whatever  he  does ; 
God  is  present  to  see,  and  to  retribute.  An  Enemy  here,  he  is  an 
enemy  every  where :  an  enemy,  from  whom  there  is  no  conceal- 
ment, defence,  nor  escape.  Still  the  circumstances  of  the  unhap- 
py man  would  be  less  dreadful,  if  he  could  find  peace  and  support 
within.  But,  there.  Conscience  arms  herself  against  him  ;  while 
his  rebellious  passions  bring  their  pain  in  hand,  and  are  frequently 
followed  by  remorse  and  despair.  When  he  looks  abroad,  he  sees 
his  fellow-creatures  at  war  with  him,  also  ;  and  from  them  seeks  in 
vain  for  an  alleviation  of  his  sufferings. 

In  this  situation  Christ  proclaims  to  him  peace  with  God,  with 
mankind,  and  with  hmseU  •,  peace  passing  all  tinderstanding  ;  peace, 
which  the  world  can  neither  give,  nor  take  away.  Henceforth,  no- 
thing is  desirable  in  his  sight,  but  that  which  God  chooses  ;  nothing 
lovely,  but  that  which  God  loves.  To  know  the  divine  will  is,  in 
his  view,  to  know  all  that  is  necessary  ;  and  to  obey  it,  all  that  is 
useful.  He  is  assured  of  the  divine  protection,  and  is  therefore 
safe :  for  he  knows,  that  no  enemy  can  endanger  his  welfare,  or 
disturb  his  repose. 

In  the  mean  time,  his  soul  has  returned  to  its  rest,  and  is  quiet. 
The  storm  is  past ;  and  is  succeeded  by  serenity  and  sunshine.  If 
he  finds  enemies  abroad ;  he  disarms  half  their  rage  by  his  own 
meekness :  the  rest  he  sustains,  pities,  and  forgives. 

In  times  of  danger,  when  God  comes  out  against  mankind,  to 
jiidge  the  world  in  righteousness,  he  enjoys  the  unspeakable  con- 
solation of  believing,  that  this  awful  Being  is  a  friend  to  him. 
When,  therefore,  the  tempest  rages,  the  famine  desolates,  or  the 
pestilence  hurries  its  victims  to  the  grave  ;  when  a  thousand  fall  at 
his  side,  and  ten  thousand  at  his  right  hand  j  it  shall  not  come  near 

HIM. 

Afflictions  will,  however,  reach  even  him.  It  is  necessary,  that 
he  should  be  chastened  :  and  chastening  in  its  very  nature  is  griev- 
ous.    But,  for  this  grief  the  peace  of  the  Gospel  provides  a  sure 


536  PEACE  or  CONSCIENCE.  [SER.  LXXXIV 

and  delightful  alleviation.  The  pain,  he  knows,  is  inflicted  by 
the  Father  of  his  spirit  ,•  that  he  may  become  a  partaker  of  his  ho- 
liness^ and  live.  He  receives  it,  therefore,  with  patience  and 
resignati*?.'' :  and  th'j-  strips  disease  of  its  languor;  robs  pain  of 
its  sting  ;  and  lights  up  a  cheering  lamp  in  the  dark  chambers  of 
sorrow. 

In  death,  that  melancholy  and  distressing  day  to  the  wicked,  his 
eye  penetrates  the  gloom,  and  descries  the  glorious  morning  which 
dawns  beyond  it.  On  the  other  side  of  this  narrow  gloomy  valley, 
spreads  a  work!  of  peace  :  where  no  storm  ever  blows  ;  no  enemy 
ever  invades ;  and  no  danger  ever  threatens.  There  all  are  friends. 
God  is  his  friend  :  Christ  is  his  friend  :  and  none  but  his  friends  are 
found  among  the  innumerable  company  of  angels,  or  the  general  as- 
sembly  of  the  frst-bom. 

2dly.  How  greatly  is  this  blessing  enhanced  by  the  consideration, 
that  Christ  has  given  us  his  own  peace. 

Peace  I  leave  icith  yon  ;  my  peace  I  give  unto  you.  In  this  de- 
claration we  are  reminded  of  the  gloi'ious  character  of  Him,  who 
bestows  the  legacy,  and  of  the  wonderful  things,  which  he  has  done 
to  pi'ocure  it  for  us.  Christ  is  divinely  great  and  excellent ;  and 
the  gift  is  suited  to  his  charactr>r:  is  excellent,  noble,  and  divine. 
It  is  the  rich  fruit,  the  genuine  evidence,  of  virtue:  a  seal,  impres- 
sed by  the  Saviour  on  the  soul,  as  unquestionable  proof,  that  it  has 
become  his :  a  living  witness,  that  he  has  there  taken  up  his  resi- 
dence, as  in  a  temple,  in  which  he  is  pleased  to  dwell.  It  is  his 
still,  small  voice,  whispering  in  delightful  accents,  that  he  is  there; 
and  that  he  is  there,  on  his  own  most  benevolent  purpose  of  purify- 
ing it  for  heaven,  and  quickening  it  with  immortal  life.  The  Giver 
is  divine;  the  gift  is  divine  :  the  end,  for  which  it  is  given,  is  also 
divine. 

The  things,  which  he  has  done,  and  suffered,  to  procure  this  gift 
for  man,  are  infinitely  great  and  endearing.  For  this  end,  when  he 
was  m  the  form  of  God,  and  thought  it  no  robbery  to  be  equal  with 
God  ;  he  made  himself  of  no  reputation  ;  was  made  in  the  likeness  of 
men  ;  and  became  obedient  unto  death,  even  the  death  of  the  cross. 
In  the  peace,  which  Christians  enjoy,  they  are  presented  with  a 
perpetual  memorial  of  these  wonderful  efforts  of  him,  who  thus  in 
his  Jlesh  abolished  the  enmity  ;  and  made,  preached,  and  became. 
Peace  to  them  7vho  were  afar  off,  and  to  them  who  were  nigh.  When- 
ever this  delightful  serenity  of  soul  is  enjoyed  by  us,  we  cannot 
easily  avoid  recollecting,  that  with  boundless  benignity  the  Son  of 
God  became  man;  lived  a  life  of  unceasing  humiliation  and  suffer- 
ing; died  on  the  cross;  rose  from  the  dead;  ascended  to  heaven; 
and  there  intercedes  for  ever,  that  this  blessing  may  be  ours.  What 
love  can  be  compared  to  this?  What  character  was  ever  so  lovely, 
so  endearing,  so  peculiarly  divine  ? 

As  the  Peace  of  Christ,  also,  this  glorious  possession  assumes  a 
new  character  of  excellence  and  worth.     In  him,  this  peace  was 


SER.  LXXXIV.]       PEACE  OF  CONSCIENCE.  537 

the  result  of  consummate  wisdom  and  supreme  rectitude :  a  divine 
harmony  of  perfect  intelligence  and  immeasurable  love.  It  was  a 
possession  completely  independent.  None  could  give  it :  none 
could  take  it  away.  In  the  pure,  serene,  eternal  Mind  of  the  Sav- 
iour* it  dwelt  of  course,  inseparably,  and  for  ever.  It  was  the 
necessary  and  immortal  offspring  of  immortal  excellence  :  the  co- 
eternal  splendour  of  light  eternal.  Before  the  mountains  were 
brought  forth,  or  ever  he  had  formed  the  earth  and  the  world  ;  then 
was  it  by  him,  as  one  brought  up  with  him  ;  and  was  daily  his  delight^ 
rejoicing  alway  before  him :  rejoicing  with  a  divine  prescience  in 
the  future,  habitable  parts  of  the  earth,  and  placing  its  delights  in  the 
sons  of  men. 

In  his  Mediatorial  residence  among  the  children  of  apostate 
Adam;  amid  all  his  sorrows  and  labours,  amid  all  the  opposition, 
rejection,  and  persecution,  which  he  experienced ;  amid  all  the 
living  anguish,  and  dying  agonies,  which  he  suffered ;  this  celestial 
companion,  this  divine  inmate  of  his  bosom,  perpetually  sustained 
him ;  and  diffused  fortitude  and  serenity  around  his  soul.  Thus 
sustained,  thus  tranquilhzed,  he  smiled  in  agony,  and  triumphed  in 
death. 

To  us,  as  to  him,  it  is  peace  passing  all  understanding  ;  pcace^ 
which  the  world  cannot  give,  nor  take  away.  Grace  and  Mercy  de- 
scend first  in  the  train  of  infinite  blessings  from  God  our  Father, 
and  from  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ ;  and  Peace  enters  our  doors  im- 
mediately behind  them.  A  guest,  fresh  from  heaven,  and  from 
the  presence  of  God,  Peace  bear's  all  the  characteristics  of  the 
world  from  which  she  descends  ;  of  the  region  in  which  she  was 
born ;  of  the  family  to  which  she  is  allied ;  and  of  the  Parent, 
from  whom  she  sprang.  Gentle  and  serene,  beautiful  and  lovely, 
she  becomes  a  willing  companion  to  every  humble,  faithful  fol- 
lower of  the  Lamb;  to  every  genuine  child  of  God.  Her  own 
angelic  disposition  she  breathes  insensibly  into  the  soul ;  her  soft- 
ness and  gentleness  she  infuses  into  the  heart;  and  her  living 
smiles  she  spreads  over  the  aspect.  At  once,  the  man  is  changed 
into  a  new  creature.  His  soul,  before  the  region  of  darkness 
and  storm,  is  cleared,  at  once,  of  the  clouds  by  which  it  was 
overcast.  Its  tempestuous  passions  cease  to  rage,  and  ravage;  and 
a  heavenly  sunshine  illumines  the  world  within.  The  universe,  to 
him  heretofore  a  vast  kingdom  of  war  and  opposition,  is  converted 
into  a  delightful  residence  of  quiet  and  harmony  ;  in  which  an 
immense  multitude  of  the  inhabitants,  such  as  no  man  can  mimber^ 
are  become  his  friends,  and  in  which  the  hostilities  of  the  rest  will 
only  work  together  for  his  good.  God,  also,  seen  by  him  before 
in  clouds  and  darkness,  which  were  very  tempestuous  round  about 
him,  has  unfolded  to  him  the  light  of  his  countenance ;  and  given 
him  a  lively  and  transporting  earnest  of  serene,  unclouded,  ever- 
lasting day. 

Vol.  it  68 


SERMON  LXXXV. 

CONSEQUENCES    OF    REGENERATION. JOY    IN    THE    HOLY    GHOST. 


Romans  xiv.  17. — For  the  kingdom  of  God  is  not  meat  and  drink,  but  righteousness, 
peace,  and  joy  in  the  Holy  Ghost. 

On  the  last  Sabbath,  I  considered  the  nature  and  importance  of 
Spiritual  Peace.  I  shall  proceed  to  examine  another  consequence 
of  Regeneration  :  viz.  Joy  in  the  Holy  Ghost. 

In  the  text,  the  Apostle  declares,  that  the  Kingdom  of  God  is 
formed  of  Righteousness,  Peace,  and  Joy  in  the  Holy  Ghost.  By 
this  kingdom  he  intends,  plainly,  not  the  kingdom  of  Creation,  nor 
the  kingdom  of  Providence,  nor,  in  a  strict  sense,  what  is  usually 
called  the  kingdom  of  Grace.  The  word  kingdom  is  here  used  in 
a  figurative  manner;  and  denotes  the  Effects  of  that  secret,  invisible, 
incomprehensible  influence  over  the  hearts  of  mankind,  whichis  ex- 
erted by  the  Spirit  of  Grace  in  the  work  of  Sanctification.  This  in- 
fluence is  the  great  engine  of  the  divine  government  over  the  hearts 
of  Intelligent  beings ;  and  is  often  with  the  utmost  propriety  term- 
ed in  the  Gospel  the  kingdom  of  God.  Of  this  influence,  right- 
eousness, peace,  and  joy  in  the  Holy  Ghost,  are  effects,  primarily 
important ;  and  in  the  text  are,  figuratively,  called  by  a  name, 
which,  in  simple  language,  would  properly  belong  to  the  Cause  of 
their  existence.  In  a  similar  manner  is  the  term  used  by  Christ, 
Luke  xvii.  20,  The  kingdom  of  God  cometh  not  with  observation  ; 
neither  shall  they  say  concerning  it,  Lo  here,  or  lo  there  :  for  the 
kingdom  of  God  is  within  you. 

Of  these  three  great  effects  of  the  energy  of  the  divine  Spirit, 
the  first,  viz.  Righteousness,  here  used  for  holiness  or  Evangelical 
virtue,  is,  in  the  soul,  the  cause  of  the  two  last.  From  Righteous- 
ness, in  this  sense,  spring,  of  course,  the  Peace  and  Joy  of  the 
Spiritual  character.  Joy  in  the  Holy  Ghost,  therefore,  is  obviously 
a  consequence  of  Regeneration.  In  the  text,  as  well  as  in  the  or- 
der of  nature,  it  is  subjoined  to  Peace ;  although  we  are  ever  tore- 
member,  that  they  always  exist  together  in  the  same  mind,  and  at 
the  same  time. 

In  examining  this  subject,  the  following  considerations  have  oc- 
curred to  me  as  particularly  deserving  the  attention  of  a  religious 
assembly. 

I.   The  Joy,  spoken  of  in  the  text,  is  not  a  mere  Natural  joy. 

By  natural  joy,  I  intend  the  pleasure  xohich  is  found  by  the  mind 
in  natural  or  physical  good,  whether  possessed,  or  expected.     Such 


SER.  LXXXV]  JOY  IN  THE  HOLY  GHOST.  539 

is  the  pleasure,  which  we  experience  in  property,  health,  friends, 
food,  and  other  gratifications  of  a  similar  nature.  Such  is  the 
pleasure,  found  in  the  contemplation  of  beauty,  novelty,  and  great- 
ness ;  in  the  multitude,  variety,  and  sublimity,  of  the  works  of  Cre- 
ation and  Providence ;  or  in  the  skill,  power, and  wisdom  displayed 
by  their  Author.  Such,  also,  is  the  satisfaction,  experienced  in  the 
mere  belief,  that  God  is  reconciled  to  us,  and  become  our  friend 
and  benefactor. 

All  these  I  acknowledge  to  be  innocent  and  lawful  enjoyments. 
I  acknowledge  them  to  be  enjoyments  which  we  are  not  merely 
permitted,  but  required,  to  experience  ;  and  to  be  enjoyments  also, 
in  greater  or  less  degrees,  experienced  by  every  sanctified  mind. 
Still  they  may  be  possessed  in  a  manner,  merely  natural ;  and  by 
a  mind,  utterly  destitute  of  the  Evangelical  character.  When  the 
Christian  rejoices  in  these  things,  he  rejoices  virtuously  ;  because 
he  regards  them  with  just  views.  But  when  a  sinner  rejoices  in 
them,  he  regards  them  with  erroneous  views,  and  with  emotions 
destitute  of  virtue.  Evangelical  joy  in  these  things  is  one  of  the 
fruits  of  the  Spirit.  But  nothing,  experienced  by  a  sinner,  can  be 
a  peculiar  characteristic  of  a  Christian.  Nor  is  any  genuine  fruit 
of  the  Spirit  ever  found  in  an  unsanctified  mind. 

II.  Joy  in  the  Holy  Ghost  is,  however,  joy  in  God. 

God  is  the  only  solid  foundation  of  joy  to  the  universe ;  and  is 
seen  and  acknowledged,  in  this  character,  by  every  virtuous  being. 
In  this  most  pleasing  and  magnificent  manner,  he  is  every  where 
exhibited  in  the  Scriptures.  Rejoice  in  the  Lord,  O  ye  righteous  ! 
says  the  Psalmist.  Ps.  xxxiii.  1.  Thou  shalt  rejoice  in  the  Lord, 
saith  the  Prophet  Isaiah,  and  shalt  glory  in  the  Holy  One  of  Israel. 
Is.  xli.  16.  I  will  greatly  rejoice  in  the  Lord  j  my  soul  shall  be 
joyfxd  in  my  God  ;  saith  our  Saviour  ;  Is.  Ixi.  10.  Be  glad,  then, 
ye  children  of  Zion,  and  rejoice  in  the  Lord  your  God  j  saith  Joel, 
chapter  ii.  23.  Although  the  fg-tree  shall  not  blossom,  neither  shall 
fruit  be  in  the  vine  j  the  labour  of  the  olive  shall  fail,  and  the  fields 
shall  yield  no  meat  ^  the  flocks  shall  be  cut  off  from  the  fold,  and 
there  shall  be  no  herd  in  the  stall :  yet  I  will  rejoice  in  the  Lord  j  I 
will  joy  in  the  God  of  my  salvation.  Hab.  iii.  17,  18.  The  same 
language  is  adopted  by  the  Virgin  Mary,  and  by  St.  Paul,  in  the 
New  Testament ;  and  is  applied  by  Christ  to  the  Apostles;  and  to 
the  whole  body  of  Christians  ;  either  as  an  account  of  facts ;  or  as 
a  precept,  directing  their  duty. 

To  Revelation,  Keason  joins  her  fullest  testimony ;  and  easily 
discerns,  when  informed  of  the  true  character  of  God  by  Revela- 
tion, that  in  him  the  proper,  rational,  supreme,  and  eternal  joy  of 
his  Intelligent  creatures  must  ultimately  centre ;  and  that  he  is  the 
object,  to  be  thus  enjoyed,  as  well  as  the  source  whence  this  enjoy- 
ment flows.  The  eternal,  unchangeable,  almighty,  all-knowing, 
the  infinitely  just,  faithful,  true,  benevolent,  and  merciful  Mind  is, 
in  an  infinite  degree,  a  more  beautiful,  lovely,  and  glorious  object 


540  JOY  '"^  'I'JE  HOLY  GHOST.  [SER.  LXXJCV. 

in  itself,  than  any,  or  than  all,  others.  Of  such  a  Mind  all  the 
conduct,  all  the  manifestations,  are  accordant  with  its  true  and  es- 
sential nature ;  are  beautiful,  glorious,  and  lovely,  like  itself. 
These  amazing  considerations  are  also  enhanced,  in  a  manner  liter- 
ally bounoless,  by  the  great  fact,  that  from  this  Mind  sprang  all 
the  objects  of  admiration,  and  delight,  which  are  found  in  the 
Universe. 

In  the  Power  of  God,  we  are  presented  with  an  everlasting  and 
unlimited  source  of  joy ;  when  it  is  considered  as  perfect  Suffi- 
ciency  for  every  great  and  good  purpose  ;  for  the  accomplish- 
ment of  whatever  wisdom  can  approve,  or  virtue  delight  in  ;  and 
for  the  accomplishment  of  this  in  the  manner,  which  is  perfectly 
desirable. 

In  the  Knowledge  of  God,  there  is  an  endless  source  of  delight ; 
as  the  original  spring,  whence  have  flowed  the  innumerable  beings, 
and  events,  of  the  Universe ;  together  with  their  attributes,  ope- 
rations, and  effects.  In  the  perpetually  diversified  structure,  the 
wonderful  purposes,  and  the  no  less  wonderful  uses,  of  these,  is 
the  state  of  the  infinite  Mind,  as  the  Origin  of  whatever  is  great  and 
good,  presented  to  us  in  a  manner,  perfect  in  itself,  and  endlessly 
delightful  to  every  virtuous  beholder.  The  mineral,  vegetable,  and 
animal,  kingdoms,  even  of  this  world,  are  full  of  these  displays ; 
and  the  structure,  powers,  and  operations,  of  a  single  being,  furnish 
a  field  of  investigation,  altogether  too  wide  for  the  comprehension 
of  any  human  understanding. 

Jn  the  Bounty  of  God,  vve  behold  an  amazing  source  of  gratitude, 
and  of  the  pleasure,  always  found  in  that  most  amiable  and  delight- 
ful emotion.  VVe  here  discern  ample  provision  made  for  our  con- 
tinuance in  being;  for  our  daily  wants;  and  for  all  our  reasonable 
wishes.  Our  food  and  raiment  are  most  liberally  supplied ;  our 
innocent  desires  most  richly  gratified  ;  our  taste  delighted  with  the 
beauty,  novelty,  and  grandeur,  of  the  world  around  us  ;  our  eyes 
charmed  with  the  glorious  prospects  of  the  earth  and  the  heavens; 
and  our  ears  feasted  with  melody  and  harmony. 

[n  the  Mercy  of  God,  the  soul  is  assured,  that  its  sins  maybe  for- 
given, and  its  nature  renewed  ;  is  presented  with  the  most  illustri- 
ous proofs  of  divine  Love,  and  the  overflowings  of  infinite  tender- 
ness towards  a  world  of  apostates.  It  is  here  furnished  with  the 
greatest  and  best  gift  of  God  ;  Evangelical  Virtue  ;  and  beyond  the 
grave,  is  secured  in  the  endless  possession  of  unmingled  and  un- 
fading happiness.  From  sin,  its  own  most  debased  character,  and 
from  misery,  its  proper  reward,  it  is  here  presented  with  a  final  de- 
liverance ;  is  instamped  with  the  image  of  God,  and  admitted  to 
the  kingdom  of  the  blessed. 

In  the  Truth  and  Faithfulness  of  this  perfect  Being,  the  soul  is 
furnished  with  entire  security,  that  His  declarations  are  steadfast 
and  immoveable ;  and  that  his  promises  endure  for  ever.  The  en- 
couragement, given  to  it,  therefore,  of  both  present  and  future 


SER.  LXXXV]  JOT  IN  THE  HOLY  GHOST.  54I 

good,  is  encouragement,  on  which  perfect  reliance  may  be  placed, 
and  with  regard  to  which  disappointment  can  never  arise,  either 
here  or  hereafter.  When  we  remember,  that  one  of  these  promises 
to  Christians  is,  that  all  things  shall  be  theirs ;  and  another,  that  all 
things  shall  work  together  for  their  good;  the  importance  of  this 
consideration  appears  to  be  literally  infinite.  On  these  declara- 
tions the  virtuous  Universe  reposes  with  absolute  safety,  and  with 
reliance  which  will  strengthen  for  ever. 

The  Justice  of  God  is  seen  to  be  the  immensely  grand  and  awful, 
yet  the  immensely  beneficial,  administration  of  the  vast  kingdom 
of  Jehovah.  In  the  exercise  of  this  glorious  attribute  are  secured 
all  the  rights  of  intelligent  creatures,  and  their  infallible  and  com- 
plete protection  from  every  ultimate  wrong.  The  least  right,  and 
the  least  wrong,  of  the  least  individual,  are  as  firmly  assured,  as 
the  greatest  interests  of  Angels  and  Archangels.  By  this  amazing 
Mind  nothing  is  forgotten,  or  unregarded.  Lazarus,  at  the  gate, 
is  as  effectually  remembered,  as  David,  on  the  throne ;  or  Gabriel, 
standing  before  God  in  the  highest  heavens. 

Alone,  and  to  a  world  of  sinners,  the  Justice  of  God  would  be 
only  great  and  terrible  ;  but,  harmonizing  with  Mercy  in  all  its  dic- 
tates, it  renders,  even  to  our  view,  the  character  of  the  great  Pos- 
sessor transcendently  excellent  and  amiable.  What  would  become 
of  the  universe,  were  God  to  be  unjust  ?  What  creature  would  for 
a  moment  be  safe ;  what  interest  uninvaded  ? 

Of  these  glorious  attributes,  we  need  not,  in  order  to  find  displays, 
cast  our  eyes  abroad  into  incomprehensible  systems  of  worlds  and 
beings.  At  home,  by  our  firesides,  in  our  friends,  in  our  families,  in 
our  bodies,  and  in  our  minds,  they  are  seen  with  high  advantage  and 
supreme  endearment.  Are  we  fed  ?  The  hand  which  feeds  us  is 
that  of  our  heavenly  Father.  Are  we  clothed  ?  He  made  the  flax 
to  grow ;  he  formed  the  fleece ;  he  gave  the  silkworm  skill,  to 
spin  her  mysterious  thread ;  and  brought  to  us  the  necessary,  and 
beautiful  materials,  to  form  our  attire.  Are  we  in  health  ?  He 
preserves  in  their  pristine  strength  the  numerous  powers  of  our 
bodies  ;  sends  the  stream  of  life  through  our  veins ;  and  animates 
OUT  hearts  with  wonderful  and  unceasing  energy.  Do  we  see? 
He  contrived  the  eye.  Do  we  hear?  He  fashioned  the  ear.  Do 
we  think,  and  choose,  and  feel  ?  He  lighted  up  the  lamp  of  Rea- 
son in  our  minds.  Are  we,  and  ours,  virtuous  ?  He  poured  out 
the  Spirit  of  sanctification  upon  our  minds.  Have  we  enjoyments  ? 
He  provided  them.  Have  we  hopes?  They  all  sprang  from  his 
bounty,  and  are  secured  by  his  unchangeable  promise. 

All  these  divine  considerations  are  enhanced  beyond  measure  by 
the  nature  of  those  attributes,  which  may  be  termed  qualifications 
of  these.  The  Omnipresence  of  God  teaches  us,  that  all  these 
pei-fections  are  every  where  present ;  every  where  ready  to  be  em- 
ployed in  the  production  of  good.  His  Immutability  proves  to  us, 
that  these  perfections  will  never  be  changed  in  their  nature,  de- 


542  JOY  IN  THE  HOLY  GHOST.  [SER.  LXXXV. 

gree,  and  operations  ;  and  that,  as  he  has  thus  acted,  so  he  will  al- 
ways act  in  the  same  manner.  The  Eternity  of  God  shows  us, 
that  these  perfections  will  know  no  end  ;  and  that,  therefore,  the 
enjoyments  of  his  children  will  endure  for  ever.  Thus  what  God 
is  here,  he  is  every  where ;  what  he  is  now,  he  will  be  through 
eternity. 

In  the  venerable  and  endearing  characters  of  the  Father,  the  Re- 
deemer, and  the  Sanclijier,  of  mankind,  God  appears  as  the  source 
of  peculiar  joy.  As  the  Father  of  mankind,  he  appears  as  a  Sove- 
reign and  Lawgiver,  offended  by  our  rebellion,  but  with  infinite 
kindness  proffering  to  us  forgiveness  and  reconciliation ;  as  send- 
ing, for  this  benevolent  end,  his  beloved  Son,  to  expiate  our  sins, 
and  his  holy  Spirit,  to  renew  our  hearts  and  lives  ;  and,  thus,  as 
opening  his  arms,  unasked  and  undesired,  to  receive  his  penitent 
and  returning  children. 

In  the  endearing  character  of  the  Son,  he  appears  with  boundless 
benignity,  as  making  an  end  of  sin,  finishing  transgression,  and 
bringing  in  everlasting  righteousness  ;  as  becoming  man,  that  we 
might  again  be  united  to  God ;  as  dying,  that  we  might  live  ;  as 
rising  from  the  dead,  ascending  to  heaven,  assuming  the  govern- 
ment of  all  things,  and  interceding  before  the  throne  of  infinite  Ma- 
jesty, that  we  might  rise,  hereafter,  incorruptible  and  immortal; 
might  follow  him  to  the  heavens;  enjoy  the  infinite  blessings  of  his 
administration ;  and  be  accepted  as  his  faithful  friends  at  the  final 
day.  Christ  is  the  Corner  stone  of  this  living  and  glorious  build- 
ing, formed,  according  to  the  glowing  language  of  St.  Peter,  of 
living  stones  a  spiritual  house  of  God,  eternal  in  the  heavens.  On 
Him,  the  sole  Foundation,  the  vast  structure  is  erected,  to  stand  for 
ever. 

Bi/  the  Spirit  of  truth  is  this  mighty  work  completed.  With  infi- 
nite kindness  and  patience  he  awakens,  convinces,  renews,  and 
purifies,  the  soul ;  forms  it  for  endless  holiness,  and  endless  life  ; 
and  conducts  it  through  this  earthly  wilderness  to  the  land  of  prom- 
ise beyond  the  grave. 

In  all  these  things,  united,  is  the  Love  of  God  seen  with  supreme 
advantage,  as  immense,  unchanging,  and  eternal ;  as  endeared  with 
all  possible  tenderness ;  as  overcoming  the  most  perverse  obsti- 
nacy ;  as  forgiving  the  greatest  guilt ;  as  flowing  out  to  enemies 
and  apostates,  condemned  by  unerring  justice,  and  discarded  by 
the  virtuous  universe. 

To  the  Christian,  in  all  these  respects,  is  God  the  source  of  su- 
preme and  unceasing  joy.  As  a  Christian,  he  has  become  a  new 
creature;  entered  into  a  new  creation;  and  enrolled  himself  as 
a  subject  of  a  new  and  immortal  kingdom.  This  kingdom  is  a 
kingdom  in  which  will  be  progressively  accomplished,  universal, 
entire,  and  everlasting  good.  For  this  end  it  was  created.  To 
this  end  it  is  uniformly  conducted  by  the  all-pervading,  all-ruling, 
hand  of  Jehovah.     The  subjects  of  it  are  universally  children  of 


SER.  LXXXV.]  JOY  IN  THE  HOLT  GHOST.  543 

light.  Their  intercourse  is  an  endless  succession  of  diversified 
virtue  and  loveliness.  Purity,  dignity,  and  excellence,  are  their  in- 
herent characteristics ;  and  everlasting  happiness,  and  glory,  their 
final  destination.  In  all  that  they  are,  in  all  that  they  do,  and  in 
all  that  is  done  to  them,  God  himself  rejoices  with  intense  and 
eternal  joy. 

With  this  new  kingdom  the  Christian  has  begun  an  everlasting 
connexion.  His  union  to  the  members  of  it,  and  his  intercourse 
with  them,  instead  of  terminating,  will  unceasingly  become  more 
intimate,  more  endearing,  more  exalted.  The  views  of  their  minds 
and  his  are  destined  to  become  perpetually  more  and  more  just 
and  comprehensive ;  their  affections  and  his  to  be  more  pure,  in- 
tense, and  noble ;  their  mutual  friendship  to  be  more  sweet  and 
vSerene  ;  and  their  conduct  to  be,  in  unceasing  gradation,  such  as 
is  proper  to  be  exhibited  in  the  house,  and  presence,  of  God. 

In  accordance  with  this  state  of  things,  therefore,  will  the  whole 
scheme  of  the  Christian's  future  being  be  formed.     His  plans  will, 
of  course,  be  concerted  in  such  a  manner,  as  to  embrace,  and  pro- 
mote eternal  purposes.     They  will  be  the  plans  of  an  immortal 
being,  destined  to  act  with  immortal  beings  in  a  boundless  field  of 
existence  :  the  plans  of  a  dutiful  and  faithful  subject  of  the  infinite 
Ruler ;  of  a  child,  warmed  with  perpetual  and  filial  piety  to  his 
divine  Parent ;  of  a  brother,  finally  united  to  the  household  which 
is  named  after  Christ ;  of  a  redeemed,  sanctified,  returning  prodi- 
gal, brought  back  with  infinite  compassion,  and  infinite  expense, 
to  the  house  of  his  father,  and  welcomed  with  exquisite  joy  by  the 
family  of  the  first-born.     To  glorify  God,  to  bless  his  fellow-crea- 
tures, and  to  be  blessed  by  both,  will  be  the  combined  and  perfect 
end  for  which  he  lives.    This  end  he  will  pursue  in  a  world  where 
no  obstructions  ever  arise  ;  where  no  toil  ever  wearies ;  where  no 
disappointments  ever  intrude ;   where  no  temptations  ever  arrest ; 
and  where  no  enemies  ever  alarm :  where  his  affections  cannot  be 
too  intense,  nor  his  pursuits  too  ardent;  and  where  his  only  pro- 
fessional business  will  be  to  be  virtuous  and  happy.     As  a  citizen 
of  this  new  and  heavenly  kingdom,  the  Christian  begins  his  course 
of  spiritual  life.     All  these  things  are  already  become  his.    God  is 
his  Father;  Christ  his  Redeemer;  the  Spirit  of  Grace  his  Sanctifier; 
and  all  the  children  of  virtue  are  his  brethren.     In  the  present 
world  he  is  only  a  stranger  and  a  sojourner :  he  regards  it,  there- 
fore, as  a  mere  lodging;  and  fixes  his  eye  on  heaven  as  his  home. 
With  this  new  character,  all  things,  with  which  he  here  con- 
verses, assume,  to  his  eye,  a  new  aspect;  and  are  filled  with  the 
presence  and  agency  of  God.    The  heavens  declare  his  glory ^  and  the 
firmament  sheweth  his  hayidy  work.     Day  unto  day  uttereih  speech, 
and  night  unto  night  sheweth  knowledge.      The  year,  in  all  its  re- 
volutions, is  crowned  with  his  goodness.    The  Spring  is  his  beauty, 
blooming  in  endless  varieties  of  elegance  and  splendour.    Summer 
and  Autumn  are  manifestations  of  his  bounty ;  filling  his  creatures 


544  Jt)Y  IN  THE  HOLY  GHOST.  [SER.  LXXXV 

with  good.  The  Winter  is  a  solemn  display  of  his  majesty.  Then 
the  Lord  hath  his  way  in  the  lohirhomd,  and  in  the  storm;  and  the 
clouds  are  the  dust  of  his  feci. 

In  his  own  blessings  the  Christian  sees  God  in  a  manner  still 
more  delightful.     His  blessings  are  not  mere  enjoyments  :  they 
are  gifts;  unspeakably  endeared  by  the  Hand  from  which  they 
flow.     When  he  is  in  prosperity;  The  Lord  is  his  Shepherd,  who 
maketh  him  to  lie  dorcn  in  green  pastures,  and  leadeth  him  beside 
the  still  watc7-s  ;  who  preparcth  a  table,  before  him  in  the  presence  of 
his  ejiemies,  who  anointeth  his  head  with  oil  ,*  7i'ho  causcth  his  cup  to 
run  over,  and  goodness  and  mercy  to  follow  him  all  the  days  vf  his 
life.     Is  he  in  adversity  ?      The  rod  and  staff  of  the  same  Shepherd 
support  and  comfort  /lim.     Is  he  in  doubt  and  darkness,  where  he 
is  scarcely  able  to  trace  the  path  of  life  ?    He  heai's  a  voice  behind 
him,  saying,   This  is  the  zcay  :  zoalk  thou  therein.     Is  he  mourning 
inZion  ?     God  appoints  to  Ami  beauty  for  ashes,  and  the  oil  of  joy 
for  mourning.     Is  he  sick  ?    God  is  his  physician  ;  and  has  already 
taught  him  to  say,  Why  art  thou  cast  down,  0  my  soul  F  and  why 
art  thou  disquieted  within  me  ?     Hope  thou  in  God :  for  I  simll  yet 
praise  Him,  who   is   the  health  of  my  countenance,  and  my  God. 
Has  he  come  to  a  dying  bed  ?     Christ  has  vanquished  death  and 
the  grave;  and  has  taught  him  to  sing  at  their  approach,  O  death! 
where  is   thy  sting  F    O  grave!   where  is   thy  victory?      Has   he 
friends  ?     God  has  raised  them  vp.     Has  he  children  ?     They  are 
an  heritage  from  the  Lord.     Is  the  land  of  his  nativity  safe?     God 
is  a  wall  of  fre  round  aboiit  it.     Does  Religion  flourish  ?     God  is 
the  glory  in  the  7nidst  of  it.     The  Church,  to  which  he  is  united,  is 
a  garden,  which  the  Lord  hath  planted.     Is  it  enlightened,  quick- 
ened, and  edified?     It  is  not  by  might,  nor  by  power,  but  by  my 
Spirit,  saith  the  Lord  of  Hosts.     Is  it  comforted?     The  consola- 
tions have  come  down  from  the  heavenly  Comforter.     Is  it  pro- 
tected ?      The  Lord  hath  created  upon  Mount  Zion,  and  upon  all 
her  assemblies,  a  cloud  and  a  smoke  by  day,  and  a  light  of  a  flaming 
fre  by  night. 

Thus  to  the  Christian  all  things  in  heaven  and  earth  are  full  of 
God.  Wherever  he  walks,  wherever  he  is,  he  is  surrounded  with 
His  presence  ;  and  in  that  presence  there  is  abundance  of  joy.  To 
Him,  in  his  meditations,  and  in  his  worship,  he  instinctively  turns, 
as  the  supreme  Object  of  his  atTections,  and  of  his  obedience.  In 
loving,  fearing,  and  serving  Him,  with  all  the  heart,  he  finds  his 
chief  delight ;  and  becomes  continually  able,  with  more  and  more 
propriety  and  truth,  to  say.  Whom  have  I  in  heaven  but  Thee?  and 
there  is  none  upon  the  earth,  whom  I  desire,  beside  thee  ? 

III.  The  Christian  rejoices  in  Spiritual  things  universally. 

Spiritual  thirigs,  are  those,  in  which  the  power  of  the  Spirit  of 
grace  is  peculiarly  visible;  and  which,  therefore,  have  a  peculiar 
tendency  to  improve  us  in  the  Christian  character.  In  all  things 
of  this  nature  the  Christian  finds  a  peculiar  joy.     Particularly  in 


SER.  LXXXV.]  JOY  IN  THE  HOLY  GHOST.  64,^ 

the  Word  of  God  he  discovers  multiplied  streams  of  pure  and  in- 
creasing pleasure.  Here  all  the  transporting  things,  already  men- 
tioned, are  made  known  lo  mankind.  Here  are  disclosed  the 
character,  designs,  and  works,  of  the  Creator;  the  rebellion,  guilt, 
and  condemnation,  of  man  ;  and  his  restoration  by  forgiving,  re- 
deeming, and  sanctifying  love.  Here  the  means  of  grace  and  sal- 
vation are  revealed ;  the  truths  which  we  are  to  believe,  and  the 
precepts  which  we  are  to  obey.  Here  life  and  immortality  are 
brought  to  light  by  the  Redeemer;  and  the  path,  which  leads  to 
them,  is  pointed  out  by  the  finger  of  God.  The  Bible  is  a  window 
in  this  prison  of  hope,  through  Avhich  we  look  into  eternity.  It  is 
the  door  of  heaven,  through  which,  opened  by  a  divine  hand,  we 
cast  our  view  into  that  glorious  region ;  and  behold  the  beauty, 
splendour,  and  happiness,  which  reign  and  triumph  there  for  ever. 

Here  the  Christian  finds  himself  most  mercifully  checked  in  the 
hour  of  temptation  by  the  threatenings  of  the  law,  and  divinely 
allured  to  righteousness  by  promises  and  invitations.  Behind  him, 
Justice  displays  its  flaming  sword,  to  prevent  him  from  returning 
to  the  by-paths  of  sin.  Before  him,  Mercy  calls,  with  the  music 
of  heaven,  and  the  smile  of  Infinite  love,  to  quicken  his  course  in 
the  highway  of  holiness. 

In  the  Worship  of  the  same  glorious  Being,  the  same  delight  is 
experienced,  and  with  enhanced  enjoyment.  In  his  closet,  like 
Moses,  he  converses  zoith  God  face  to  face  ;  and,  while  he  spreads 
all  his  wants  and  woes,  all  his  sins  and  dangers,  all  his  hopes  and 
joys,  before  him,  is  assured  of  an  open  reward.  In  \\\%  family, 
when  his  nearest  connexions  are  around  him,  he  finds  every  com- 
fort endeared  by  these  beloved  objects ;  and  sweetened  by  the 
remembrance,  that  his  house  is  a  house  of  God.  In  the  Sanctuary, 
he  unites  with  his  fellow  christians  to  ask  counsel  at  the  mercy-seat, 
and  to  present  before  it  prayers  and  praises,  refined  and  exalted 
by  Evangelical  sympathy.  Here,  also,  all  his  virtuous  affections 
and  purposes  are  purified,  and  strengthened,  by  the  heavenly  in- 
fluence of  the  holy  day,  and  the  holy  place.  Here  grace  is  given, 
and  glory  anticipated. 

At  the  Table  of  Christ,  and  in  the  celebration  of  Baptism,  his 
soul  is  refreshed  and  revived  by  the  sight  of  the  dying  Saviour,  ex- 
piating his  sins,  and  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  symbolically  poured  out 
as  a  divine  cleansing,  to  purify  his  heart  from  moral  pollution. 
Earth,  here,  borrows  the  aspect  of  heaven ;  and  sublunary  things 
are  invested  with  no  small  degree  of  immortal  beauty. 

In  the  Church  of  God,  he  sees  a  real,  though  imperfect,  picture 
of  the  general  Assembly  of  the  first-born.  All  Christians  are  his 
brethren,  and  fellow-travellers  with  him  towards  the  heavenly  king- 
dom, in  the  straight  and  narrow  way  that  leads  to  life.  Their  char- 
acter, their  hearts,  their  interests,  their  designs,  are  one.  They 
are  members  of  one  family.  They  have  one  Father,  even  God : 
they  have  one  Lord,  even  Christ :  they  have  one  Sanctifier,  and 

Vol.  II.  69 


54(i  JOY  IN  THE  HOLY  GHOST  [SER.  LXXXV. 

one  Comforter,  even  the  Spirit  of  grace.  Their  hopes  and  fears, 
their  doubts  and  discoveries,  their  joys  and  sorrows,  are  the  same. 
On  all,  the  same  Divine  image  is  instanipcd  ;  the  same  Evangel- 
ical beauty  is  visible.  Lovely  and  pleasant  in  their  lives,  in  their 
death  they  are  not  divided. 

IV.  The  Christian  Jinds  an  exalted  pleasure  in  the  good,  enjoyed 
by  others. 

In  his  view  no  truth  is  clearer,  than  that  it  is  more  blessed  to  give, 
than  to  receive.  With  this  truth  he  cheerfully  accords ;  and  finds 
in  doing  good  to  others  a  humble  share  of  the  same  delight,  which 
is  enjoyed  by  the  universal  Benefactor  in  the  overflowings  of  Infi- 
nite beneficence  to  the  Creation.  Nor  is  his  enjoyment  less  ex- 
quisite, when  good  is  done  by  those  around  him.  In  them,  as  in 
him,  real,  disinterested  beneficence  is  a  proof  of  sanctification.  If 
the  beneficence  be  not  disinterested  ;  he  still  possesses  the  joy  of 
seeing  his  fellow-creatures  made  happy. 

In  the  diffusion  of  the  divine  beneficence,  also,  he  experiences 
a  perpetual  delight ;  while  he  beholds  the  illustrious  exhibitions  of 
the  goodness  of  God,  and  shares  in  the  comfort  of  all,  on  whom  it 
descends.  Especially  is  this  enjoyment  exquisite,  when  sinners 
are  brought  out  of  darkness  into  marvellous  light,  and  from  the  pow- 
er of  Satan  unto  God.  Then,  souls,  guilty  and  debased,  condemn- 
ed and  ruined,  are  redeemed  from  everlasting  sin  and  wo.  Then, 
heaven  is  enlarged  by  the  accession  of  new  inhabitants ;  and  the 
joy,  which  is  felt  in  that  benevolent  world  over  repenting  sinners, 
trembles  delightfully  through  his  own  bosom.  The  sight  of  a  sanc- 
tified mind,  of  a  redeemed  and  forgiven  sinner,  of  endless  virtue 
and  immortal  life  begun,  is  the  fairest  and  most  enchanting  pros- 
pect, ever  seen  in  the  great  kingdom  of  Jehovah. 

V.  The  Joy  of  the  Christian,  in  this  world,  is  the  beginning  of 
Everlasting  Joy. 

To  be  spiritually  minded  is  both  life  and  peace.  This  mind  is 
the  mind  of  every  Christian.  Of  course,  life  and  peace  eternal  are 
begun  in  him,  while  he  resides  in  this  evil  and  melancholy  world. 

There  are,  indeed,  many  interruptions,  diminutions,  and  pre- 
ventions, of  this  glorious  possession,  accomplished  by  remaining  sin, 
and  its  inseparable  companion,  sorrow  of  heart.  But  in  the  midst 
of  all  these  he  finds  consolation,  often  abundant,  almost  unceasing, 
and  always  sufficient  for  his  wants.  The  promises  of  the  Gospel, 
are  continually  before  him.  God  he  knows,  will  never  leave  him, 
nor  forsake  him.  Christ,  he  knows,  will  always  be  with  him  unto 
the  end.  He  may,  indeed,  be  cast  dojon,  but  he  will  not  be  destroy- 
ed: he  may  be  afflicted,  but  he  will  not  be  forsaken.  The  Father  of 
the  spirit  may,  indeed,  smite  him  in  his  wrath  for  a  small  moment, 
yet  with  everlasting  kindness  will  he  have  mercy  on  him.  In  every 
gloomy  and  distressing  day  there  will  be  gleams  of  sunshine,  and 
openings  of  a  serene,  unclouded  heaven.  In  the  dry  and  thirsty 
ground,  where  there  is  apparently  no  water,  and  in  the  midst  of  a 


SER.  LXXXV.]  JOY  IN  THE  HOLY  GHOST.  547 

desolation  visibly  without  limits,  the  wilderness  will  suddenly  re- 
joice and  blossom  as  the  rose. 

His  piety  is  a  seed,  sown  here  in  an  unkind,  barren  soil  indeed, 
and  under  a  wintry  climate  ;  but  it  will  live,  and  grow,  until  it  shall 
be  transplanted  to  a  happier  region  beneath  a  more  friendly  sky  : 
where  it  will  shoot  forth  in  its  native  strength  and  beauty.  The 
flame  of  divine  love,  kindled  feebly  in  his  heart,  will  never  cease 
to  burn,  until  it  shall  rise,  and  glow,  with  unextinguishable  ardour, 
beyond  the  grave.  The  light,  which  here  dawns  in  darkness,  and 
feebly  illumines  the  surrounding  gloom,  will  perpetually  shi7ie  bright- 
er and  brighter,  unto  the  perfect  day.  All  his  sins  and  sorrows  ^ 
will  continually  lessen,  and  recede,  and  fade  :  all  his  graces,  con-  ^ 
solations,  and  hopes,  will  expand,  and  improve  :  until  the  imper- 
fect good,  which  he  finds  in  this  vale  of  tears,  shall  be  lost  in  the 
everlasting  beauty,  happiness,  and  glory,  of  heaven. 


SERMON  LXXXVI. 

CONSEQUENCES    OF    REGENERATION. INCREASE    OF    GRACE. 


Proverbs  iv.  18. — The  path  of  the  just  is  as  the  shining  light,  which  shinethmort 
and  more  unto  the  perfect  day. 

In  the  last  discourse  I  considered  at  large  \he  fourth  Consequence 
of  Regeneration,  I  shall  now  proceed  to  examine  two  other  Con- 
sequences of  this  great  change  in  man  •,  commonly  termed,  Increase 
of  Gracc^  and  Persevercnce  to  the  end. 

In  the  text  the  progress  of  the  renewed  man  in  holiness  of  char- 
acter, is  compared  to  the  dawning  light  of  the  morning ;  which, 
barely  perceptible  at  first,  increases  by  gradations,  also  barely 
perceptible,  until  the  Sun,  ascending  above  the  horizon,  sheds  over 
the  face  of  the  earth  the  full  beams  of  day. 

By  this  image  we  are  naturally  taught  the  following  things. 

I.  l^iut  the  holiness  of  the  Christian  is  a  beautiful  object : 

II.  That  it  increases  as  he  advances  in  life  :  and, 

III.  That  it  continues  to  the  end. 

I.    The  holiness  of  the  Christian  is  a  beautiful  object. 

The  views,  which  David,  who  uttered  the  instructions,  contained 
in  this  chapter,  and  which  Solomon,  who  under  the  influence  of  in- 
spiration repeated  them  to  us,  formed  of  this  evangelical  subject, 
are  sufficiently  manifested  in  the  text.  It  is  here  compared  to  the 
most  beautiful  of  all  the  objects  in  the  natural  world,  presented  to 
us  in  the  most  beautiful  form  :  viz.  the  light  of  the  sun,  succeeding 
the  darkness  of  the  night,  and  advancing  through  a  most  elegant 
and  delightful  progress  to  the  splendour  of  the  perfect  day.  What 
this  illustrious  object  is  in  the  natural  system,  the  holiness  of  the 
Christian  is  in  the  moral  system. 

In  a  similar  manner  it  is  spoken  of  throughout  the  Scriptures. 
It  is  styled  by  Christ  the  pearl  of  great  price.  It  is  said  by  David 
to  be  more  precious  than  thousands  of  gold,  and  of  silver.  It  is 
said  by  Job,  that  it  cannot  be  gotten  for  gold ,  that  silver  shall  not 
be  weighed  fur  the  price  thereof;  that  it  cannot  be  valued  with  the 
gold  of  Ophir  y  the  precious  onyx,  or  the  sapphire  ;  that  no  mention 
shall  be  made  of  coral,  or  of  pearls ;  that  the  price  of  wisdom  is 
above  rubies ;  and  that  its  fame  has  been  repeated  in  the  regions  of 
death  and  destruction.  It  is  styled  by  Moses  the  beauty,  and  glory ^ 
of  God  himself.  Let  thy  work  appear  unto  thy  servants,  and  thy 
glory  unto  their  children:  And  let  the  beauty  of  the  Lord  our  God 
be  upon  us. 

In  conformity  to  these  declarations,  those,  who  possess  this  char- 
acter, are  styled  the  excellent  of  the  earth,  in  whom  God  delights  j 


SER.  LXXXVI.]       INCREASE  OF  GRACE.  549 

chosen;  wise;  children  of  God;  followers  of  Christ ;  born  of  the 
Spirit;  the  precious  Sons  of  Zion,  comparable  to  fine  gold;  children 
of  light ;  heirs  of  God;  and  brethren  of  Christ.  In  all  these  ap- 
pellations, the  moral  beauty,  the  loveliness  of  mind,  possessed  by 
Christians,  as  it  appears  to  the  eye  of  God,  is  strongly  conspicu- 
ous; and  its  inestimable  value  is  exhibited  in  the  most  forcible 
terms,  of  which  language  is  capable. 

When  we  consider  this  subject  in  its  own  proper  nature,  and  as 
viewed  by  human  Reason,  we  cannot  but  acknowledge  the  justice 
of  the  Scriptural  representations.  The  Spirit,  infused  into  man  at 
his  renovation,  has  been  heretofore  exhibited  as  the  only  voluntary 
source  of  happiness.  This  being  admitted,  as  by  unbiassed  reason 
it  must  be ;  no  words  can  adequately  describe  either  the  excel- 
lence, the  beauty,  or  the  loveliness,  of  this  disposition.  Its  value 
is  of  course  proportioned  to  the  good,  of  which  it  is  the  spring; 
and  to  this  no  limits  can  be  affixed.  In  whatever  degree  it  exists, 
and  however  humble  it  may  be,  it  still  partakes  of  the  common 
nature.  The  gold  may  exist  in  particles  of  dust :  still  it  is  gold ; 
and  superior,  both  in  value  and  lustre,  to  all  the  dross  in  the  uni- 
verse. He,  who  consecrates  his  faculties,  however  small  they  may 
be,  to  the  glory  of  God,  and  the  good  of  the  Intelligent  creation, 
possesses  the  angelic  character ;  and  is  not  an  angel,  only  be- 
cause his  powers  are  inferior,  and  his  disposition  mixed,  and  hith- 
erto imperfect. 

But  there  is  something,  still,  to  be  added  to  the  beauty  of  the 
Christian  character.  The  Christian,  as  has  been  uniformly  taught 
in  these  discourses,  is,  in  this  world,  imperfectly  holy.  From  his 
remaining  sin  arise  to  him  many  circumstances,  incompatible  with 
a  state  of  perfection.  Many  temptations,  many  difficulties,  and 
many  sorrows,  spring  up  in  his  progress  towards  heaven,  which  a 
glorified  spirit  cannot  know.  In  his  struggles  with  these  ;  in  the 
resolution  with  which  he  meets,  and  encounters,  his  spiritual  ene- 
mies ;  in  his  contentions  with  the  lust  of  the  flesh,  the  lust  of  the 
eyes,  and  the  pride  of  life  ;  in  his  steady  dependence  on  God  ;  in 
his  faithful  prayers  for  Divine  aid;  in  his  patience,  submission, 
and  fortitude,  under  sufferings ;  in  his  firm  faith  in  the  Divine 
promises,  and  in  his  cheerful  resignation  of  himself  into  the  hands 
of  God ;  there  is  often  manifested  a  beauty  and  amiableness  of 
character,  which  is  probably  seen  in  no  other  world  beside  this  j 
but  which  must  be  approved,  ancTadmired,  in  every  world,  where 
wisdom  is  allowed  to  decide. 

In  all  the  meek  and  lowly  virtues  of  the  Christian  character 
there  is  something  pre-eminently  delightful,  and  endearing.  I 
know  not  whether  there  is  any  character,  more  strikingly  beautiful 
and  lovely,  than  that  of  a  peniten|,.  Children,  it  seems  to  me, 
never  interest  us  so  deeply  by  any  amiableness,  and  are  never 
regarded  with  such  peculiar  endearment,  as  when  they  come  to  us 
with  an  ingenuous,  cordial  sorrow  for  their  faults ;  a  cheerful  con 


550  INCREASE  OF  GRACE.  [SER.  LXXXVI. 

fession  ;  and  unfeigned  designs  of  amendment.  Such  in  a  peculiar 
degree  is  the  charming  aspect  of  Christian  Penitence.  On  it  the 
High  and  Lofty  One,  zvho  inhabiteth  Eternity,  has  declared  him- 
self pleased  to  look ;  and  over  it  the  joy  of  heaven  is  exquisitely 
enhanced. 

II.   The  holiness  of  the  Christian  increases  as  he  advances  in  life. 

The  very  nature  of  the  subject  leads  us,  in  a  sense  irresistibly, 
to  the  adoption  of  this  doctrine.  The  regeneration  of  the  Chris- 
tian is  his  moral  infancy.  If  we  suppose  him  to  live  through  even 
a  moderate  period  after  he  is  renewed ;  it  is  incredible,  that  his 
holiness  should  not  increase  in  strength.  The  evangelical  powers, 
(if  I  may  call  them  such)  as  certainly  increase  by  the  progress  of 
time,  and  by  successive  exercise,  as  the  natural  powers.  Indeed, 
the  increase  of  the  natural  powers  is,  of  course,  an  increase  of 
those  which  are  evangelical.  Every  illumination  of  the  mind,  ev- 
ery new  degree  of  capacity,  which  it  acquires  by  thinking,  for  more 
just  and  comprehensive  thought,  renders  the  intellect  more  vigor- 
ous for  every  future  exertion.  The  Word  of  God  is  to  the  Chris- 
tian the  chief  object  of  intellectual  investigation.  The  truths, 
which  it  reveals,  are  those,  on  which  he  especially  loves  to  dwell, 
and  about  which  his  mind  is  peculiarly  enlightened  by  successive 
inquiry.  It  is  here,  that  his  capacity  is  enlarged,  and  his  intellec- 
tual strength  increased. 

In  a  manner  equally  natural,  his  Affections,  also,  improve  in 
their  energy.  Parents  love  their  children  more  intensely  because 
they  have  loved  them  long.  In  the  same  manner  friendship  is 
continually  strengthened  by  time ;  and  in  the  same  manner  all  our 
other  affections.  What  is  true  of  these  is  equally  true  of  evangel- 
ical affections.  They,  also,  in  their  own  nature  become  more 
firm,  more  vigorous,  more  operative,  from  the  mere  fact,  that  they 
are  often  exercised.  So  far  as  Experience  teaches  us,  or  Reason 
is  able  to  divine,  all  the  powers  of  intelligent  beings,  by  a  com- 
mon law,  increase  in  their  strength,  whenever  they  are  regularly 
exercised. 

With  these  dictates  of  Reason  those  of  the  Scriptures  perfectly 
harmonize.  Were  this  not  the  fact,  however  plain  the  conclusions 
of  Reason  might  seem,  they  would  probably  fall  short  of  satisfying 
a  solicitous  inquirer  into  this  subject.  By  the  Scriptures  every 
question  concerning  Religion  is  to  be  decided ;  and  happily  the 
decision  in  the  present  case  is  complete.  There  we  are  taught, 
that  the  good  seed,  the  Word  of  God,  when  sown  in  good  ground, 
springs  up,  and  bears  fruit,  thirty,  sixty,  and  an  hundred  fold. 
There  we  are  informed,  that  Christians  abound  more  and  more  in 
the  various  graces  of  the  Gospel :  that  the  faith  of  the  Thessalo- 
nians  grew  exceedingly  j  that  the  love  of  every  one  of  them  abound- 
ed towards  their  fellow-saints ;  and  that  the  faith  of  the  Romans 
increased  in  such  a  m<inner,  as  to  be  spoken  of  throughout  all  the 
world. 


SER.  LXXXVI.]        INCREASE  OF  GRACE.  551 

The  Prayers  of  St.  Paul,  also,  for  his  fellow-christians ;  prayers, 
dictated,  as  you  will  remember,  by  the  Spirit  of  God ;  perfectly 
coincide  with  this  scheme.  The  Lord,  said  he  to  the  TkessalonianSj 
make  you  to  increase,  and  to  abound,  in  love  one  toward  another,  and 
toward  all  men.  To  the  Colossians  he  says.  We  do  not  cease  to 
pray  for  you,  that  ye  may  be  filed  with  the  knowledge  of  his  will,  in 
all  wisdom,  and  spiritual  understanding  ;  that  ye  may  walk  worthy 
of  the  Lord,  unto  all  well-pleasing,  being  fruitful  in  every  good 
work,  and  increasing  in  the  knowledge  of  God.  Of  the  same  tenour 
are  his  petitions  for  Christians  of  other  Churches. 

With  these  Declarations,  and  Prayers,  the  Commands,  given  us 
in  the  Scriptures  concerning  this  subject,  entirely  agree.  Giving 
all  diligence,  says  the  Apostle  Peter,  add  to  your  faith,  virtue  ;  and 
to  virtue,  knoxoledge  ;  and  to  knowledge,  temperance  ;  and  to  tem- 
perance, patience  j  and  to  patience,  godliness ;  and  to  godliness, 
brotherly  kindness  ;  and  to  brotherly  kindness,  charity.  And  again ; 
Grow  in  grace,  and  in  the  knowledge  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour,  Je- 
sus Christ.  This  one  thing  I  do,  says  St.  Paul  to  the  Philippians, 
forgetting  the  things  which  are  behind,  and  reaching  forth  unto  those 
things  which  are  before,  I  press  towards  the  mark,  for  the  prize  of 
the  high  calling  of  God  in  Jesus  Christ.  Brethren,  be  followers  to- 
gether of  me.  Generally  it  may  be  observed,  that  the  precepts, 
and  exhortations,  given  by  St.  Paul  to  the  several  Churches,  are  of 
the  same  nature  :  the  great  object  of  them  being  to  promote  the 
advancement  of  Christians  in  holiness. 

Finally.  Of  this  advancement,  thus  made  the  subject  of  decla- 
rations, prayers,  and  precepts,  the  Christian  is  amply  assured  by 
Promises,  abundantly  found  in  the  Scriptures.  If  he  faithfully  en- 
deavours to  improve  himself  in  the  Divine  life  ;  if  he  humbly  and 
fervently  ask  the  blessing  of  God  upon  his  labours  ;  he  knows, 
that  on  the  one  hand  the  grace  of  God  will  be  sufficient  for  him ; 
and,  on  the  other,  that  this  Almighty  friend  will  never  leave  him, 
nor  forsake  him.  That  holy  and  good  Spirit,  the  immediate  Author 
of  all  his  spiritual  blessings,  will  dwell  in  him;  will  lead  him;  will 
help  his  infirmities ;  and  finally  and  safely  conduct  him  to  the  pos- 
session of  his  heavenly  inheritance.  Thus,  while  he  faithfully  waits 
on  the  Lord,  he  will  renew  his  strength  ;  will  run,  and  not  be  weary  ; 
will  walk,  and  not  faint. 

The  truth  of  the  doctrine  under  consideration  may  now  be  con- 
sidered as  removed  beyond  every  doubt;  if,  indeed,  any  doubt  can 
be  supposed  to  have  arisen  concerning  the  subject.  Still,  it  is  of  no 
small  importance,  that  we  not  only  receive  the  general  proposition, 
but  understand,  also,  the  particulars,  of  which  it  is  constituted ; 
the  things  of  which  this  improvement  of  the  Christian  character 
consists.     I  observe,  therefore, 

1st.   That  the  Christian  increases  in  Divine  Knowledge, 
Particularly,  he  will  improve  in  the  knowledge  of  God. 


552  INCREASE  OF  GRACE  [SER.  LXXXVI 

By  this  I  do  not  intend,  that  he  will  advance  in  the  philosophical 
knowledge  of  this  great  and  glorious  Being.  In  this  knowledge 
he  indeed  may,  and  usually  will,  increase ;  and  so  may  multitudes 
of  those  who  are  not  Christians.  The  knowledge,  here  intended, 
is  especially  of  a  spiritual  nature ;  that  which  is  called  by  Solo- 
mon the  knoioledge  of  the  holy ;  the  knowledge,  which  our  Saviour 
declares  to  be  eternal  life  ,•  the  knowledge,  which  is  possessed  only 
by  those  who  love  God,  and  is  essentially  derived  from  their  af- 
fection to  him.  As  the  Christian  reads  the  Bible^  which  will  ever 
be  one  of  his  favourite  employments,  he  will  find  God,  the  great 
subject  of  it,  every  where  exhibited  to  his  view;  and  exhibited 
continually  in  lights,  ever  varying  from  each  other.  In  the  succes- 
sion, and  in  the  comparison,  of  an  endless  multitude  of  passages, 
all  of  them  diverse,  and  all  of  them  instructive,  he  will  continual- 
ly gain  new  apprehensions  of  the  greatness  and  wisdom,  the  good- 
ness, mercy,  and  truth,  of  the  Being,  from  whom  he  derived  his 
own  existence,  and  from  whom  he  receives  all  his  blessings. 

These  apprehensions  will  be  enlarged,  and  improved,  by  his  at- 
tention to  the  works  of  Creation  and  Providence,  The  works  of 
God  arc  always  full  of  instruction  to  those  who  read,  and  love,  his 
Word.  Every  person,  who  peruses  the  Psalms  with  attention, 
must  have  observed  how  much  instruction,  and  what  elevated  af- 
fections and  purposes,  David  acquired  from  this  source.  Here, 
like  David,  every  devout  mind  will  see  clearly  elucidated  the  truth, 
reasonableness,  and  wisdom,  of  very  many  Scriptural  doctrines ;  the 
propriety,  and  excellence,  of  very  many  precepts;  the  cogency  of 
very  many  motives  to  his  duty ;  and  the  fulhlment  of  very  many 
predictions,  and  promises.  These,  in  innumerable  instances,  al- 
though unregarded  by  men  of  this  world,  will  force  themselves 
hourly,  and  irresistibly,  on  the  eye  of  the  Christian  :  for  they  are 
all  congenial  with  his  wishes,  hopes,  and  designs ;  and  to  dwell  up- 
on them  will  be  his  peculiar  delight. 

The  dispensations  of  God  to  himself,  his  family,  his  friends,  and 
his  country,  will  in  a  peculiar  manner  cast  a  new  light  over  all  these 
interesting  subjects.  Whatever  immediately  concerns  ourselves, 
and  ours,  becomes  of  course  an  object  of  our  minute  attention. 
As  it  is  more  thoroughly  studied,  so  it  is  necessarily  better  under- 
stood, than  the  same  things  contained  in  dispensations  to  others. 
In  our  own  blessings,  and  afflictions,  many  exhibitions  are  made  to 
us  of  the  character  of  God ;  and  many  proofs  of  his  wisdom,  good- 
ness, and  truth,  are  realized,  which  will  hardly  be  derived  from  any 
other  source.  Here  our  Maker  is  seen  in  a  thousand  lights  of 
providential  care  and  kindness,  as  our  Preserver  and  Benefactor; 
as  the  proper  object  of  ultimate  hope,  and  confidence ;  of  which 
Ave  should  have  known  little  or  nothing  from  any  other  source. 
At  the  same  time,  this  knowledge  is  deeply  endeared  to  us,  or  so- 
lemnly impressed,  by  the  events  which  disclose  it ;  and  is  therefore 
deeply  felt,  and  long  remembered.     Hence  it  becomes  a  part  of 


SER.  LXXXVI]  INCREASE  OF  GRACE.  553 

our  current  thoughts ;  and  is  ready  to  be  applied  on  every  proper 
occasion  to  every  usetul  purpose.  In  this  manner  the  mind  becomes 
enr'ched  with  a  train  of  the  most  useful  views,  sohd  arguments,  and 
important  doctrines  ;  wiiich  raise  it  from  its  former  level  to  a  nobler 
elevation  on  tht>  scale  of  Intelligent  being;  and  furnish  it  for  a 
higher  enjoyment,  and  more  extensive  usefulness,  in  the  kingdom 
of  its  Maker. 

In  a  similar  manner  Christians  improve  in  the  knowledge  of  their 
duty.  All  the  duty  of  tlie  Christian  is  originally  learned  from  the 
Scriptures.  As  his  acquaintance  with  this  Sacred  Volume  enlarges, 
the  precepts,  whicn  comprise  the  whole  of  his  duty,  are  more  and 
more  known,  remtmbered,  compared,  and  made  to  elucidate  each 
other.  These  from  lime  to  time  he  applies  to  his  own  practical 
concerns ;  and  thus,  as  they  pass  under  his  eye  from  day  to  day, 
he  learns  more  accurately  the  nature,  extent,  and  spirituality,  of  the 
precepts  themselves,  and  tlie  safest  and  best  modes  of  applying 
to  them  the  conuuct  of  his  life.  In  this  manner  the  Scriptural  pre- 
cepts may  be  said  to  be  always  at  hand ;  always  ready  for  use  ; 
so  as  to  guide  him  safely,  and  happily,  in  many  cases,  where  others 
would  be  compelled  10  struggle  with  doubt  and  perplexity. 

It  ought  to  be  added,  that  the  knowledge  of  the  Christian,  ac- 
quired immediately  from  Scripture,  and  from  his  own  experience, 
is  greatly  increased  by  the  conversation  of  his  fellow-Christians, 
and  by  the  valuable  books,  written  by  wise  and  good  men  concern- 
ing the  subjects  of  Rehgion. 

Finally  :  Christians  greatly  improve  in  the  knowledge  of  them- 
selves. 

The  importance  of  self-knowledge  is  so  obvious,  that  the  ancient 
heathen  considered  the  precept,  which  enjoins  it,  as  having  de- 
scended from  heaven.  They  were  not  deceived :  for  the  Scrip- 
tures directly  require  us  to  examine  ourselves,  to  prove  ourselves, 
and  to  know  ourselves.  A  part  of  this  knowledge,  and  that  indis- 
pensable, is  conveyed  to  us  in  the  Sacred  Canon ;  and  this  the 
Christian  makes  more  and  more  his  own  by  continually  searching 
for  it  in  that  invaluable  book.  But  indispensable  as  this  knowledge 
is,  it  is  comparatively  of  little  importance  to  the  Christian,  until  he 
has  learned  its  proper  import  by  applying  it  to  his  own  spiritual 
condition  ;  to  the  discovery  of  his  true  character;  to  the  detection 
of  his  sins ;  to  the  investigation  of  his  duty ;  to  the  excitement  of 
his  fears  ;  to  the  establishment  of  his  hopes ;  the  alleviation  of  his 
sorrows,  and  the  increase  of  his  joys.  This  knowledge  the  Chris- 
tian can  gain  only  by  Self-examination  ^  by  looking  daily  into 
his  heart ;  by  scrutinizing  his  life ;  and  by  comparing  all  that  he 
thinks,  and  feels,  and  says,  and  does,  with  the  rules  of  his  duty, 
prescribed  in  the  Word  of  God. 

In  this  manner  the  best  of  men  will  learn,  that  they  are,  in  many 
respects,  widely  different  beings  from  what  an  ordinary  and  gross 
attention  to  this  part  of  their  duty  would  induce  them  to  believe. 

Vol.  II.  70 


554  INCREASE  OF  GRACE.  [SER.  LXXXVI. 

They  will  discern,  that  they  commit  many  sins,  where  otherwise 
they  would  suppose  themselves  gudty  of  few  ;  that  many  actions, 
which  they  have  before  tiiought  innocent,  are  really  sinful ;  that 
sinful  actions  are  much  more  criminal  than  they  have  been  accus- 
tomed to  believe :  that  thcMr  virtuous  actions  are  fewer,  less  meri- 
torious, and  less  acceptable  to  God,  than  they  have  been  ready 
to  suppose  ;  and  that  themselves  are  much  farther  than  they 
have  been  aware,  from  the  perfection  required  by  the  Scriptures. 
In  this  very  manner,  there  is  reason  to  believe,  St.  Paul  arrived  at 
those  just  views  of  his  own  character,  which  are  expressed  in  the 
latter  part  of  the  7th  chapter  of  his  Epistle  to  the  Romans  ;  and 
in  this  manner  Christians  in  every  age  and  country  have  acquired 
almost  all  the  self-knowledge  which  they  have  ever  possessed. 

By  these  efforts  the  good  man  acquires  much  more  just,  as  well 
as  more  humble,  apprehensions  of  what  he  is  ;  discerns  that  in  ma- 
ny things  he,  and  all  others,  offend;  that  in  every  thing  he  comes 
short  of  the  praise,  that  is,  the  approbation,  of  God  ;  that  in  his  best 
services  there  is  much  to  lament,  and  much  to  be  forgiven :  and 
that  new  zeal,  watchfulness,  faithfulness,  and  prayer,  are  daily  de- 
manded of  him,  both  by  his  interest,  and  by  his  duty.  At  the  same 
time  he  clearly  perceives  the  indispensable  necessity  of  being 
more  humble,  submissive,  diligent,  prayerful;  less  censorious  to- 
wards others  ;  less  attentive  to  the  little,  and  more  to  the  great, 
concerns  of  the  Christian  life ;  more  patient,  gentle,  meek,  and 
amiable ;  and  more  strenuous  in  his  opposition  to  every  lust,  temp- 
tation, and  enemy. 

2dly.   The  Christian  improves  in  his  Affections. 

By  the  great  change,  which  was  made  in  his  character,  when  of 
a  sinner  he  became  a  Christian,  styled  in  the  Scriptures  Regenera- 
tion, and  denoted  by  several  other  names,  of  an  import  generally 
similar,  his  affections  were  for  the  first  time  turned  from  the  world 
to  God.  At  this  period  his  spiritual  views  were  very  limited,  and 
imperfect;  and  his  affections,  in  an  infantine  state.  Every  exer- 
cise of  them  was  a  kind  of  novelty  ;  a  thing,  to  which  he  had  not 
been  accustomed,  and  therefore  performed,  if  I  may  be  allowed 
the  term,  crudely.  Ardent,  and  even  violent,  they  might  be,  and 
at  times  probably  were  ;  but  not  steady,  and  fiiTn  ;  partaking  more 
of  the  sudden,  and  desultory,  character  of  the  natural  passions, 
than  of  the  settled  energy  of  an  established  habit ;  and  resembUng 
more  in  their  operations  the  unequal  efforts  of  a  raw  recruit,  than 
the  regular  advances  of  a  veteran.  In  every  such  case  there  is 
usually  much  of  the  earth,  mingled  with  a  little  of  heaven.  Joys 
and  sorrows,  hopes  and  fears,  at  this  time  often,  perhaps  usually, 
abound  ;  and  those  in  some  instances  excessive.  But  we  are  apt 
to  look  in  vain  for  a  stable,  uniform  course  of  life;  the  energy, 
which  is  customarily  ready  to  act,  and  act  with  vigour;  the  serious 
consideration,  by  which  it  is  taught  to  operate  usefully  ;  and  the 
serenity,  by  which  it  is  most  naturally  accompanied.     In  vain  shall 


SER.  LXXXVI]  INCREASE  OF  GRACE.  555 

we  here  search,  in  ordinary  cases,  for  that  sober  fear,  Avhich,  al- 
ways awake,  most  usefully  warns  us  of  the  approach  of  tempta- 
tion, and  the  danger  of  sin  ;  for  that  fixed  hope,  which  quietly^  as 
well  as  humbly,  waits  for  the  salvation  of  God  ;  for  those  calm  and 
determined  purposes  of  duty,  which  are  unremittedly  carried  into 
execution ;  and  for  those  milder,  and  more  endearing,  joys,  and 
that  more  regularly  recurring  peace,  which  are  found  by  a  mind 
well  disciplined  to  the  Christian  life.  Hope,  here,  is  apt  suddenly 
to  give  place  to  fear,  and  sometimes  to  despondency;  zeal,  to  be 
succeeded  by  indifference  ;  and  the  most  brilliant  sunshine,  to  be 
overcast  by  clouds  and  gloom.  It  will  be  readily  admitted,  that 
such  a  state  is  in  many  respects  undesirable. 

As  the  Christian  advances  in  his  progress,  all  these  things  often, 
to  say  the  least,  are  materially  changed.  The  exercise  of  his  pi- 
ous affections,  instead  of  being  new,  and  occasional,  becomes  by 
frequent  repetition  a  habit.  His  love  to  God  is  by  degrees  changed 
into  the  settled  temper,  the  fixed  energy,  of  his  soul.  More  calm, 
more  uniform,  though  less  violent,  it  acquires  a  strength,  a  stabili- 
ty, which  nothing  violent  ever  possessed.  Where  new  and  ardent 
converts  will  tremble,  and  bend,  and  even  be  overturned  ;  he  will 
stand  immoveable;  and  will  thus  prove,  that  he  is  deeply  rooted  in 
the  faith.  Of  the  same  fixed  nature  will  be  his  affections  towards 
his  fellow-men.  The  benevolence,  which  is  the  fulfilment  of  the 
second  command  of  the  moral  law,  holds  an  even  course,  in  the 
mind  of  the  Christian,  with  his  love  to  God  ;  and  increases  in  its 
stability,  and  energy,  in  the  same  manner,  by  becoming  habitual. 
Originally,  the  exercises  of  this  affection,  those,  at  least,  which 
were  vigorous,  and  therefore  objects  of  particular  attention  to  the 
mind,  were  occasional,  and  in  a  comparative  sense  solitary.  Like 
all  other  occasional  things,  they  were  at  times  weaker,  or  stronger, 
according  to  the  circumstances  by  which  they  were  attended. 
They  were  also  brought  into  existence,  often  at  least,  against  mo- 
tives of  considerable  efficacy  against  the  intrusion  of  other  affec- 
tions, of  a  worldly  nature ;  the  power  of  prejudice  ;  the  calls  of 
business  ;  the  care,  and  the  apprehended  interests,  of  one's  fami- 
ly ;  the  spirit  of  a  sect,  or  party  ;  and  the  pride  of  self-consistency. 
The  man,  also,  has  hitherto  known  very  imperfectly  the  pleasure, 
which  springs  from  the  exercise  of  benevolence  ;  and,  therefore, 
very  imperfectly  realizes  the  pleasure,  which  he  may  find  in  exer- 
cising it  again.  His  former  passions,  and  habits,  still  retain  much 
of  their  ancient  hold  upon  him  ;  and  still  influence  not  a  little  of  his 
conduct.  Hence,  his  benevolence  is  in  many  instances  greatly 
impeded  ;  and  in  many  others  prevented,  perhaps,  from  operating 
at  all. 

From  all  these  disadvantages  the  Christian  in  his  progrees 
through  life  gradually  escapes  ;  and  acquires  gradually  the  contra- 
ry advantages.  His  love  to  his  fellow-men  becomes  by  degrees  a 
habit,  more  and  more  fixed,  uniform,  and  ever  ready  to  operate. 


356  liNCKEASE  OF  GRACE.  [SER.  LXXXVI. 

With  every  exercise  it  gains  strength.  The  pleasure,  which  it 
yields,  is  more  uniformly  found ;  and  exists  in  a  higher  degree. 
Hence  it  is  more  regularly  exercised  ;  and  in  all  its  exercises  are 
more  efficacious. 

The  same  things  are  equally  true  of  the  Christian's  opposition  to 
sin.  By  the  superior  knowledge  which  he  acquires  of  the  nature 
of  this  evil  and  bitter  thing,  and  by  his  experience  of  the  pain,  and 
sorrow,  which  are  its  regular  consequences,  he  learns  to  regard  it 
with  habitual  hatred  and  fear.  His  eye,  therefore,  is  watchfully 
open  to  mark  the  approach  of  temptation,  and  the  appearance  of 
evil. 

In  a  similar  manner,  also,  increases  the  Christian's  attachment  to 
his  duty.  Attachment  to  our  duty  necessarily  bears  a  diri-ot  pro- 
portion to  our  hatred  of  sin  ;  for,  every  voluntary,  or  negligent, 
omission  of  known  duty,  is  itself  a  sin.  All  our  duty,  also,  is  obe- 
dience to  God  ;  and  a  love  to  it  increases,  of  course,  with  our  love 
to  God.  This  is  the  love  of  God,  that  ye  keep  his  commandments. 
The  pleasure,  also,  of  performing  our  duty,  and  the  strength  of 
habit,  generated  by  it,  will  lend  their  whole  force  to  increase  this 
attachment.  But  the  time  forbids  me  to  expatiate  on  this  part  of 
the  subject. 

3dly.  Christians  improve,  also,  in  Purity,  and  Amiableness  of 
life. 

If  the  things,  which  have  been  observed  under  the  former  heads, 
be  admitted,  this  will  be  perceived  to  follow  of  course.  He,  whose 
affections  become  better,  will,  in  a  sense,  necessarily  live  a  better 
life.  Wherever  love  to  God  prevails  in  greater  degrees ;  devotion, 
public,  private,  and  secret,  will  regularly  be  performed  in  a  man- 
ner more  regular,  more  sincere,  more  pure,  and  more  acceptable. 
Wherever  love  to  man  increases  in  strength  ;  truth  will  be  more  ex- 
actly spoken  ;  justice  more  uniformly  done  ;  beneficence  more 
widely  dift'used  ;  and  the  forgiveness  of  enemies  more  cheerfully 
yielded.  In  persons  of  whom  this  is  the  character,  the  pain  of 
self-denial  will  in  a  great  measure  vanish  ;  and  to  communicate  to 
others  our  property,  and  our  services,  will  be  attended  with  little, 
or  none,  of  that  reluctance,  but  too  commonly  visible  even  in  good 
men.  In  a  word,  the  Christian  is  taught  by  his  own  experience,  as 
he  had  before  been  taught  by  his  Saviour,  that  it  is  more  blessed  to 
give,  than  to  receive. 

It  is,  however,  carefully  to  be  remembered,  that  all  these  desira- 
hie  things  arc  wrought  into  the  Christian's  mind,  and  life,  by  the  pow- 
er of  the  Holy  Spirit.  Wc  work  out  our  salvation  with  fear,  and 
trembling,  wlien  God  works  in  us  to  will,  and  to  do,  of  his  good 
pleasure.  Without  the  influence  of  this  Divine  Agent,  nothing 
comparatively  would  be  done  ;  but,  with  it,  the  Christian  will  him- 
self labour  both  vigorously,  and  successfully.  For  his  encourage- 
ment, let  him  remember,  that,  whenever  he  is  himself  willing  to  lay 
strong  hold   on  his  duty,   and  will  seek  for  the  assistance   of  this 


SER.  LXXXVT]  INCREASE  OF  GRACE.  557 

glorious  Agent,  he  has  the  best  reasons  to  believe,  that  it  will  not 
be  denied. 

It  ought,  also,  to  be  added  in  this  place,  that  realizing  views  of 
the  approach  of  death,  judgment,  and  eternity,  will  have  a  power- 
ful influence  to  quicken  the  efforts,  which  the  Christian  makes  for  his 
advancement  in  holiness. 

In  conformity  to  these  observations,  we  see  Christians  actually 
growing  better  and  better,  as  they  advance  through  life.  We  see 
them  more  pious ;  more  benevolent ;  more  self-denying ;  more 
humble;  more  weaned  from  the  world ;  more  spiritually-minded; 
and  universally  possessed  in  higher  degrees  of  the  disposition, 
which  fits  them  to  become  inhabitants  of  heaven.  It  obviously 
costs  them  less  to  be  meek  under  provocations,  and  patient  under 
injuries,  to  part  with  their  property,  or  employ  their  labour,  for 
charitable  purposes.  The  smaller  troubles  of  life  sit  lighter  upon 
them ;  and  the  greater,  they  endure  with  more  resignation,  and  for- 
titude. Universally,  they  are  more  solicitous  concerning  their  du- 
ty, and  less  studious  of  their  own  convenience.  There  is,  therefore, 
more  to  be  approved,  and  less  to  be  blamed,  in  the  conduct  of  their 
lives. 

It  is  not  intended  here,  that  this  is  the  regular,  and  uniform,  ten- 
our  of  the  Christian  life.  The  improvement  of  the  Christian  char- 
acter is  unquestionably,  to  a  greater  or  less  degree,  irregular  and 
interrupted ;  in  some  Christians  indeed  less,  and  in  others  more. 
Some  backslide  in  a  melancholy,  and  shameful  manner,  and  for  pe- 
riods comparatively  long  ;  while  others  appear  to  advance  with  a 
steady,  and  regular,  approximation  towards  the  measure  of  the  per- 
fect man. 

Neither  is  it  intended,  that  cold,  careless,  lazy  Christians  will  find 
the  blessings,  which  have  been  mentioned  in  this  discourse.  The 
diligent  hand  maketh  rich  in  spiritual,  as  well  as  in  temporal,  good. 
He,  who  wishes  to  secure  these  blessings,  must  on  the  one  hand 
watch  and  pray,  and  on  the  other,  do  whatsoever  he  Jindeth  to  do 
with  his  might. 

Among  the  attainments,  made  by  such  as  have  been  Christians 
for  a  length  of  time,  I  will  mention  one ;  and  will  then  conclude 
the  discourse.  This  is,  that  they  are  almost  universally  more  Cath- 
olic than  those  who  are  young.  By  catholic  here,  I  do  not  mean 
what  in  modern  times  is  frequently  meant  by  the  word.  This 
honourable  term,  like  many  others,  has  been  purloined  by  men 
without  worth,  to  denote,  and  to  ornament,  a  part  of  their  own  un- 
worthy character.  It  has  been  employed  to  designate  a  shameful 
indifference  to  truth  and  error,  to  virtue  and  sin.  This  is  a  direct 
contrast  to  the  spirit  of  the  men,  of  whom  I  have  been  speakmg. 
These  men  are  moi"e  attached  to  truth,  and  more  opposed  to  error ; 
more  ardent  in  their  love  to  virtue  and  their  hatred  of  sin.  But 
they  are  possessed  of  more  gentleness,  and  more  charitableness, 
in  their  thoughts:  more  candour  in  their  judgments;  more  sweet- 


558  INCREASE  OF  GRACE.  [SER.  LXXXVI, 

ness  in  their  dispositions ;  and  more  evangelical  tenderness,  and 
moderation,  in  their  conduct.  They  are  less  ready  to  censure, 
and  more  pleased  to  commend.  Truth  they  prize  more  for  its 
own  sake ;  and  are  less  solicitous  to  ask  from  whom  it  comes. 
Error  they  oppose  in  all  men ;  especially  in  themselves,  and  their 
friends.  Little  things  they  value  less,  and  great  ones  more.  On 
the  names,  so  numerously  found  in  the  Christian  world,  and  so 
highly  valued  by  many  who  inhabit  it,  they  place  little  importance. 
On  the  parties,  and  sects,  which  disgrace  that  world,  they  look 
only  with  disapprobation,  and  regret.  To  real  and  Evangelical 
worth  they  attach  high  consideration.  Over  the  feuds,  and  jang- 
lings,  which  have  so  extensively  prevailed  among  the  professed 
followers  of  Christ,  and  often  about  subjects  of  little  moment,  they 
cast  an  eye  of  compassion ;  and  lament,  that  those,  whom  Christ  has 
loved ;  for  whom  he  died  ;  who  will  finally  be  placed  at  the  right 
hand  of  the  Judge  ;  and  who  will  be  united  for  ever  in  the  friend- 
ship of  heaven  ;  should  be  kept  asunder,  alienated,  engaged  in 
contention,  and  at  times  even  embarked  in  hostilities,  for  reasons, 
which  they  will  blush  to  recite  before  the  last  tribunal,  and  which 
will  awaken  shame,  if  shame  can  be  awakened,  in  Heaven  itself. 

These  men  furnish  one  illustrious  practical  proof,  that  the  holi- 
ness of  Christians  increases  through  life. 


END  OF  VOL.  II. 


